Warning: Spoilers for the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series below.
After Sarah J. Maas announced the long-awaited sixth installment of her “A Court of Thorns and Roses” (“ACOTAR”) series earlier this year, it was only a matter of time before the beloved romantasy saga started making the licensing partnership rounds. Ahead of Tuesday’s release of “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” brands are catering to one of BookTok’s biggest audiences by stepping into the spellbinding world of Prythian with character-inspired fragrances, Bat Boy embroidered panties and even a Monopoly board. (Yes, really.)
But these aren’t your typical licensing partnerships. Many popular book series first became blockbuster movies or fan-favorite TV shows before venturing into the lucrative world of fan merchandise, but with “ACOTAR,” brands are exclusively pulling from words on a page. While there is an official coloring book with original drawings and an entire ecosystem of online fan art, “ACOTAR” has no accompanying actors, animations or visual aids to merely slap onto merchandise. (Hulu scrapped a planned “ACOTAR” TV series last year, meaning fans have yet to see any movement on the live-action adaptation front.)
So, given that each fan has their own vision of Prythian and the Inner Circle, how can brands successfully translate the written “ACOTAR” world through their own physical branding?
For Love and Lemons x “ACOTAR”
Photo: Courtesy of For Love and Lemons
For Love & Lemons put a fantastical spin on its signature romantic dresses by unveiling a collection of shimmering slips marking Feyre Archeron’s entrance into the Night Court and scallop-edged satin panties donning “Rhysand’s,” “Cassian’s” and “Azriel’s” embroidered on the front; BrüMate printed celestial and tattoo-inspired designs onto its tumblers; and Dolls Kill launched graphic tees and crewnecks, including a paint-stained Chapter 55 sweater (IYKYK).
Intimates label Knix “focused on what readers already connect with: the characters’ personalities, each court’s imagery and fan-favorite moments,” Knix President Nicole Tapscott tells Fashionista over email. Knix’s “ACOTAR” collaboration also stemmed from personal appreciation; both Tapscott and Knix Founder Joanna Griffiths were already devout fans. “Joanna decided to reach out to Sarah J. Maas directly on Instagram, and the rest is history,” Tapscott says.
Knix x “ACOTAR”
Photo: Courtesy of Knix
Griffiths’ idea soon grew into a “40-person internal fan club” working together to design the apparel collaboration, which evolved into an 89-piece collection spanning bras, underwear, corsets and more. “Because the designers are readers themselves, the references are authentic while leaving room for fans’ own interpretations,” Tapscott explains. The Night Court’s celestial motifs dot across matching undergarments, Nesta Archeron’s sharp edge shines through via a structured corset inspired by Illyrian fighting leathers and Starfall is brought to life in a lace sky blue slip. Plus, Knix’s Spring Court offering includes rose-patterned sets, its Autumn Court selection spotlights fox prints à la Lucien’s mask and its Summer Court section introduces Adriata toile inspired by the fictional coastal city.
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“‘ACOTAR’ felt like a natural fit for Knix because there’s such a strong connection between the two communities,” Tapscott expands. “Knix has always been about helping people feel confident and comfortable in their own skin, while ‘ACOTAR’ celebrates characters who embrace their power, identity and self-expression.”
As for jewelry brand Alex and Ani, the call to collaborate with “ACOTAR” came from inside the house. “We first learned of the ‘ACOTAR’ series from a few of our employees and they’re the ones who truly advocated for this IP,” Alex and Ani CEO Prita Kumar says. However, “ACOTAR” was not available for licensing at the time, so Alex and Ani kept a close eye on it and later became one of the first deals that IMG — the global licensing business representing Maas (and just about any other IP you can think of) — signed for the property.
Alex and Ani x “ACOTAR”
Photo: Courtesy of Alex and Ani
Alex and Ani’s first “ACOTAR” collection, which launched in June, honored the Night Court via a winged locket necklace, a sword cuff bracelet and Bat Boy ring stacks. The label has since unveiled two additional fan-approved collections: “Book Club,” a charm-centric offering representing each of the books via bracelets and hand chains, as well as “Starfall,” a celestial-inspired drop featuring dangling earrings and bangles commemorating the celebration of migrating spirits in the form of shooting stars.
“Not having an on-screen version actually gave us more room to play,” Kumar says. “We built the collection around the characters, relationships and moments readers obsess over, then hid little surprises inside: lockets that open to reveal scenes, engraved quotes from the books and interlocking rings representing the relationships… Every fan pictures it a little differently, and the pieces leave room for that.”
Since fragrance plays a pivotal role in the “ACOTAR” series (see: Rhysand’s natural aroma of sea salt and citrus), Fine’ry set out to bottle key characters’ scents by pulling directly from the page. However, when ideating the collaboration’s fragrances, Fine’ry “discovered that some of our signature scents had been capturing the world of ‘ACOTAR’ all along,” per Maesa Senior Vice President Molly Kennedy. Instead of formulating all-new fragrances, Fine’ry reimagined four of its core scents (Flower Bed, No Prince Required, Ultra and The New Rouge) through the lens of “ACOTAR” and presented them in limited-edition packaging.
Photo: Courtesy of Fine'ry
The resulting reissued fragrances include High Lady of the Night Court (Flower Bed), a luminous floral bouquet of lilac and green pear that captures Feyre’s journey to High Lady; High Lord of the Night Court (Ultra), a powerful salty and citrus scent representing Rhysand; Moonstone Palace (The New Rouge), a warm amber juice grounded in sandalwood and moonflower; and Night in Velaris (No Prince Required), a jasmine and amber blend embodying the City of Starlight. (Tangentially, my campaign for a Rowan Whitethorn-inspired pine-and-snow fragrance begins now.)
“Because every reader pictures the world of ‘ACOTAR’ a little differently, we let scent lead in storytelling, focusing on specific excerpts of the book, the emotions that scent evokes, all tied to characters and settings the books describe,” Kennedy adds.
With an existing customer base to maintain and a fandom to appease, brands need a clear strategy when pursuing licensing partnerships. So, how can they get it right? Tapscott recommends “start[ing] as a fan.” When a brand’s decision-makers already have a built-in appreciation for an IP, that dedication (and insider knowledge) is imbued into the partnership from the beginning. Tapscott also adds that brands should “respect how invested fans are” and “bring something distinctive” to the table.
Photo: Courtesy of Knix
Kennedy stresses that “authentic alignment” is the key to a successful licensing partnership: “The brand and the property should share a mission and a point of view, so the product feels like a genuine extension of that world rather than a mere logo change.” In Kumar’s view, brands should start with “the elements nearly every fan obsesses over,” hence Alex and Ani’s initial partnership centering around the fan-favorite Night Court. Then, “as sales and engagement show real traction, you go deeper into the details only true fans will catch,” she adds.
Although we may be knee-deep in a literacy crisis (looking at you, Alix Earle), bookish brand collaborations are heading toward an upswing. Just look to Madewell’s recent collab with the New York Public Library, Dior’s “Book Cover” collection which transformed classic literature from “Pride and Prejudice” to “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” into its signature totes or Coach’s miniature book-inspired bag charms.
“We think book-centric collaborations have an exciting opportunity to grow because books create immersive worlds that readers can interpret, connect with and carry beyond the page into their everyday lives,” Kennedy says.
Tapscott concurs: “There’s room for more literary collaborations, but fit is everything. The best ones come from a real connection between brand, story and community.”
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