{"id":1723,"date":"2026-05-06T19:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T17:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?guid=e222b68bc7bbef8b6f9118deed238d40"},"modified":"2026-05-06T19:10:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T17:10:00","slug":"cool-brands-announces-strategic-licensing-partnerships-with-centric-brands-and-jay-franco-sons-for-its-childrens-lifestyle-brand-a-star-is-born-co-founded-by","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?p=1723","title":{"rendered":"Cool Brands Announces Strategic Licensing Partnerships With Centric Brands and Jay Franco & Sons for Its Children\u2019s Lifestyle Brand \u201cA Star Is Born\u2122\u201d, Co-Founded by Vanessa Hudgens"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#BrandLicensing<\/a>--Cool Brands<\/a>, a brand management, creation, and licensing company, today announced that A Star Is Born\u2122, a contemporary children\u2019s lifestyle brand co-founded by actress, singer and entrepreneur, Vanessa Hudgens, has signed long-term strategic multi-category licensing partnerships with Centric Brands<\/a> and Jay Franco & Sons<\/a>. Retail introductions are slated to begin in 2027.<\/p><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>

\nA Star Is Born enters the market as a lifestyle ecosystem for newborns through age eight, built to scale across both soft and hardlines offering accessible solutions for young parents. The brand addresses growing consumer demand for elevated, thoughtfully designed children\u2019s products that serve both child and parent. With Vanessa\u2019s more than 78 million<\/b> social media followers globally, Hudgens brings built-in cultural relevance and direct access to a highly engaged millennial and Gen Z parent audience.<\/p>

\n\u201cOur goal for A Star Is Born is to make life easier for parents without sacrificing design or comfort,\u201d said Hudgens. \u201cCreating thoughtful products for young families like mine is a dream come true.\u201d<\/p>

\nCool Brands is breaking the traditional celebrity-brand mold with A Star Is Born. Rather than a short-term capsule or endorsement-driven launch, the company built the platform from the ground up as a long-term, multi-category licensing venture, with Hudgens\u2019 involvement in product development, drawing inspiration from her personal journey into motherhood.<\/p>

\n\u201cA Star Is Born embodies Cool Brands\u2019 mission to build brands with naturally positive cachet in partnership with creative talent and best in class manufacturers,\u201d said Ezra S. Ashkenazi, Founder and CEO of Cool Brands, and a Principal and Founder of iHome Audio. \u201cOver the past three decades, I\u2019ve had the privilege of pioneering consumer and lifestyle brands and products across multiple categories. We are honored to partner with Vanessa, whose strong product intuition and warm, relatable spirit are reflected in the creative process, particularly during this meaningful chapter of her life as a mother.\u201d<\/p>

\nCentric Brands, a leading global lifestyle collective, will serve as the brand\u2019s lead soft goods licensee producing apparel, soft footwear, bath accessories, and kid safe cosmetics. The engagement contains more than 90 distinct products across these categories, establishing a robust, multi-season and departmental product pipeline.<\/p>

\n\u201cWith A Star Is Born, we\u2019re merging Centric\u2019s design expertise and retail reach to create something that feels both elevated and deeply personal within the baby and children\u2019s space,\u201d said Rob Smith, President, Kids at Centric Brands. \u201cThis brand is rooted in Vanessa\u2019s sense of authenticity and joy\u2014shaped by her experience as a new mom and her natural connection to a generation of modern, millennial parents. Together, we\u2019re translating that point of view into a lifestyle that feels considered, effortless, and full of heart\u2014celebrating the beauty in everyday moments.\u201d<\/p>

\nJay Franco & Sons, a long-established home and bath company, will introduce bedding, bath, and home accessories, extending the brand into the home with more than 60 distinct products across these categories.<\/p>

\n\u201cA Star Is Born is a natural fit for us, as our approach has always catered to young families,\u201d said Joe A. Franco, President, Jay Franco & Sons. \u201cJay Franco has built its reputation over more than eight decades on delivering quality products and designs that families trust. Our plan to introduce a comprehensive range across bedding, bath, and home, combined with Vanessa\u2019s creative perspective, product vision, and highly engaged online audience, creates a compelling opportunity at retail.\u201d<\/p>

\nCool Brands is in active discussions with additional leading partners across strollers\/car seats and travel accessories, nursery furniture, feeding and mealtime, toys and developmental play, publishing, and health and wellness.<\/p>

\n\u201cOur objective is to thoughtfully build a trusted, one-stop family brand,\u201d said Simon Douek, Principal at Cool Brands. \u201cWe are selectively engaging category leaders who share our commitment to premium quality, operational excellence and long-term brand building.\u201d<\/p>

\nAdditional category announcements and retail partnerships are expected later this year.<\/p>

\nFor retail and licensing inquiries, please contact: simon@coolbrandsllc.com<\/a>.<\/p>

\nAbout Cool Brands LLC<\/b><\/p>

\nCool Brands<\/a> is a New York\u2013based brand management, creation and licensing company that develops scalable consumer brands in partnership with global talent, innovators and category leaders. The company specializes in building long-term lifestyle properties across fashion, home and consumer goods. The company also serves as a brand management partner, helping established brands expand their footprint through strategic licensing programs, as it has recently done for Nuby, the newborn to three-year old children\u2019s brand.<\/p>

\nFor more information about Cool Brands, please visit www.coolbrandsllc.com<\/a>.<\/p>

\nAbout Centric Brands LLC<\/b><\/p>

\nCentric Brands LLC<\/a> is a leading global lifestyle brand collective that has unparalleled expertise in product design, development and sourcing, retail and digital commerce, marketing, and brand building. Centric designs, sources, markets, and sells high-quality products in the kids, men\u2019s and women\u2019s apparel, accessories, beauty, and entertainment categories. The Company\u2019s portfolio includes licenses for more than 100 iconic brands, including Calvin Klein\u00ae, Tommy Hilfiger\u00ae, Nautica\u00ae, GAP\u00ae, Faherty\u00ae, and Under Armour\u00ae in the kid\u2019s category; Buffalo\u00ae, Herv\u00e9 L\u00e9ger\u00ae, Joe\u2019s Jeans\u00ae and Off-White\u00ae in the men\u2019s and women\u2019s apparel category; All Saints\u00ae, Coach\u00ae, Frye\u00ae, Hunter\u00ae, Kate Spade\u00ae, Michael Kors\u00ae, UGG\u00ae, and Vince\u00ae in the accessories category; and in the Sports & Entertainment category, Disney\u00ae, GAME 7\u00ae, Marvel\u00ae, Messi\u00ae, Nickelodeon\u00ae, and Warner Brothers\u00ae among many others. The Company also owns and operates Avirex\u00ae, Fiorelli\u00ae, Hudson\u00ae, Robert Graham\u00ae, Taste Beauty\u00ae, and Vingino\u00ae and operates joint venture brands; Favorite Daughter\u00ae, Jennifer Fisher\u00ae, John Elliott\u00ae, Eastside Golf\u00ae and Palm Tree Crew\u00ae. The Company\u2019s products are sold globally through leading mass-market retailers, specialty and department stores, and online. The Company is headquartered in New York City, with U.S. offices in Los Angeles and Greensboro, and international offices in London, Holland, Montreal, Milan, Toronto, and including 15 sourcing locations throughout Asia. Centric Brands' social impact efforts are centered around our commitment to serve and uplift the communities where we live and do business. Through our collective volunteerism and contributions, we are dedicated to making a caring and lasting impact on the world around us.<\/p>

\nFor more information about Centric Brands, please visit www.centricbrands.com<\/a>.<\/p>

\nAbout Jay Franco & Sons Inc.<\/b><\/p>

\nJay Franco and Sons<\/a> is a family-owned, industry-leading home textiles manufacturer, trusted by well-known global brands around the world. Creating products that bring customers' homes, dreams, and journeys to life since 1942, Jay Franco has built a reputation as the leading bedding, bath, and beach licensee \u2014 delivering high-quality, innovative home d\u00e9cor solutions at top retailers nationwide. With global offices spanning the US, UK, and China, the company services top global, national, and regional retailers while remaining committed to setting industry standards for quality and design. A diverse and dedicated team ensures something for every fan at every price point and every age, partnering with the world's most iconic brands \u2014 including Disney, Marvel, LEGO, Minecraft, Warner Brothers, BBC, and Sanrio \u2014 to capture the imagination of fans from infant through adult.<\/p>

\nFor more information about Jay Franco & Sons, please visit www.jfranco.com\/<\/a>.<\/p> Contacts<\/b>

\nMEDIA CONTACTS:\n\n<\/b>Cool Brands contact:\nSimon Douek\nsimon@coolbrandsllc.com<\/a>\nCentric Brands contact:\nCharlotte Martin\ncharlottemartin@centricbrands.com<\/a>\nJay Franco & Sons contact:\nTeresa Curtis-Mapes\nTeresaCurtis@jfranco.com<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BrandLicensing–Cool Brands, a brand management, creation, and licensing company, today announced that A Star Is Born\u2122, a contemporary children\u2019s lifestyle brand co-founded by actress, singer and entrepreneur, Vanessa Hudgen…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infos-businesswire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1723"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1724,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723\/revisions\/1724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}