Two of the 16 Pandora charms that will be available exclusively at Disney parks. These are sterling silver with flush-set cubic zirconia.
Pandora’s new collection in collaboration with Disney will debut on Nov. 1, the company announced during events for journalists and retailers that took place on Sept. 8 and 12 at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
The collection is part of a 10-year partnership between the two companies that was first announced in August.
The initial launch in November will include 25 charms plus an additional 16 pieces that will be available exclusively at Disney parks, on Disney cruise ships, and at Aulani, Disney’s Hawaiian resort. The charms will also be available at Disneystore.com.
JCK was able to view the collection and can share that the initial pieces will feature classic Disney motifs such as Mickey Mouse ears and Minnie Mouse’s signature white and red polka dots.
Photos of the full collection will be available in October, but Pandora has shared shots of the Disney parks–exclusive line with JCK.
At the events, Pandora and Disney execs shared how excited they were about the collaboration, which was over a year in the making.
“We had the first discussion with Nan [Anantravanich] in corporate alliance at Disney about 16 months ago,” says Beth Moeri, Pandora’s chief merchandising officer. “We started talking about how this partnership could come together. And we had such great synergy. Obviously, they are great storytellers, and we are good storytellers, and there is this magic that we both create. We thought it was just a great blend together.”
“We’d been hearing for years, when we talked to our stores and talked to consumers, people asking, ‘Why can’t you do a partnership with Disney?’ ” Moeri says. “Our consumers had been wanting it for some time, and we are so excited to launch it tonight.”
When asked who the target was for the charms, Liz Strohen, vice president of merchandise and planning, shares that it was an adult customer. “More than 50 percent of Disney’s sales are coming from adults, especially in the jewelry category. All of the feedback and buzz since the announcement has been from adults.”
“They’ve been amazing partners to work with,” says Strohen. “The process has been highly collaborative, and the amount of design inspiration we’ve been able to see, the source materials our designers have had access to, has been phenomenal.”
Some of that source material was on display during the event at Disneyland: renderings of the first Pandora charms, including the famous strawberry, and early Disney drawings of such favorites as Mickey Mouse and Goofy adorned the walls while Disney animators sketched the designs live.
“The reactions, as we start to show the collection to our internal team members and the Disney internal team members, it’s been highly emotional, highly charged. Just a really great response,” Strohen says.
Moeri says that the collection will release new pieces “a couple times a year.” She adds: “They have so many characters, the vault is enormous. It’s been so much fun to have us all in the room together.”
Another Disney parks–exclusive charm, this one is called Mickey Mania and features sterling silver openwork with enamel detail.
The Minnie Sparkling Hat Ear Dangle is also in sterling silver with pavé-set black crystals and red cubic zirconia.
All images courtesy Pandora
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