BY HEATHER ADAMS
Loungefly offers a sneak peek into the process of bringing the watery , wonderful world of Ariel to life in its latest The Little Mermaid-themed collection .
When it comes to bringing the creative , colorful worlds of different Disney characters to life , there ’ s perhaps no brand better at it than Loungefly . With hundreds of mini backpacks , wallets , and other fan-fave accessories created in partnership with The Walt Disney Company , Loungefly is a leader in turning memorable movie moments into usable everyday items ( and they ’ re incredibly stylish !)
One of Loungefly ’ s recent standout collections is a new angle on The Little Mermaid . Derrick Baca and Liz DeSilva , the Senior Vice Presidents of Creative Innovation and Vision at Loungefly , are big fans of the film — and it ’ s one the brand ’ s fans go wild for , too .
“ The Little Mermaid is our top princess movie ,” Bacca told us .
Beyond the magic of Ariel ’ s adventures , the world in which her story takes place is full of artistic inspiration . The minds behind Loungefly ’ s creative accessory collections think her watery world is one of the key reasons Ariel remains such a popular princess when it comes to merch .
“ The Little Mermaid … is in this whole underwater world , which opens it up to so many great materials and treatments ,” DeSilva said . “ I think the movie resonates with everyone and has endless design possibilities because of its unique nature and environment .”
From the swirling motion of the sea to the natural cues of the characters — Ariel ’ s always-flowing red hair and Ursula ’ s suction-cup-covered tentacles , for example — to the varying hues of blues , purples , and even blacks that appear throughout The Little Mermaid , it ’ s all potential inspiration for Loungefly artists to capture . Often , their collections and designs center on castles or Disney Princesses and Heroes . But for this new collection , Loungefly took a different approach .
Instead of focusing the mini backpack , crossbody bag , and other accessories on Ariel , Ursula is the star . Each piece presents a different view of the story you know and love , highlighting how a scene might look from the villain ’ s point of view . That , of course , lent itself to a whole new world of inspiration .
“ The fun part of this collection — and focusing in on Ursula — is this one of the first times we ’ ve looked at ‘ What does it look like from the villain ’ s perspective ? Where do they live ? What is their castle ?’” Bacca said .
That villain-centric change in perspective was the genesis of the entire collection . By flipping the script , Bacca , DeSilva , and the entire Loungefly team were able to tell a different story and change the idea of what The Little Mermaid merch so often looks like .
One of the coolest details of this Ursuladriven collection ? The layers of detailing on every item . The company ’ s artists give each piece a unique flair through stylization , bringing characters like the Poor Unfortunate Souls and Ursula ’ s sidekicks , Flotsam and Jetsam , to life in creative ways .
“ Stylization is a huge part of the DNA of our brand . We always want to be able to have unique assets that don ’ t exist in the market and you can only get from Loungefly ,” DeSilva explained .
Look closely at each piece of this new The Little Mermaid collection , and you ’ ll spot cues and special details that tell the stories of Ariel and Ursula . From a zipper pull that looks like Ursula ’ s shell necklace to a hidden sea creature ’ s skeletal outline spotted around the sea witch herself to glow-in-thedark accents that make tentacles come to life , it ’ s all woven into the larger visuals of the collection .
And for Loungefly , this latest collection exemplifies how special it is to create merch for Disney fans . Sure , the beloved characters are the stars — but creating items that spark joy and memories is also an essential element .
“ As a brand , we want to make sure we give those details of things that maybe you forgot about , or didn ’ t even know where there — or the moment you remember and love , but there ’ s never been any merch ,” DeSilva told WDW Magazine . “ Those are the moments we love .”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOUNGEFLY