Kanine To Launch Premium Dog Line From Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence By Mills Brand

Millie Bobby Brown's collection of apparel and accessories for dogs will bow in July.

Calling all dog (and cat) lovers. Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills brand is introducing a full pet apparel and accessories collection through a long-term agreement with Kanine Group subsidiary, Kanine Pets World Limited. The deal was negotiated by Brown’s global licensing partner, IMG.

The license, whose value wasn’t disclosed, covers the design, production and distribution of a wide range of pet products including apparel, accessories, home items such as beds and bags, and toys.

“I wanted to extend all that Florence by Mills stands for to a very important part of my life, my beloved pets,” said the “Stranger Things” actress. “My brand is about encouraging young women to positively embrace their individuality and what makes them unique.”

Brown is not just an actress, she’s an entrepreneur. In 2019, she created Florence by Mills, which is named after her great-grandmother, a woman who embraced life and did things that made her happy.

The brand in 2019 first launched with beauty, based on Brown’s passion for clean beauty products and the experience she gained from sitting in hundreds of makeup chairs during her career.

The Florence by Mills beauty collection is sold globally through its direct-to-consumer ecommerce site as well as through key retail partners such as Ulta, Douglas, Boots, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Florence by Mills in 2022 entered the fashion industry with a long-term apparel collaboration with About You, one of the largest fashion and lifestyle platforms in Europe.

“I strongly believe that this dedication to life and love should also extend to my passion for pets, so that they too can feel cozy, special and appreciated,” Millie Bobby Brown said. “For pet parents, having access to a full range of products to complement their lifestyle is important and what could be more fun and fitting than having matching outfits?”

Two pups dressed in Tommy Hilfiger's collection for Kanine.

Samuel Wong, CEO of Kanine Group, said he started the company during the Covid-19 pandemic when there was a wave of dog adoptions. “Basically, the fact is, that dog adoptions during COVID, spiked up crazily,” Wong said. “Adoption has been continuing, and the demographics, particularly pertaining to [Gen Z], being one of the largest group of dog owners, has been consistent throughout all the various regions, including the U.S., Europe and greater Asia.”

Kanine saw an opportunity and identified

a white space in the existing global market, which is large, but fragmented. Total worldwide sales of pet apparel in 2021 reached $5.7 billion, according to SkyQuest Technology. That value is expected to grow to $7.3 billion by 2028, at a compound annual growth rate of 5.44%.

“Dog products have been around for a really long time,” said Wong. “What we found is that there was a big space in the market in terms of elevated, more fashionable and premium products.

“We’re not saying that different brands don't sell premium pet products, but to do it on a consistent basis, on an international basis and spanning the whole lifestyle offering, there’s not anyone that does it well,” Wong added. “We’re not just talking about an odd product here and there. ”

Wong is talking about an entire range of jackets, rain coats, hoodies, T-shirts, and other clothes, with the complete offering spanning accessories such as harnesses, leashes, collars and tags. “If you have a pet and want your home to be consistent on an elevated basis, having bags, bowls, mats, home furniture, and even spreading all the way to toys, is important.”

A dog dressed in Hugo Boss.

Kanine is in discussions with department stores, mass retailers, pet boutiques and big box pet specialty retailers, according to Wong.

Florence by Mills, for pets, will release two collections per year, beginning in July, with apparel, including hoodies, rain coats, bath robes and bibs; pet accessories such as collars, leashes, tags and harnesses; and pet home and lifestyle products like bowls, mats, bags, and toys, among other things. The products will be available worldwide at kanine.com, as well as in select department stores and pet stores.

“Our mission has always been to spread love, joy and happiness and to redefine the pet ecosphere and with such a passionate partner, we are surely creating a completely new space for Gen Z pet parents and their pets to thrive,” said Wong.

Kanine launched last year on International Dog Day with accessories by Boss, the soft tailoring elevated sportswear brand. Wong said Boss was the first premium brand to offer a full lifestyle offering of completely recyclable products for pets. Raincoats and bomber jackets are $199, a recycled leather leash is $215.

Since then, Kanine also launched a range of Tommy Hilfiger products. “Boss was the first premium brand to offer a full lifestyle offering,” Wong said of the collection. Hilfiger’s dog range will bow in the designer’s stores and online in the next week or so.

Kanine’s mission, in addition to having a more premium approach, is to “spread happiness and love for our pets, so we also integrate a line of fun products,” Wong said. “There’s DC League of Super-Pets where all the superheroes are dogs. We’ve taken that to Asia.”

The line encompasses apparel and costumes. There’s also a Paw Patrol range, where all the heros are dogs. Kanine is launching costumes along with accessories in markets such as Germany, Switzerland and Austria. A Paw Patrol Marshall collar and leash set is $20; a Marshall harness is $22, and a Skye dog bib is $10.

The Kanine private label collection features preppy styles for dogs at gentle prices. A bow and bandana set is $20, a Kanine T-shirt is $20, and a rope leash is $30. Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills products will range in price from $20 to $80.

“We’ve managed in a very short period of time to become a party in this field that has got some recognition,” Wong said. “We’re talking to many parties right now whether it be brands or celebrities. We had discussions from an early stage with our parters from Florence by Mills and IMG, their global licensing partner.

“Because Millie is passionate about her pets, she was very hands-on in the design and creation of the brand,” Wong said.“When it comes to working with partners and everybody is thinking on the same wavelength, that’s when magic happens. That’s how an idea can develop very quickly and everybody’s positive about it.”

There are many dog parents among the Kanine staff, but Wong doesn’t own a dog. “Personally, I don’t have a dog but that’s because I’m so busy,” Wong said. “My daughter wants a dog but I’m setting her up for the responsibility. I have a tortoise myself.

“We have a lot of work to do with dogs but as we develop the business,” Wong said. “Cats would be the obvious next category. As the platform builds further, we’ll open it up to more consumables, whether that’s food or care products or supplements, so it’s a full lifestyle solution for the consumer who wants to seek better products for their pets.”