LAS VEGAS, NV — Being a playboy has always been more than buying a magazine and ogling the pretty girls. A playboy lives a life devoted to pleasure and comfort, free of entanglements, responsibility, or attachment. Naturally, any man willing to make the sacrifices necessary for such a life needs to look dapper — and Playboy Enterprises has just released what it believes are the perfect garments for the pursuit of such lofty goals.Although financially troubled in some areas of its expansive empire, Playboy has had excellent luck with its licensing business, so producing a line of fashionable menswear seems a natural extension of the mystique that is Playboy.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the line does not feature the elegant silk smoking jackets that 80-year-old founder Hugh Hefner has traditionally preferred and made synonymous with his name.
Instead, buyers at this week’s apparel trade show at the Las Vegas Magic Marketplace can select from a variety of men’s t-shirts, jackets, and swimwear featuring Playboy’s bunny logo in a variety of manifestations.
The company’s spring 2007 line-up is notably tamer than that of competitor Penthouse International, which includes red satin platforms, faux animal prints, and metallics in its women’s garments. Playboy hypes the sexy in its women’s clothing, as well, but plans to play it cool with those items aimed at its men.
“If they can’t gain access to the Playboy mansion, then they’ll buy a t-shirt that makes them feel like they’re affiliated with the lifestyle,” Playboy’s creative director of licensing, Aaron Duncan, explains.
With a fall 2007 theme of “On the Prowl,” the bunny’s designers are envisioning a youthful, retro Hefner look with 1970s-era Playboy cover silk-screens and, of course, bunny ears, depending on the garment in question.
Playboy is thriving in its licensing division, with boutiques and Playboy clubs offering not only clothing but also cosmetics, lingerie, home décor, and — soon — a line of fragrance. Although smoking jackets are in the product line’s future, representatives insist they won’t be “a big thing,” preferring to talk about upcoming men’s suits and fitted jackets that will feature patterned linings.
