“Game of Thrones,” “Black Panther” and “Black Mirror” are among some big film and TV titles that are offering new gift items for the 2018 holiday season.
Singer, actress and co-host of “The Real,” Houghton is expanding her resume even further with her newly launched jewelry line XIXI. Inspired by local jewelry vendors of the Lower East Side in New York City, where Bailon was raised, she has created a handful of unique, 14K gold plated, lead free pieces that come in keepsake boxes designed with inspirational sayings. The majority of her pieces have a faith theme, from cross earrings to a praying hands pendant, but she also emphasizes family, elegance and affordability. All of her items are under $50.
The jewelry company keeps adding to its pop culture collection of charms, most notably with a recent license from Warner Bros. for their hit holiday movie “Elf,” as well as Showtime’s 2017 revival of “Twin Peaks.” The “Elf” collection consists of five unique charms (shop here), each engraved with a different iconic quote from the film, including “Smiling is my favorite,” “Raised by elves” and “Bye Buddy, hope you find your dad.” Each charm comes on an expandable wire bangle, some of which are silver and some which are rose gold. For the holiday season the company also has a donut charm (shop here) to represent “Twin Peaks” and to benefit the David Lynch Foundation through their Charity By Design initiative. All charms retail for $38. See more from Alex and Ani here.
Warner Bros.
Former entertainment industry professional and now interior designer Elizabeth Backup has taken her love of style and her love of dogs to the next level by creating handcrafted, design-conscious dog beds for pups of all sizes. Made from textiles from around the world, Backup offers down alternative fiber custom inserts that are designed not to change shape over time. The removable covers are washable and come in a variety of indoor and outdoor prints, colors and fabrics. The beds start at $140.
Elizabeth Backup
The first episode of the third season of “Black Mirror” brought viewers into a world in which every interaction was rated, and when one’s number dipped, reputation, status and access was denied, as well. Now, that concept has been turned into a game, thanks to Endemol Shine North America and Asmodee North America. Combining a traditional board game with a smartphone app, players encounter more than 1000 unique experiences that can either improve or ding your social score. The board game retails for $19.99 and will be available on Cyber Monday.
Endemol Shine
Inspired by Marvel’s blockbuster bonanza “Black Panther,” Rock Love Jewelry created a line of items for women and kids. The centerpiece of the collection is the Kimoyo bracelet (shop here), which comes in three versions — all boasting “screen accurate” silver Wakandan glyphs on the kimoyo beads. But talons are also a theme, with pieces ranging from necklaces to two kinds of earrings to finger armor. The jewelry is priced between $14.99 (for kids sizes) and $89.99 (for the collector’s edition). As for “Black Panther,” the theatrical edition with bonus content is available to stream or purchase on Amazon right now.
Disney
Recording superstar Celine Dion has launched a gender neutral clothing line for children from newborn to two-years-old, with styles ranging from onesies and tee-shirts to hoodies, biker jackets and leggings. The company is also offering accessories such as hats, slippers and blankets. Celinununu is centered on four major designs right now: “A,” stars, skulls and plus patches, with those images available on all of the items aforementioned. Pricing starts at $20 for hats; onesies are $46; hoodies are $90 and the most expensive item, a leather jacket, is just under $300.
Celinununu
Designer Danielle Nicole teamed up with HBO to create a line of handbags inspired by the premium cabler’s sci-fi epic “Game of Thrones.” Launched just this November, the 18-piece collection (shop here) includes backpacks, crossbodies, totes, wristlet pouches, coin purses and even makeup bags. The designs are meant to represent the opulence of houses Stark, Lannister and Targaryen, but the materials used are more modern — faux leather and faux fur for the socially conscious shopper. Bags are priced between $18 and $88. Need to catch up on “GoT?” Stream the complete series right now on Amazon Video.
HBO
Channing Tatum has a craft vodka brand called Born and Bred, which is distilled in small batches using Idaho potatoes and glacial water from the Grand Teton Mountains (order here), while HBO has teamed up with Vintage Wine Estates and winemaker Bob Cabral for a “Game of Thrones” pinot noir (order here) from Willamette Valley that features corks imprinted with either House Tyrell or House Martell sigils on the corks. Fox exec Gary Newman is behind the Jorian Hill wine brand, featuring a collection of Syrah, viognier, rose and BEEspoke. And producer Darryl Frank is behind Frank Family Vineyards, which boasts chardonnay, pinot noir, zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon, among others. Bottles of the vodka start at $24.95. “Game of Thrones” pinot starts at $19.99, Jorian Hill bottles start at $18 and Frank Family Vineyard bottles start at $15.
Born and Bred
There have been a number of wands on the market since the “Harry Potter” franchise launched but the newest allows users to build one that responds to movements. The kit comes with all of the elements needed to learn to code, including the PCB with codeable LED, a step-by-step guide and a free app (to be used with smartphones or tablets). It also comes with the wand parts, stickers, a poster and, as a bonus, batteries are included. Once the wand is built, there are challenges to embark upon with it, earning costumes and medals with in the app. It retails for $99.99. Find it here on Amazon.
Warner Bros.
It’s almost three decades since the John Hughes/Chris Columbus holiday film launched, became an instant classic and started a franchise, and now there’s a new way for the audience to interact with their love of it — a board game from Fox and Big Creative. Following the plot of the film, Kevin is left home alone and the Wet Bandits are coming for the loot in his house. But in a fun twist, players can team up as the burglars to try to steal the goods or play as Kevin to stop them with his unique brand of boobytraps. The game retails for $19.99. Buy it online here.
Fox
Celebrity trainer Kit Rich has put together a workout on the go for the busy and the exercise variety-seekers. Weighing a total of under two pounds, the bag comes with resistance bands, dual-sided sliders, resistance loops, a jump rope, a door anchor and an inflatable Pilates core ball (inflation device included). The bag retails for $45, but additional packages, including a Rich-guided workout, which includes the bag and access to 20 downloadable videos, is $65. Additional videos are available for additional cost.
Kichgo
Lego, DC and Warner Bros. teamed up to create the next generation of toy cars. This app-controlled Batmobile is powered by a Bluetooth battery hub and does require users to download the corresponding app on a smartphone or tablet. The vehicle features two motors, 4-wheel drive, dual stud shooters and a minifigure cockpit that opens and closes. It retails at $99.99. Get it here.
Warner Bros.
Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla founded this non-profit store to feature handmade, ethically sourced products that range from home goods and decor to beauty and accessories. All items are 100% fair trade and made by women-led artisan groups in more than 28 countries. While items are sold individually, The Little Market also offers unique gift sets that combine a variety of products and benefit multiple groups. For example, the “Soup for Syria” gift box benefits the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR and features a cookbook, a cotton hand towel made by artists in Ethiopia and an olive wood spoon hand-carved by artisans in Tunisia, while the “Rest and Recover” gift box consists of soaking salts hand-blended by young mothers at Bright Endeavors in the U.S. and a cotton hand towel handwoven by artisans in Ethiopia. Gift boxes start at $50.
TLM
Marvel characters such as Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, Ghost-Spider and Patriot have been pulled off the comic book page this holiday season with Marvel Rising Secret Warriors dolls (shop here). A collaboration between Marvel, Disney and Hasbro, these 11-inch scale dolls come in a few varieties to inspire imagination and play through the years. There is a “Heroes in Training” assortment that keeps its superheroes in modern, colorful clothing, as well as versions of the characters in their superhero suits. And there is even a “Secret Identity” option for select characters, including Squirrel Girl, for which the doll comes with both a street clothes option and the superhero signature look. The dolls retail from $12.99 to $29.99 each.
Marvel/Hasbro
Canine clothing company Max-Bone teamed up with Disney to celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 90th birthday through a new line that includes sweaters and other outerwear, collars, beds and bowls. Some of the most notable items include jumpers designed with Mickey’s face in classic animated smiles, as well as a reversible hoodie that features mouse ears. The clothes are available in sizes XS to XXL with prices starting at $22.00.
Max-Bone
The demand to turn hit novels into films and television shows seems to grow daily, and an informed viewer is always the best kind of viewer. So before stories such as “China Rich Girlfriend,” the sequel to “Crazy Rich Asians,” hits the big screen or “Nightflyers,” “One Day She’ll Darken,” “Catch-22” and “Little Fires Everywhere” hit the small screen and streaming, there is ample opportunity to pick up their source material. There are also tie-in novels that started on-screen, such as “Marriage Vacation,” which a character in TV Land’s “Younger” penned in a storyline and was turned into a real book after the fact. And of course, there are ample new celebrity memoirs designed to reveal deep, personal insight into those who seem larger than life. For that latter category, “The Season of My Mother” by Marcia Gay Harden, “Pretty Mess” by Erika Girardi and Brian J. Moylan, “In Pieces” by Sally Field, “Brave” by Rose McGowan, “The Mother of Black Hollywood” by Jenifer Lewis and “Becoming” by Michelle Obama are must reads. These books range from $8.99 to $30, depending on retail outlet and format. Most are available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook and ebook. See more of 2018’s best-sellers here.
Amazon
The king of reality cooking competition series is offering his second MasterClass, in which he teaches “restaurant recipes at home.” Single classes are available, as are multi-lesson passes, year-long access and even “office hours,” in which Ramsay will critique select student work. Odds are good he will go easier on his paying customers than his reality show contestants, but the level of care and skill he imparts will be just as high. The second MasterClass features lessons on dishes such as crispy duck, rack of lamb and fried branzino, as well as vegetarian and dessert options. A single class is $90, with all-access pass going for $180/year. Find out more on MasterClass.com.
MasterClass
Available exclusively at Hot Topic, Warner Bros. consumer products is offering a new line of “Supernatural” inspired clothing items ranging from sweaters and jackets to skirts (shop here). Rather than screenprinting the show’s logo or stars’ faces, the line takes iconic images and colors from the long-running demon-hunting show for a more subtle approach to displaying one’s fandom. Sizes range from XS to 3X and plus sizes, and prices range from $39.90 to $64.90.
Warner Bros.
Actor Boris Kodjoe is behind World of Alfa, a company whose mission is to make custom-tailored clothing affordable. The majority of items available right now are for men, including suits and jeans, but they do offer women’s shirts and gender neutral ties, as well. Customers design products online, choosing from dozens of fabrics, colors and styles. They input their measurements, using the company’s measuring guide, and the order will be handcrafted and mailed. The ties start at $25, women’s shirts at $49, jeans at $99 and suits at $250.
World of Alfa