Nordstrom beefs up Disney 100th anniversary partnership for annual holiday party

By

Roxanne Robinson

Published
Dec 7, 2023

While Mickey and Minnie Mouse are surely the hit of any party, one thing one won't see the world's most famous mice do is ice skate. At the annual Nordstrom holiday party at Central Park's Wollman Rink, the duo focused on posing for pictures with revelers instead. For the second year, the Seattle-based retailer turned the famous skate center into a winter wonderland complete with Santa, dancing elves, a bevy of professional ice skaters, and vats full of hot chocolate.

This year, however, Nordstrom hosted the event with Disney, who has teamed up with the store on an experiential and co-branded merchandise activation to celebrate the entertainment company's 100th anniversary.
 
Guests included Nordstrom executives such as Sam Lobban, EVP and general merchandising manager at Nordstrom; Gigi Ganatra, VP of corporate affairs at Nordstrom; Chris Wanlass, VP and general manager at Nordstrom NYC; Rickie De Sole, women's fashion director at Nordstrom; Jian DeLeon, men's fashion director at Nordstrom; as well as designer Cynthia Rowley, Marina Larroudé, Fern Mallis, Coco Bassey, Marina Ingvarsson, model Lauren Chan, artist Aliyah Salmon and designer Clarence Ruth of Cotte D'Armes.

Partygoers who were game donned complimentary mouse ears and skates to take to the rink under the crisp December night mugged for the camera with characters straight out of the North Pole, played skilled-based games for Nordstrom goodies, and for the young guests, made DIY crafts courtesy of Super Smalls, the upscale kids' jewelry brand.

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Though it required patience to stand in long lines, guests enjoyed rib-sticking crowd-pleaser foods such as burgers, tacos, pizza, and cupcakes washed down with hot cider, a specialty cocktail, or the delicious liquid cocoa which came complete with a toppings bar. For those enjoying the skating outside, once the skate dance troupe took to the ice, they had a front-row view of the figure skaters.

Though last night's event was open to guests of Nordstrom, the retailer will continue to share its love of skating by sponsoring the Nordstrom After School Free Skates, where families involved in the NYC Parks Afterschool Program will have the opportunity to access a free skate at Wollman Rink. The initiative started last year, kicked off November 1, and runs through to January 1. The Wollman Rink partnership also includes the Nordstrom Chill Lounge as part of the upgraded Premier Pass skate experience, and any visitor during December will receive a $20 Nordstrom Gift Card.

While the Disney collaboration rolled out on November 8 and will be available until January 8 online and in-store at 26 select Nordstrom locations, the party was another way to cement the partnership, which features product creations with over 60 vendors.

Mickey, Minnie along with other Disney characters such as Snow White, Elsa, Moana, Mulan, Tiana, Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Lilo & Stitch are featured on brands such as Wahine, Connor McKnight, Noon Goons, Chopova Lowena, Sandy Liang, Stockholm Surfboard Club, Little Beast, Super Smalls, Baublebar, Samii Ryan, Junkfood, Stoney Clover Lane, Barefoot Dreams, Chewy, Bones Coffee, Homesick, Lego, Mattel, Hanna Andersson, and more, spanning categories such as men's, women's and designer apparel, home and pet, kids and toys, entertainment and games, stocking stuffers, beauty, and collectibles.

"This holiday season our customers can immerse themselves into the world and wonder of Disney100 and bring their favorite characters home," said Olivia Kim, senior vice president of creative merchandising at Nordstrom.

"Disney has created this universe of characters loved from generation to generation, and I'm excited to bring the brand and characters to life at Nordstrom. I've always been a fan of Disney nostalgia, and I can't wait for customers to experience that and the joy of this collection."

Indeed, customers can not only shop merchandise with their favorite Disney characters but also interact with them in the special Disney100 pop-up. At the New York City location, guests discover motion-activated screens featuring characters such as Ariel, Cinderella, and Elsa that depict different scenes from popular Disney films or play music. Inside the blue-bathed walls is the eclectic array of goods made for the partnership.

Nordstrom also has a more targeted holiday partnership with crystal giant Swarovski, which features a green crystal-studded installation for its latest Center Stage installment. Brands such as Lovesac, Magniberg, Market, and Ugg are among the participants, while others such as Larroudé, Saint Sintra, Stockholm Surfboard Club, and Marshall Columbia overlap with the Disney100 vendors.

These offerings are available online and at Nordstrom in New York City, Downtown Seattle, Seattle, WA, and South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, CA.