Jul 8, 2019
The smiley face business is booming thanks to the fashion industry
Wall Street Journal fashion editor Jacob Gallagher explains what’s driving the million-dollar smiley face licensing business.
Fashion designer Jeremy Scott arrives on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2014 at the Forum in Inglewood, California.
Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
Everyone knows the iconic smiley face image, whether it be on paraphernalia or an emoji. But behind that well-known symbol is a million-dollar global business owned by one company — the Smiley Co. And it’s been reaping the benefits of some renewed interest in the smiley face, thanks to the world of fashion.
Jacob Gallagher, men’s fashion editor for the Wall Street Journal, wrote about it recently. He spoke to Kai Ryssdal about the renewed interest in the smiley face as a fashion icon.
Click the audio player above to hear the interview.