Boy Meets Girl, the New York-based brand built on a message of kindness, confidence and community, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Since its founding by creative director Stacy Igel, Boy Meets Girl has grown into a multiplatform brand spanning retail, licensing, co-licensing, digital platforms, gaming, e-commerce, strategic partnerships and philanthropic initiatives.
Igel, who owns the Boy Meets Girl silhouette, has a copyright registration as well as a portfolio of trademark registrations across multiple classes of goods worldwide. The company also has a licensing program where they act as licensor, and license the brand to third parties to produce and sell products in a variety of categories and markets.
Since its start the brand has collaborated across fashion, culture and entertainment.
A Chicago native, Igel moved to New York in 1999 and worked as a designer for Elie Tahari and Izod before launching Boy Meets Girl in 2001.
Stacy Igel against the Boy Meets Girl wish wall.
Sophie Elgort, courtesy of Boy Meets Girl
“The idea for the brand and its logo came from a desire to create something that felt inclusive and universal. I had always been fascinated by brands with strong visual identities, and I wanted to build something that could resonate across generations,” said Igel.
The core Boy Meets Girl logo.
Courtesy of Boy Meets Girl
She said the inspiration came unexpectedly the first time she visited her now-husband Brian’s family home. “I noticed silhouette portraits on the wall and immediately recognized the connection. I had the same silhouettes of myself and my sister from my childhood in Chicago. It felt like a sign.
“I brought my silhouettes to New York, and together we scanned and reworked them digitally, merging the forms into what became the Boy Meets Girl logo. When I saw the final image, the name came naturally. It wasn’t just a love story, it was a universal story about connection, identity and shared experiences,” said Igel.
Over the years Boy Meets Girl’s key partnerships have included Colette in Paris, where the brand was featured in 2015 and 2017. During that time the label co-licensed with Care Bears, integrating both brands’ logos. Boy Meets Girl was featured in Colette’s windows alongside Gucci, and the Colette Water Bar was fully branded with Boy Meets Girl x Care Bears, from the walls to the menus to the tablecloths. In 2024, Boy Meets Girl celebrated Strawberry Shortcake’s 45th anniversary with a 13-piece back-to-school collaboration that featured both brands’ logos.
A look from the collaboration with Strawberry Shortcake.
Courtesy of Boy Meets Girl
“These moments helped propel Boy Meets Girl’s international expansion and licensing opportunities,” said Igel. She said the brand also partnered with the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks on purpose-driven collaborations to combat hate and promote inclusivity.
“These partnerships marked a milestone as one of the first female-founded brands to collaborate at this level within the NBA, further expanding the brand’s presence at the intersection of fashion, sports and social impact,” said Igel.
Among the charities Boy Meets Girl supports through its sales are the National School Climate BullyBust program, the National School Climate Center’s Community Champions Program, the Young Survival Coalition, Pink Cans 4 Cancer, Human Rights Watch, Center on Halsted and Youth Over Guns.
When asked what’s been their most successful collaboration revenue-wise to date, Igel said it’s not about how much money they generate.
“Collectively our top partnerships have reached a significant milestone in revenue, but what I’m most proud of goes beyond the numbers. We’ve had several collaborations that were genuinely transformative, both financially and for the brand’s visibility, and it’s hard to pick just one,” she said.
For example, she said their co-licensed partnership with Roots Canada launched across more than 100 retail locations in North America and Asia. The partnership extended into a see now, buy now moment at New York Fashion Week. The brand also did a direct-to-retail licensing partnership with Prima, part of S Group in Finland. It began as a three-year deal in 2017 and extended to seven years through 2024, expanding to more than 70 stores across the country. This licensing partner embraced the Boy Meets Girl brand, building out a full national marketing campaign, from billboards to TV, that significantly elevated their awareness across the region.
“But honestly, what gave both of these collaborations their staying power wasn’t just distribution or revenue, it was the purpose behind them. These partnerships were rooted in storytelling that truly mattered: anti-bullying, cancer awareness, Pride and messaging around freedom, integrity and community. That’s the thread that runs through everything we do,” said Igel.
Discussing what criteria she uses to decide on collaborations, Igel said, “Over the past 25 years, I’ve learned that the most successful collaborations are rooted in shared values and purpose. It has to mean something. I don’t believe in creating product for the sake of a moment or a trend. The collaboration has to align with the brand’s core message of kindness, confidence and community, and feel authentic to both partners.”
Many of her collaborations come from partners who want to tap into Boy Meets Girl’s storytelling and purpose-driven approach. “Over the years we’ve worked with nonprofits, activists, artists and brands that understand the importance of building something with intention,” she said.
“I’m intentional about not participating in collaborations simply because they align with a specific moment on the calendar. Instead, I focus on long-term impact and the story we’re telling together. When there is a clear shared vision and purpose, the collaboration resonates far beyond the initial launch,” said Igel.
A campaign shoot with Sloomoo Institute, taken by Igel’s 11-year-old son, Dylan.
Courtesy image of Boy Meets Girl
Boy Meets Girl‘s unisex looks have been worn by such celebrities as Rosario Dawson, Mindy Kaling, Nina Dobrev and Kendall Jenner.
The company operated a New York office for more than 20 years and transitioned out in 2020. Today, they operate a global remote structure as a core team of nine, supported by licensing partners and collaborators.
In addition to collaborations, the company manufactures a core Boy Meets Girl collection, which is available year-round through their own channels and retail partners. Their core collections range from XS to 5XL. They also produce extended sizing and kids’ collections depending on the collaboration or licensing partner. Over the years Boy Meets Girl collections have been sold through retailers such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Urban Outfitters, Target, Nordstrom and through partnerships like the ones with the Bulls and the Hawks.
A look from Boy Meets Girl.
Courtesy image
According to Igel, the brand will celebrate its anniversary through a yearlong series of activations that honor its origins while reflecting on its continued evolution. Earlier this year, Boy Meets Girl launched a campaign in partnership with Sloomoo Institute, captured through the lens of Igel’s 11-year-old son, Dylan. As part of its anniversary, Boy Meets Girl has entered into a licensing deal with Jimmy Crystal New York, bringing a signature accessory element to the milestone celebration. The assortment includes necklaces, rings and pins, designed to be mixed and matched across the Boy Meets Girl, Girl Meets Girl and Boy Meets Boy expressions. Retail prices range from $25 to $30 per style.
The Jimmy Crystal collaboration.
Courtesy image
On Thursday, the brand will feature personalization elements at an event in New York, an ode to its early days of customizing its logo, alongside a curated presentation of its core expressions, with all logos available for customization.
The anniversary campaign imagery blends real models with AI-assisted creative, incorporating archival elements from the brand’s history. The approach reflects Boy Meets Girl’s evolution as a multiplatform brand, embracing technology while staying grounded in the visual storytelling that has defined the brand, said Igel.
“Building Boy Meets Girl over the past 25 years has been a journey of resilience, creativity and continuous evolution,” said Igel. “As a small business, I have built the brand into a 360-degree model spanning traditional retail, licensing, digital platforms and gaming. This milestone is about honoring where we started while continuing to build what comes next.
Boy Meets Girl jewelry.
“For more than 25 years, Boy Meets Girl has been more than a brand — it has been a movement built across generations. To see it continue to carry a message of kindness and connection forward is something I will never take for granted,” added Igel.
