Disney Hosts VIP Breakfast at WWD’s 2026 CEO Summit

Disney Consumer Products and WWD hosted a VIP breakfast on the first morning of the 2026 Apparel and Retail CEO Summit.

Hosted by Liz Shortreed, senior vice president of fashion and home at Disney Consumer Products, and Lisa Lockwood, news director of WWD, the morning gathered guests from Diane von Furstenberg, Bloomingdale’s, PVH, Karla Otto, Centric Brands, L’Agence, Lafayette 148, Nordstrom, WHP Global, Doneger Tobe, La DoubleJ, Lilly Pulitzer, Independents Group and Brand Appeal Group.

The breakfast gave an overview of how the entertainment company has built an enduring and lasting legacy through global cultural moments and collaborations that tap into fandom.

Moreover, it looked into how Disney has worked with major fashion, lifestyle and luxury brands on storytelling to give mutual brand awareness through new audiences, emotional resonance and bringing to life its widely known characters in new and unexpected ways.

“This morning’s conversation [looks at] the core of modern brand success and building enduring brands through culture and collaboration,” Lockwood said. “Coming from a more than 115-year-old brand like WWD, this is something I find myself considering every day, but few companies understand how to turn storied heritage into a global, culturally iconic brand like Disney does.”

Shortreed said that beyond being one of the largest entertainment companies globally, Disney is also one of the major licensors and reaches consumers in more than 180 countries — the agreements have generated more than $63 billion in retail sales globally. Some notable collaborations over recent years have included Balenciaga, Levi’s and Gentle Monster.

“What makes me most proud about working at Disney over the past 18 years is not only the scale and the size of our business, which is impressive, but it’s the work that our teams do every day to keep Disney at the heart of culture,” she explained. “Fashion is an important part of the Disney experience — beyond our fans connecting with our content, visiting our parks, going on a cruise and the products that they buy and invest in. It’s a key part of their experience and a significant part of what keeps the fandom alive.”

Moreover, Shortreed noted that Disney’s collaborations showcase a merging of creative visions while focusing on craftsmanship and storytelling. The creation of something “distinctive” matters even more today, especially as consumers move fluidly and the intersections of fashion, entertainment, sports, music and technology.

“We’re very invested in the partnerships that we participate in to remain authentic to culture and meet our consumers where they’re at,” she continued. Whether it’s collaborations with Zara and Harry Lambert or Balenciaga, Shortreed also highlighted the vast range of creativity and characters for brand alignment that goes into a Disney collaboration.

“The partnerships that we have with these brands are all unique and intimate in their own right. And that’s where our opportunity continues to lie: bringing together timeless stories and distinctive creativity within talent to create something that feels for the moment. Disney is all about experiences, creating emotions and focused on storytelling,” she concluded.

Disney also brought artist Jeff Shelly, who’s worked at the company for the last 30 years, to the summit to create bespoke artwork of the company’s notable characters for attendees.