The iconic Mickey Mouse celebrates his 90th Anniversary this year, and Disney is planning a year-long celebration and beyond which will kick off in earnest next week. The studio has announced that the year-long celebration will begin March 7 with a runway fashion even known as "The Happiest Show On Earth," which will showcase a Mickey-inspired collection designed by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, the founders of the couture brand Opening Ceremony. The show will serve as Opening Ceremony's Spring 2018 runway show that will close out fashion week celebrations around the world.
Directly after the runway show, select items will be available immediately on both the Disney and Opening Ceremony websites, as well as in Opening Ceremony stores around the world, while the rest of the "ready-to-wear looks" will be available for purchase in November. The fashion show and the collection will also honor Minnie Mouse, who shares the 90th Anniversary with Mickey Mouse as well, and recently received her Hollywood Walk of Fame star. The fashion collection will be called "Mickey the True Original," which will be a global celebration of Mickey as a pop culture icon.
The celebration will continue this fall with a new special airing on ABC, which will be a "star-studded celebration" with special guests, musical performances and much more. The Disney Channel will also debut the next installment of Mickey Mouse animated shorts, with more than 90 short films in the collection thus far. There will also be a "seven-minute extended length birthday episode" slated to air later this year, most likely near November 18, the date when Steamboat Willie debuted in 1928.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will also celebrate Mickey's birthday on November 18, with commemorative merchandise going on sale that day along with special photo locations and much more. Disney Parks will also kick off World's Biggest Mouse Party in late 2018, stretching into 2019 as well, which will celebrate both Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Disney Parks around the world. Disney on Ice will also honor Mickey as its "True Original" host since the ice skating show was formed in 1980, with special Mickey's 90th pre-shows debuting with productions in the United States, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Disney on Ice will also debut Mickey's Special Celebration, a new production that debuts in Japan in July 2018, and will tour throughout the Asian Pacific region until August 2019.
Disney will also launch an art contest called Mickey Is Art, with students from 38 art and design schools in France crafting new works of Mickey inspired by their favorite Mickey Mouse moments. The winning designs will be put on display in 12 major train stations throughout France, and will be available for purchase in September at the Galerie Glenat in Paris. The Disney Store will also celebrate milestone moments of Mickey through the Mickey mouse Memories collection, a monthly collection of limited edition plush toys, mugs and pins inspired by Mickey's memorable movie roles. Disney Publishing will also celebrate Mickey's birthday by releasing more than 30 new titles including books, arts & crafts and comics. You can head over to The Walt Disney Company site for more on the 90th Anniversary plans.