'Friends' cast team up to release first official merchandise line for charity


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

It's hard to believe, but 26 years after it first hit our screens, the first official line of Friends merchandise is here.

For the Cast Collection of apparel, each of the six main stars of the hugely successful sitcom, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, have teamed up for the limited-edition collection, which will benefit charities "near and dear to each of the stars”.

The first collection is available for four weeks, and it references seasons one to three of the show; the subsequent seasons will be the focus of future collections released over the next nine months, with each collection available for one month only. The second collection drop will focus on moments from seasons four to six, and the final will reference seasons seven to 10.

A selection of "the cast’s favourite lines of dialogue and iconic moments from the show" are emblazoned on a run of T-shirts, vests, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats and mugs. Standout pieces include Monica's (Cox) catchphrase, "I know!", Phoebe (Kudrow) singing Smelly Cat, and Joey (LeBlanc) saying, "Could I be wearing any more clothes?"

Rachel (Aniston) and Ross's (Schwimmer) on/off romance is a reference on three pieces, a "lobster" design that features their silhouettes, and the image of Rachel on Ross's back before they became a couple, with him saying, "When were you under me?", which he famously asked when she said she was over him on a voicemail message.

Naturally, there are also two opposing, "We were on a break", and, "We were so not on a break," designs for people to buy depending on their point of view. Kudrow seems to side with Ross, based on her choice of T-shirt on Instagram:

The whole cast feature on a fountain design inspired by the credits, which reads, "We'll be there for you".

Each of the Friends cast members have selected charities close to their hearts.

Aniston has chosen to donate proceeds to Americares, a non-profit that "is working to provide relief, mental health care, and medical aid to communities and individuals affected by Covid-19"; Schwimmer to The Rape Foundation, which is an organisation he says he "cares deeply about", that "supports state-of-the-art treatment for child and adult victims, as well as innovative prevention and education programmes".

Cox is donating to EBMRF, a "volunteer charity raising awareness and funding a cure for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) a rare, and debilitating genetic skin disorder".

Kudrow, LeBlanc and Perry have not yet announced the charities they have partnered with on Instagram.

The pieces are being sold through Represent and start at $19.99 for a mug, $29.99 for T-shirts and vests, and $49.99 for sweaters and hoodies. Sizes range from small to triple XL, depending on the product.

Back in May, a matter of days before Friends: The Reunion aired, Perry unveiled a collection of merchandise inspired by his character on the show, Chandler Bing.

The eight-piece collection included items for men, women, children and pets.

Perry announced the collection on Instagram, sharing a photo of himself wearing a hoodie, with the caption: "Could I be more me? I'm releasing a new limited-edition merchandise collection only available for three weeks. Get yours in the link in my bio so people will know just how 'you' you are."

Look back at the cast of 'Friends' then and now:

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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It's up to you to go green

Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.

“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”

When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.

He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.

“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.

One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.  

The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.

Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.

But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”

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Updated: August 04, 2021, 12:04 PM