Once upon a time…when it came to consumer products Disney was synonymous for Mickey Mouse T-Shirt and cute merchandising featuring cute, Disney cartoon characters.

Well, it seems like this will not be the case for much longer.

Everything started in 2002, when the company entered in co-branded agreements with Paul Smith, Dolce & Gabbana and Vivienne Tam. But now Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products, is taking the brand a step further towards becoming a high-end label.

In fact, new, expensive lines of products are appearing under the Disney label: luxury clothing, expensive home furnishings and hip jewelry featuring no or close to none character.

Indeed, wedding gowns and home furnishing under Disney branding sells at thousands US dollars and market directly at fashionista shoppers.

In order to distinguish these lines for the more traditional “mass market” image that goes with the Disney name, new brands have been created: Disney Couture designed for women and Bloc28 targeted to fashion conscious guys are sold only in boutiques and department stores including Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus.

Even though recent consumers spending might have decreased, Disney move seems to be rather smart: the brand carries a huge equity along and if well managed it is likely to assume that a wise Mooney will be transferring this equity to the new lines while having people think about them as the embodiment of luxury and creativity.