FROM VOGUE
WEDNESDAY, 24TH OCTOBER 2012
VOGUE HAS CREATED A PUDSEY BEAR TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHILDREN IN NEED. THE UNIQUE TOY, WHICH IS COVERED WITH PRINTS OF FAMOUS VOGUE COVERS, AND MARKS THE FIRST TIME THAT VOGUE HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE ANNUAL CHARITY INITIATIVE.
“WHEN BRITISH VOGUE WAS ASKED TO DESIGN A PUDSEY FOR A SPECIAL AUCTION AS PART OF CHILDREN IN NEED, OUR INITIAL REACTION WAS – YES, FANTASTIC – CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY: ‘WE KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT MAKING TEDDY BEARS,” SAID VOGUE FASHION EDITOR FRANCESCA BURNS, WHO HAS SPEARHEADED THE PROJECT. “WE HAD JUST PUT ON OUR FIRST VOGUE FESTIVAL, WHICH FEATURED AN ENTRANCE HALL DECORATED WITH THE NUMEROUS ZEITGEISTY COVERS VOGUE HAS PRODUCED OVER THE DECADES. LOOKING AT THE WALL OF VOGUE LOGOS EMBLAZONING OUR STARRIEST COVERS, YOU COULDN’T HELP BUT FALL INTO THE STORIES THAT THEY TOLD. THIS FELT LIKE A GOOD STARTING POINT; WE WOULD CREATE A PATCHWORK PUDSEY MADE UP OF OUR MOST MEMORABLE COVERS FROM PAST AND PRESENT.”
BURNS THEN ENLISTED THE HELP OF “SOME VERY GOOD FRIENDS” – NAMELY RECENT UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER GRADUATE ASHLEY WILLIAMS, WHOSE COLOURFUL PRINTED CREATIONS GARNERED HER A CELEBRITY FOLLOWING BEFORE SHE HAD LEFT UNIVERSITY; TAILOR PAUL STROTTON, WHO MADE TEDDY BEARS BEFORE LAUNCHING HIS FASHION CAREER; AND DESIGNER CHRISTOPHER KANE, WHO PROVIDED THE VELVET USED TO CREATE THE TOY’S EARS AND PAWS. A SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL MADE UP THE BEAR’S TWINKLING EYE.
“WE ARE VERY PROUD TO PRESENT OUR COMPLETED BRITISH VOGUE PUDSEY TO AUCTION FOR CHILDREN IN NEED,” CONCLUDED BURNS. “HE IS BOTH A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGACY OF ICONIC COVER IMAGES CREATED BY LEGENDARY PHOTOGRAPHERS AND EDITORS OVER THE PAST 96 YEARS, AND TO THE TALENT, DEDICATION AND GENEROSITY OF OUR FRIENDS.”
NEWS OF WHERE TO BUY THE VOGUE PUDSEY BEAR WILL BE RELEASED TOMORROW.