Snoopy the Fashion Icon Celebrated in Paris Exhibition
A New Era of Fashion
PARIS: A new exhibition opened Saturday in Paris charting the emergence of Snoopy as a fashion icon, with the famed black-and-white beagle embraced by designers from streetwear brands to couture houses.
The History of Snoopy
The show at the Hotel du Grand Veneur in the Marais neighbourhood is part of the celebrations for the 75th anniversary of Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts comic strip crew which were created by late American illustrator Charles Schulz.
From Newspaper Pages to Fashion Catwalks
Entitled “Snoopy in Style” and running from March 22-April 5, the free show explains the intense care taken by Schulz to create simple, visually recognisable characters that would “bounce off the page”.
Charlie Brown’s Evolution
Charlie Brown was initially drawn with just a plain white t-shirt before Schulz — whose snappy dress sense is also celebrated in the show — gave him his trademark sweater with a jagged stripe.
Maintaining Relevance
Keeping Charlie Brown’s pet sidekick relevant to new generations so long after his first appearance on October 4, 1950, is a challenge for the Peanuts company. The fashion collaborations achieve this, but help has also come from the internet where Schulz’s 18,000 Peanuts strips are endlessly recycled.
The Fashion Collaborations
The exhibition is at its most interesting in explaining how designer collaborations and merchandising — long before they were fashionable — helped turn a 1950s comic strip scribble into a global cultural phenomenon. Nowadays, Snoopy is recognised by between 80-90 percent of people in the United States, Europe, Japan and even China, according to research by the Deloitte consultancy for the Peanuts company.
A Global Phenomenon
Many of the credit for Snoopy’s journey from newspaper pages to mass-market clothing stores and fashion catwalks is given to Schulz’s long-time merchandising collaborator Connie Boucher. She came up with the idea of producing dolls of Snoopy and his sister Belle in the early 1980s which she then sent to fashion houses around the world, asking their designers to dress them.
A Snippet of the Past
By 1982, there were enough dolls — from Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi or long-time fan Jean-Charles de Castelbajac — to put on a first travelling exhibition in US cities, London and Paris. Many of them are on display in the most striking room of the Paris show that features dozens of dolls from this period and others from the present day. Italian fashion house Valentino sent a contribution that sees Belle in a replica of a couture outfit that was showcased in Paris in January this year that includes 15 different fabrics.
Conclusion
The exhibition is a celebration of the history of Snoopy and his impact on the world of fashion. It highlights the importance of designer collaborations and merchandising in making Snoopy a global cultural phenomenon. With his recognizability at an all-time high, Snoopy continues to inspire new generations of fashion enthusiasts.
FAQs
* Q: What is the name of the exhibition?
A: “Snoopy in Style”
* Q: Where is the exhibition held?
A: Hotel du Grand Veneur in the Marais neighbourhood, Paris
* Q: How long does the exhibition run?
A: From March 22-April 5
* Q: What is the purpose of the exhibition?
A: To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts comic strip crew and to highlight Snoopy’s impact on the world of fashion.