Hamleys is giving the teddy bear the Savile Row treatment.
The London toy retailer teamed with bespoke tailor Cad & The Dandy on The Ultimate Bear Collection, a limited-edition assortment of 10 bears created to mark Hamleys’ 266th birthday and National Teddy Bear Day on Sept. 9. The collection will go on display at the company’s Regent Street flagship beginning Sept. 1.
Each 12-inch bear received the sort of attention usually reserved for a human client. Cad & The Dandy artisans selected fabrics, cut patterns, and then hand-stitched jackets, trousers, shirts, and accessories, complete with individual fittings. The finished bears each have their own name, wardrobe, and personality.
Among them are Teddy Fairplay, a sports-minded bear with a fondness for turning whatever he can find into a game, and William Everly, named in honor of Hamleys founder William Hamley and dressed as the retailer’s official party bear.
“Everyone loves their teddy — they are important family members,” said Victoria Kay, Head of Buying and Merchandising at Hamleys. “This bespoke teddy bear collection is just gloriously stylish, and the work and sheer detail that has gone into them is wonderful. I love the finishing in the tiny hems and turnups on the sleeves and trousers; their little shirt collars – they have real character and personality the instant you meet them. I watched some of the tailoring work take place and have been blown away by the passion and care from the tailors at Cad & the Dandy. We are so very proud of this collaboration and this unique celebration of one of our most important categories over the last 266 years.”
A recent Hamleys shopper survey suggests that of the hundreds of thousands of soft plush toys sold each year, many stick around when the kids grow up.
According to the survey, 95% of adult shoppers still have a soft toy from childhood. Among respondents, 86% said they had slept with their soft toy, 74% had taken one on vacation or a family day out, and 71% owned one at least 30 years old. More than 75% said they’d handed a soft toy down to another generation.
The Savile Row bears won’t all remain together at Regent Street. Hamleys plans to auction several in support of children’s charities, while others will travel to destinations around the world following their London debut.
