HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH: THE RISE OF THE HIGH FASHION FABRIC TOY

HEAVEN

IS A PLACE ON EARTH: THE RISE OF THE HIGH FASHIONFABRIC TOY dreamscape for its Gen Z consumer base. Its showroom’s plush carpeting and eclectic collection of dolls and vintage magazines serve as a celebration of youth culture, all shelved within their signature double-headed teddy-bear-shaped alcoves. It is this teddy bear, which serves as Heaven’s logo, that above all defines Heaven as the high-fashion zeitgeist of pandemic youth culture, a nod to the stuffed animal craze.

The past two years have been shaped by the devastating losses of the COVID-19 pandemic among them being the sense of fulfillment that comes with the typical milestones and timelines of life. Like most of the world, the fashion industry has also evolved to respond to match these dramatic shifts, seeking to sate young people’s cravings for a safe haven, for their own utopia in an increasingly warped and disenchanting world. In order to do so, fashion houses have enlisted the help of tried-and-true classics: stuffed animals and other eclectic collectibles reminiscent of the simpler days of childhood. By adding their own avant-garde twist, fashion houses are carving out space for a new high-fashion staple as we move further into the 2020s.

Though traditionally reserved only for young children’s play, plush collectibles and toys are enjoying heightened levels of popularity among young adult owners, an increasingly visible consumer base in the fabric toy market. Studies conducted by Research and Markets and Precision Reports revealed that the pandemic has yielded “significant growth” in profits for the fabric toys industry. On a more immediate level than market statistics, the rise in popularity of stuffed animals among young adult consumers is evident on social media. In particular, Kellytoy’s Squishmallow brand has had a notable rise in their sales since February 2020, partially due to its boom in popularity on TikTok, where enthusiasts are able to show off their Squishmallowfilled bedrooms, many of them resembling maximalist, multicolored ocean of the plushes.

While it would be inaccurate to claim that this subculture of collecting stuffed toys is new among young adults, the acceleration of its spread in the past two years is undeniable. A likely drive for this fixation is a search for renewed security and safety. For many, filling their private space with collectible comfort items serves as a source of contentment. Both feelings are greatly sought-after by young people, who are feeling alienated from the outside world even after the isolation of quarantine and the rocky readjustment back into a shadow of ‘normalcy’. Additionally, the pandemic and its ensuing disruptions stripped a sense of control and certainty over the world’s state from many young people, who were able to reclaim a semblance of it by curating their own ‘utopia’ in their bedrooms through the possession of these collectibles to decorate their safe spaces. As the social media posts showcasing bedrooms adorned with stuffed animal collections continue to circulate, as the resale market for rare plush toys continues to become more lucrative, it seems that the trend is here to stay as we continue to emerge from our rooms and integrate back into society.

With its inaugural launch, the label unveiled its first Heaven bear, a classic stuffed bear in collaboration with Steiff, the oldest teddy bear producer in the world, albeit with its signature macabre twist - the double heads. This avant-garde twist on a childhood classic solidifies Marc Jacobs’ appeal to young people’s tastes in the world of high fashion. Two years later, the Heaven bear received its second iteration - a collaboration with artist Dean Hoy, who specializes in upcycling plush toys. The centrality of the teddy bear iconography fully cements Heaven’s immersion in the stuffed animal wave, granting the label extreme popularity among young consumers for its ability to offer a trendy yet high-fashion slice of utopia - or “heaven”.

Though hauntology and the pervasive influence of nostalgia in fashion and culture are not limited to this commodification of comfort, the past two years have accentuated the desire for collectible items and figures reminiscent of childhood wonder. In a similar move to the integration of stuffed animals, the number of collaborations between fashion houses and toy companies has accelerated. This has yielded the creation of collections such as Gucci’s 2021 limited edition Hot Wheels and Balmain’s 2022 release with Barbie. These labels’ decisions to turn towards candy-colored palettes and stuffing encased in plush fabrics stand in distinct contrast to the high fashion industry’s typical stark lines and intimidating air. It is this commitment to embracing the toy trend that ultimately serves as a testament to the current extent of people’s obsession with reclaiming comfort.

As we venture further into the still-young decade, the world continues to shed its concerns over the pandemic - including the anxieties and disillusionment that nourish the high-fashion stuffed animal craze. However, though inextricable from the unprecedented conditions surrounding their rise, it is possible that the expanding popularity of comfort items in the mainstream eye is more than just a passing trend. Perhaps there is a deep-seated yearning for the world around us to resemble the utopia it seemed to be to us when we were children that extends beyond the shock of the pandemic era. Though the future of the comfort item and the next fixation of the high fashion world is ultimately uncertain, for the time being, it seems that collectibles are here to stay.