2020 has been the year of hibernation, so it’s a fabulous fit that for the upcoming festive season, luxury German department store Breuninger has launched a limited edition sculpture in the shape of an animal we most associate with a long winter rest.
The Breuni-Bear – the German retailer’s long term mascot has been imagined in varied iterations, like 1995’s fluffy mohair friend, complete with felt nose, checked jacket and bow tie. From 2019, he got a more haute coat, when Swiss photographer and filmmaker Michael Comte devised a sleek limited edition golden bear, made in collaboration with Berlin’s KPM porcelain. There’s an interstellar inclination behind 2020’s design, which sees the Breuni-Bear coated in glossy platinum. It’s a striking, Pop Art-centric objet for any mantelpiece.
Comte has been working with Breuninger – the historic German store which was founded in by Eduard Breuninger in 1881 – since 2016. During this four year tenure, he has worked across a variety of visual projects, including wrapping its stark Stuttgart store’s facade with images of 10,000 blossoming flowers from 130 countries, for its S/S 2018 campaign. This winter also sees the launch of another organic offering – ‘Combining worlds with flowers’, a coffee table book published by Steidl.
The Breuni-Bear taps into not just Breuninger’s history, but KPM’s too. The historic porcelain producer is one of the oldest in Europe and was founded in 1763 by King Frederick II of Prussia. The smile-inducing style is available in 11 of Breuninger’s department stores, in a limited run of 100 pieces.
INFORMATION
-
Audemars Piguet and Kaws have created the Royal Oak Concept watch we didn't know we neededThe Audemars Piguet x Kaws Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Companion' is slick wrist-worn art
-
A friendly rivalry coloured by kinship: Wendy Maruyama and Tom Loeser on their two-artist show'I wanted to make furniture, just not traditional furniture, but weird furniture,' says Wendy Maruyama on ‘Colorama’, a two-artist show presented at design gallery Superhouse (until 11 January 2025)
-
Tranquil and secluded, Lemaire’s new Tokyo flagship exudes a sense of homeIn Tokyo’s Ebisu neighbourhood, Lemaire’s tranquil new store sees the French brand take over a former 1960s home. Co-artistic directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran tell Wallpaper* more
-
‘They have total freedom’: inside the Hermès Fashion Accessories Prize for young designers -
Akris’ latest bag communicates aesthetics through functionDesigned by Akris creative director Albert Kriemler, the new ‘Anouk Messenger’ adds to his growing range of discerning, artistically-inclined handbags
-
Celine Haute Maroquinerie is an extraordinary celebration of Parisian savoir-faireDrawing on the art of maroquinerie – leather-making – Hedi Slimane’s new collection utilises exceptional craftsmanship to create one-of-a-kind leather goods and handbags that are ‘cultural, personal, rare’
-
Savette bags: ‘We don’t want to give up the idea of having beautiful possessions’New York designer with a track record for creating stealth ‘it' bags launches own label – no surprise these handbag designs are selling out
-
Palm Angels debuts logo-splashed sunglasses collectionThe skate culture-centric label launches its 90s-era range of unisex sunglasses
-
Colourful sunglasses for cooling off in styleSummer's most eye-catching colourful sunglasses are found in a rainbow of seductive shades, and are a sure fire way for styling out a heatwave. Life just got a little brighter (and hotter)!
-
Fendi Baguette bag gets artisanal updateThe Fendi Baguette ‘Hand in Hand' project celebrates Italian craftsmanship, with adorned iterations of the classic bag conceived by local artisans from Liguria to Piedmont
-
Advene’s debut bag is forever‘We want our debut bag to stand the test of wear, weather, and time’
