Disney Hips Up Their Plushies & Classic Characters Become Cool.

Disney has been really good about expanding their brand to include things that would appeal to hipsters of all ages. For the last decade or more everything from their films to their toys, their couture jewelry and collectibles have included modern artsy versions in addition to the classic ones.

The latest are their new soft plush toys that were inspired by the urban vinyl toy culture. The modern looking 12" tall toys called Pook-A-Looz (okay, so the name sucks) were designed to capture the personalities of iconic Disney characters in an edgy, offbeat way.



Sassy and fun, the new line of plush features more than 30 wide-ranging characters from Buzz Lightyear and Cheshire Cat to Muppets and Jack Skellington. Shown below are a few of them for you (keep in mind, there are more than just those shown below.. such as Eeyore, Dumbo and other beloved childhood favorites).

Mickey and Minnie:

Woody and Buzz Lightyear:

Snow White, Dopey and Grump:

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell:

Winnie The Pooh, Tigger and Piglet:
:
Alice, Cheshire Cat, The Mad Hatter & the Queen Of Hearts:

Goofy, Donald and Pluto:


“We focused on capturing one key element, gesture or trait of each character during the design process. We wanted the look to be very unique, quirky and cool,” said Jose Zamora, lead designer for the DCP products. “When you think of the Queen of Hearts, you think of her mouth, so we brought that out in the design. With the Cheshire Cat, you think of the teeth. So we focused on that famous grin.”

To help promote the new plushies, there will be a series of “Pook-a-Sodes”, videos on the Disney Living YouTube channel. The first one, with Pook-A-Looz Mickey as a ‘Gentleman Caller’ is shown below:



The Disney Living Facebook fan page and @disneyliving Twitter feed will also offer additional content and forums for fans to win prizes, share content and connect.



The 12" Pook-A-Looz cost between $7.99 and $12.99 and can be purchased at Disney Parks, The Disney Store and Toys R Us.

Where's Manish Arora Going After India's Fashion Week? Disneyland!

Above: Designer Manish Arora & his collection at India's Fashion Week

Okay, not really. Besides, he's already been there from the looks of his latest collection.

Fashion week in New Delhi had some drama (the wardrobe malfunction on a Belgian model during the showing of Rajesh Pratap Singh's collection) and some truly amazing clothes. One of the more unusual...okay, bizarre... collections was that of designer Manish Arora with futuristic warrior headgear on models sporting Disney icons clad in crystal, embellishing dresses, scarves and more.



Manish Arora's 'Ultra Man Meets Lichtenstein' collection at the Delhi fashion week had people talking. Known for his irreverent designs, colorful patterns and unusual runway accoutrements, Arora's most recent collection incorporates Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Pop Art and lots of knee and shoulder pads.



The Disney cartoon characters clad in armor and the work of Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami were rendered on silk, velvet and brocade dresses inspired by Japanese samurais, gladiators and medieval knights.. and to me, personally, Ultra Man.



Arora's models walked the ramp wearing lion masks and metallic armor shields, shoulder and knee pads, most embellished with Swarovski crystals.





"For me, fashion is glamorous and happy and shiny - that's why I show all this," the designer told reporters after the show.



"My clothes always have a sense of humor and Walt Disney provided that for me."



The majority of the collection lacked the Disney characters, but certainly didn't lack stopping power. Take a look at some of the collection:












And of course, Ultra Man:


Around 80 designers showcased autumn and winter collections on the runway or in stalls at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week.

Designer duo Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna took inspiration from city life for their 'Lost in the Urban Maze' collection - the grid lines of the city mimicked in sleek suits and dresses in various shades of brown and blue.

Creative designs were not the only thing that made news at the fashion week on Friday. The shoulder drape of a Belgian model slipped sideways during designer Rajesh Pratap Singh's show, exposing her breast for a second. Photographers clicked away but most in the audience remained oblivious to the slip-up.



Clothes coming undone on the ramp are nothing new to the fashion world, but in India it sent newspaper editors and TV producers into a feeding frenzy. Some TV channels repeatedly broadcast the footage, blurring out the model's breast, while newspapers published reports with photographs of the model.

See Manish Arora's site here.