When Coach sent plush toys and fluffy animal slippers down the runway at New York Fashion Week, you could hear the internet let out a collective squeal. One can't help but smile at the bunny ears flopping as the models padded down the catwalk and feel the urge to snatch those cutesy stuffed bears dangling from purses.
Coach designer Stuart Vevers has always excelled in mining fashion nostalgia for inspiration, making the brand synonymous with the effortlessly cool ‘90s East Village girl during his tenure. But recently, Vevers is joining other designers going beyond Gen Z’s teenage yearning for Indie sleaze or the Brat aesthetic, and throwing it *way* back to our actual childhoods.
Bottega Veneta sent the internet into a frenzy when their Spring/Summer 2025 show venue was lined with giant animal bean bag chairs inspired by the movie E.T. when the extraterrestrial hid among a mountain of stuffed toys in the closet. Huge smiles spread across show-goers' faces as they each found their seats allegedly chosen by designer Matthieu Blazy himself based on the animal he felt best represented the guest. As Vogue editor Nicole Phelps described the mood: “It was like we were all kids again in a rec room, knees tucked under our chins, eager to watch our favourite show on TV.” Little animals made their way into the collection too, from little frogs on lapels to single bunny ears popping up from heels.
Joy is the first emotion that comes to mind while watching these pieces filter into high fashion (cue the little animated character from Inside Out leaping with glee in my brain). Given so much anxiety swirling around, well, everything in our lives from the economy to politics, it might be just a clever marketing ploy by these brands to sell products, but it's hardly a stretch to say we're in need of a little fun.
If you need any further proof, just take a look at Jellycat's ultra-popular “Fish and Chips” pop-up at Selfridges that had people queuing around the block to see some stuffed culinary characters being served on a “fryer." Sure, there were your expected younger clientele clutching their parent's hands, but also plenty of full-grown adults just enjoying the sight of a soft toy getting wrapped like a burrito.
Now up to 20% off.
It's no secret that plush toys, once something we needed to stash away as a sign of our “adulthood,” are now being appreciated in a big way, reflected in the astronomical price tags attached to mint condition Beanie Babies and Jellycats on eBay. A rare Princess the Diana Beanie Baby from 1997 is currently available for purchase on eBay for a casual £723,000 (yes, you read that right).
While Coach's bunny slippers are thankfully nowhere near that price point, their appearance speaks to a growing number of brands tapping into our nostalgia for a sense of softness found in our childhood pastimes. There's something about these toys that speak to—and maybe soothe—our inner child, that reminds us of the carefree innocence of being a toddler, and that he or she is still very much is still a part of us. And let's be honest, it just offers us a little hit of dopamine.
With London and Paris Fashion Weeks coming up, we wouldn't be surprised to see more cameos by some fluffy faces, but in the meantime, we'll be digging out our forgotten friends for a little much-needed cuddle.
_MAIN.jpg)
