Snoopy is on the move.
Heat Vision can exclusively reveal that Peanuts Worldwide’s long-running Snoopy & Belle in Fashion exhibit — which opens Wednesday in Washington for a monthlong engagement — will be visiting San Diego Comic-Con this year, with the debut of a new set of Snoopy and Belle dolls created in collaboration with tokidoki, designed by tokidoki’s co-founder and CCO Simone Legno.
“Since 2014, when we started with 25 sets of new dolls, as [the exhibit has] traveled to each city, new dolls have been added that fit the spirit of the city,” Peanuts Worldwide senior vp Melissa Menta tells Heat Vision. “When we knew we were bringing the exhibit to Comic-Con, we were thinking, ‘What makes sense at Comic-Con?’ and it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. Tokidoki! We were so thrilled Simone agreed.”
For Legno, the chance to continue his collaboration with the Peanuts brand — tokidoki and Peanuts teamed up for a Comic-Con exclusive tote bag in 2016 — was “an honor,” in part because it gave him the chance to see how Peanuts creator Charles Schulz worked. “The wonderful thing was that I was invited to go and visit [the Peanuts offices] in Santa Rosa (Calif.), and his house, with the museum. It’s very inspiring!” he says. “I got to see his sketches, and it was very memorable for me.”
The tokidoki Snoopy and Belle dolls debuting next month at Comic-Con will be part of a display in the special Peanuts pop-up store at 226 Fifth Ave. in San Diego’s Gaslamp district. Legno says they’re a chance for him to update the characters in an unexpected way. “Peanuts is a classic, it represents history even before I was born. Tokidoki is inspired by a new generation, by Japanese trends, the more contemporary street art and cultures — it comes from a more subculture [place],” he explains. “I bring an internet-inspired, global feel to the Peanuts history.”
Menta agreed.
Adds Menta: “What he’s created has touched on a pop culture zeitgeist for Comic-Con that’s amazing. I’ve worked on the brand for 17 years, and we’re always looking for ways to keep it relevant,. One of the ways we do that is social media, and another is Snoopy & Belle in Fashion. If you look at the designers we’ve worked with, each of them brings their own style to it. This is why we’re so excited to work with Simone and tokidoki for Comic-Con: it keeps us relevant but allows us to maintain the integrity of the brand.”
Before the San Diego debut of the exhibit, Snoopy & Belle in Fashion will be on display at the Grand Court West of Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Va., where it debuts new dolls by Barbara Tfank, fashion designer for former first lady Michelle Obama, and Ashley Biden, daughter of former Vice President Joe Biden.
The latter’s dolls — which can be seen at the top of this story — represent her company Livelihood, which focuses on economic equality and the ability for people to pursue their ambitions while earning a living. “There’s a real synergy between Snoopy and Livelihood — it’s all about following your dreams and helping each other out,” Biden told Heat Vision. “I was so humbled getting the call. It’s pretty incredible, and I’m honored to be involved.”
The Virginia exhibit runs until July 18, before the July 20 debut in San Diego.
