Designers create custom ears for BBC children’s charity

Burberry and Fendi are among the labels using their design talents to support BBC Children in Need.

For the first Designer Pudsey Ears Collection, brands created one-of-a-kind headpieces that are being auctioned off online to benefit the children-centric organization’s efforts. Often the fashion community is called upon to spike interest in fundraising drives, with designer merchandise typically able to command greater donations.

All ears

BBC Children in Need currently has 2,600 projects across the United Kingdom that aim to tackle issues that prevent children from having a happy childhood or finding success. These efforts include outreach to children growing up in poverty or battling illness.

Since 1985, Pudsey Bear has served as the mascot for BBC Children in Need. The media company’s graphics designer created the bear and named him after her hometown.

The designer Pudsey ears are custom versions of the furry yellow Children in Need headbands being sold by the BBC for its charity.

Stylist and journalist Katie Grand curated the collection. Burberry designed the ears with its signature check print and metal accents, while Prada’s reference the brand’s spring/summer 2018 runway collection, with pale grey eco fur and bejeweled embellishments.

Gucci, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton also donated designs. Along with its ears, Louis Vuitton worked with Supreme on a 28-inch Pudsey stuffed bear made from the last pieces of denim from their runway collaboration.

Edie Campbell with Louis Vuitton's ears and Pudsey bear. Image credit: BBC

Giving the auction an additional fashion touch, the ears are modeled by the likes of Adwoa Aboah, Edie Campbell, Kaia Gerber, Iris Law and Suki Waterhouse.

The eBay auction will close on Nov. 19.

Italian department store Luisa Via Roma similarly teamed up with toymaker Hasbro to give iconic 1980s toy My Little Pony a high-fashion makeover.

For the Make Kids Happy auction in 2015, coinciding with the retailer’s biannual Firenze4ever fashion event, My Little Pony figures decorated by labels including Fendi and Emilio Pucci will be sold on eBay from June 15 to raise money for Save the Children. Choosing a lighthearted basis for this campaign will likely appeal to consumers’ nostalgia and pique interest in the items up for bid (see story).