Swedish designer Gustaf Westman has teamed up with media company Disney to transform its Mickey Mouse character into furniture and accessories that convey "joy and playfulness" ahead of a wider product collaboration.
Westman, who is known for his rounded, colourful designs, revealed the first three items in the Disney collaboration: a sofa, cup and a tumbler.
All have an abstract take on the recognisable Mickey Mouse character, focusing on his ears and face as well as his red shorts with white buttons, which have been turned into the base of the tumbler.
The full collection, which was inspired by Disney brand Mickey & Friends, will include apparel and accessories as well as furniture and homeware. It will be revealed at pop-up stores in Tokyo, New York and Paris.
Westman's own designs, which span everything from crockery to furniture, often have rounded edges and cartoon-like inflated shapes.
This was something that the designer thought worked well in combination with the Disney characters.
"Collaborating with Disney felt like a very natural creative match from the start – when it came to sketching ideas and exploring how a silhouette or colour of a character could meet my own design language, there was so much overlap between these recognisable silhouettes and my signature work," he said.
"It felt like two worlds coming together in a way that felt genuine and effortless. There's so much joy and playfulness associated with these characters, and I wanted to capture some of that feeling in every piece."
The designer recreated his Chunky Tumbler to look like Mickey Mouse, using the same colour palette as that of the character.
"The Mickey Tumbler is probably my favourite piece," Westman said. "You can look at it for one second and totally understand it. "
"You see both my world and how I have taken inspiration from Mickey's world at the same time, and that simplicity is something I'm always trying to achieve," he continued.
In contrast, the ceramic Mickey Mouse cup and leather Mickey Mouse sofa are all black, with a more abstract, sculptural feel. The sofa will be part of a made-to-order furniture collection and will retail for €9,250.
The Disney x Gustaf Westman collection will first launch at a Paris pop-up on 30 October before moving on to the other cities.
Disney, which was founded as an animation studio in 1923, has inspired a number of designers over the years – especially its Mickey Mouse character. Interior designer Kelly Hoppen reimagined him for a "grown-up" audience, while designer Ron Arad has decorated chairs with Mickey's oversized ears.
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