When I lived in France, I was shopping for a used Citroen Deux Chevaux (only the coolest car in the world). One ad I called about, the lady said, "yes, it's white, with schtroumpf painted on it." "What's that?" "Schtroumpf ? They're blue." Ah, must be French for "stripes," I thought. Over the years, Citroen took to issuing limited edition versions of the 2CV in different colors. One of the best-looking was the France 3, which commemorated the country's entry in the America's Cup yacht race.
Only when I went to see the car did I learn that it's actually French for Smurfs. If only the floor didn't have holes so big you could see the road, I might be driving that car to this day, with its knee-high, beatifully hand-painted Smurfs all over it. But enough about me.
In other news, Bugaboo is testing the limited edition waters. The company has teamed up with the Dutch Fashion Foundation to create Bugaboo By..., a series of exclusive Bugaboo Frogs designed by some of the Netherlands' hottest young designers. Together, they're promoting Bugaboo as "a traveling medium for creative statements."
They've only announced one designer so far, a relative newcomer, Bas Kosters. But rather than Citroen, Bugaboo seems inspired by another model: Louis Vuitton's limited edition bags by designers like Stephen Sprouse and artists like Takashi Murakami. When done well, such collaborations energize the original brand while creating something truly original in itself.
Frankly, Bugaboo seems like such an industrial design-focused brand, my own instinct is to pair it with architects, not designers; plenty of renowned Dutch architects come immediately to mind. But it'll be interesting to see how it evolves.
Visit the Bugaboo By... website and register for email updates. Kosters' version is scheduled for release in 2005.
[thanks, Patty!]
I hate the new look of the Frog. It is not practical at all. I LOVE my Bugaboo and so does my kido! We are waiting for the 2 seater Bugaboo now...