From Mulberry to Tommy Hilfiger, the latest craze in the fashion world is a little rabbit called Miffy. Shooting to fame in the ’50s, the character was from an illustrated book series that would capture generations of children until the ’90s.
Thanks to Covid-19 and the current fashion trends, Miffy is now enjoying a dominant resurgence due to the blue, white and red imagery synonymous with the pint-sized bunny. “Miffy embodies many of our brand values: being adventurous, open to new experiences and having a relentlessly positive attitude,” Hilfiger said in a recent interview.
We take a look at some of the moments that have put the fun-loving Miffy on the map and on everyone’s minds.
7 things to know about Miffy
Capturing the heart of designers like Tommy Hilfiger, and being a beloved brand of the Netherlands with her own museum, here's a rundown of Miffy's fashion takeover
Image: Martin Godwin/Getty Images
From Mulberry to Tommy Hilfiger, the latest craze in the fashion world is a little rabbit called Miffy. Shooting to fame in the ’50s, the character was from an illustrated book series that would capture generations of children until the ’90s.
Thanks to Covid-19 and the current fashion trends, Miffy is now enjoying a dominant resurgence due to the blue, white and red imagery synonymous with the pint-sized bunny. “Miffy embodies many of our brand values: being adventurous, open to new experiences and having a relentlessly positive attitude,” Hilfiger said in a recent interview.
We take a look at some of the moments that have put the fun-loving Miffy on the map and on everyone’s minds.
1. A DUTCH EXPORT
While her fashion and art contemporaries like Hello Kitty hail from Japan, Miffy has often been assumed to be another East Asian export. However, the creator and illustrator of the books is the late Dutchman Dick Bruna. He created the story to entertain his son, and while he wrote almost a 100 books, Miffy stood out as his best seller. The original character was ambiguous, but her gender was settled in the ’60s for the seventh book. She was originally known as Nijntje (little rabbit in Dutch) and earned her English name during the initial run in the ’50s.
2. MUSEUM OF MIFFY
If you thought this character was small fry, then you better guess again. Miffy’s popularity earned her her own museum featuring artworks of the rabbit. The museum was opened in 2016 to commemorate the character’s 60th anniversary. The museum was originally named after Bruna and featured his and other artworks, but the overwhelming support from tiny tots looking to go down the rabbit hole saw renovations embrace it as a space exclusively for Miffy rather than Bruna’s other works.
3. TOUR DE MIFFY
In 2015, Miffy was announced as the mascot for Tour de France. Statues of the character were erected at the Le Tour Utrecht Skodas to promote the cycle race while dressed in the official jersey.
4. MOVIE MAGIC
No stranger to the small screen, with several TV series that date back to the ’80s, Miffy finally broke out on the big screen with her first movie in 2013 titled Miffy the Movie in the style of the nostalgic five-minute clip series Miffy and Friends. She was voiced by actress Eva Poppink who would be put on the map following the role.
5. QUEEN OF BOOKTOK
According to Mashable, Miffy would come close to eclipsing character dolls from the last year’s smash hit Barbie on e-tailers and TikTok. Nylon would also report the nostalgia market would rake up sales and content in 2020 as new and old fans were seen making the character trendy again with viral tattoos, merchandise and music.
6. THE LANGUAGE OF MIFFY
To date, there are more than 120 Miffy books with no new illustrations or innovations being produced following the passing of Bruna in 2017. The adventures of Miffy have been translated into 50 languages including Afrikaans.
7. BRINGING SAFETY TO FASHION
Whether it’s her resurgence during Covid-19 or parents searching for wholesome brand, Miffy has become synonymous with safety for kids and adults who buy her merchandise. With trends like kidcore, kawaii culture and the playful trends brought on by K-Pop idols, Miffy continues fashion’s foray into embracing a sense of positivity and comfort.
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