Fine and Dandy for Mccartney’s latest fashion collection
● Designer uses iconic characters from comic classic for new range
Characters from iconic Scottish comic the Dandy are to be featured on a new range of clothes by fashion designer Stella Mccartney – four years after a cartoon version of her father appeared in the final edition of the publication.
Dundee-based magazine icons including Korky the Cat, Dinah Mo and Cuddles & Dimples are to be printed on organic cotton, denim and knitwear pieces which will sell for up to £1,260.
DC Thomson, which published the Dandy, hinted that the collection had inspired it to resurrect Dandy characters in its sister comic, the Beano.
It tweeted from the Beano account: “Say what now? @Stellamccartney has brought back some Dandy legends! Makes us wonder whether we should be bringing them out more often too…”
The nostalgic prints of Korky the Cat – the cover star in the very first edition in 1937 – Dinah Mo, an indefatigable ten-year-old girl who caused mischief and chaos wherever she went; and Cuddles and Dimples, the mischievous twins, are all to be included in 15 signature pieces which will be available from May as part of the designer’s autumn 2017 collection.
Ms Mccartney said: “The humour and artistry of comic strip animation touches your heart and your memory bank.
“In this collaboration, fun and fashion go hand in hand and we are able to incorporate sustainable, stylish, timeless pieces while celebrating the inner child in our spirit.”
Styles include an all-in-one, 0 Designer’s latest collection is inspired by classic comic characters outwear jackets lined with the print, dresses and separates, T-shirts, knits, denim jeans and a sweatshirt with embroidery appliqué.
The final printed edition of the Dandy was published on 4 December 2012, the comic’s 75th anniversary, after sales fell to just 8,000 a week. The publication featured Stella Mccartney’s father, Sir Paul Mccartney, who had told music magazine NME in 1963 that his personal ambition was to appear in its pages.
An attempt to continue the comic – the world’s thirdlongest running, after Detective Comics and Italian publication Il Giornalino – as a digital product was not successful and the brand disappeared entirely six months later.
The Dandy was believed to be the first comic to use speech bubbles instead of captions underneath the pictures.
Emma Scott, chief executive at Beano Studios, a standalone business owned by DC Thomson, which creates multimedia content using the Dandy and Beano characters, said: “We’re delighted to be working alongside Stella Mccartney and her team to give iconic British comic characters, Korky, Dinah Moandcuddles&dimples a fresh new context.”
She added: “Our mission at Beano Studios is to entertain all kids (even grown-up ones) by bringing our infamous rebellious streak to life in a range of new ideas, from fashion to movies to apps.”