WildBrain’s Elizabeth Litten Miller on sparking joy – and conversation – with KOI’s Teletubbies footwear

Elizabeth, thanks for making time. Why is footwear an exciting space to bring your brands into?
Footwear has been a huge growth category in the fashion industry as it empowers designers to play and push boundaries, as well as giving consumers an outlet to showcase their individuality. Footwear also provides a vital consumer touchpoint for evergreen brands, bringing joy to both kids and ‘kidults.’ At WildBrain, we have built strong footwear programmes for two of our most iconic evergreen brands, Teletubbies and Strawberry Shortcake.

Yes, on Teletubbies, there’s been a lot of activity for that brand in fashion. Why does it suit the category?
The Teletubbies have always inspired fashion at the heart of the brand’s storytelling and content. Who could forget Tinky Winky’s signature red bag or Dipsy’s statement cow-print hat? The bright, cheery colours and the variation of shapes – from the rounded, rolling hills in Teletubbyland to their iconic antennae – alongside the Teletubbies’ own embracing of ‘colouring outside the lines’… It has created a real freedom to play in the fashion space, particularly in the footwear category.

KOI launched an eye-catching Teletubbies footwear collection at the end of last year. What made them an exciting partner for the brand?
KOI is a known leader in the industry for breaking the boundaries of design. They stand strongly behind their ethics and aesthetics, with creativity at the core of what they do. They also have their heritage in the UK, making them the perfect partner for our colourful quartet.

“KOI is a known leader in the industry for breaking the boundaries of design.”

When you look at the Teletubbies collection they’ve created, it’s both fashion-forward and approachable, with designs that allow the wearer to show off their fandom and spark conversation. Targeted at Gen Z – the original Teletubbies audience – KOI’s range features silhouettes that are both edgy and sweet, bringing the Teletubbies to a kidult audience while not losing sight of the innocent joyfulness of the brand.

Can you talk us through some of your favourite design details on this piece?
I love the juxtaposition of the plush Teletubby material balanced with the black vegan leather and metal detailing. The design is extremely wearable for a broad audience and allows consumers to show off their love for the Teletubbies.

My favourite part is the pure joy that the shoes illicit when you first see them and the unexpected contrast of the silhouette with the smiling Dipsy. The wearer has the absolute delight of bringing their favourite childhood friend to accompany them throughout their day.

Elizabeth, thanks again!

KOI’s Founder and Creative Director Uzair Ahmad and Footwear Designer Madeline Wood talk us through their side of the Teletubbies collaboration.

Guys, thanks for making time. What was the design process on this Teletubbies project?
Uzair Ahmad: With Teletubbies, it was going back, watching some of the episodes and trying to see the message the show was conveying to children. The next step was to figure out how to translate this into a collection aimed at adults; the age group we are targeting will have watched the show as children but are now grown up. We wanted to take the fun, playful, friendship-centred show and add certain elements that would make a design wearable for adults.

We also wanted to play on nostalgia, with a modern twist. We looked at examples of childlike, soft elements and bright colour palettes in adult fashion to help us imagine how to achieve this.

What are some of your favourite design details in the collection?
Madeline Wood: The design details are fun and unexpected – for example the plush materials recall both the Teletubbies original costumes and the Teletubbies plushies many of us had growing up, playing on the childhood nostalgia aspect of the brand. As further references to these familiar toys, we have the plush Dipsy head on the side of one of the boots, taking something traditionally aimed at a child but elevating it to a kidult space. In contrast to this we have used black vegan leather, studs, chains and chunkier silhouettes. This allows us to incorporate grownup details, while still honouring the age of the demographic of our brand.

Thanks guys!