New and Improved Pudsey

Today is Children in Need day so I decided to do a Pudsey themed post. For those who don't know what Children in Need is, it is a charity that helps disadvantaged children in the UK. Today is the day when the BBC is taken over by Pudsey Bear (the mascot) and Sir Terry Wogan (a national treasure) for seven hours in order to raise as much money as possible. This year, the BBC has launched a collection of Pudseys to be auctioned off to raise money for the charity. There are 11 bears in the collection which has

seen a number of fashion designers use their creative flair and remarkable talents to create their very own unique version of the iconic Pudsey Bear.

 The bears have been designed in a range of different colours, from blue to silver, and a variety of fabrics, from leather to suede. They are all completely unique and, in my opinion, a great way to raise money for charity while being creative and artistic at the same time. So I've decided to share them with you.

Erdem Bear

 Erdem says this bear is made of Botanical Lemon Burst Print with Mini Burst Eye-patch and is influenced by their 2012 spring collection. This bear raised £832 for Children in Need.

Giles Deacon Bear

This bear was also influenced by a 2012 spring collection; Giles Deacon's to be precise. It is constructed from silver leather and is described by Deacon as 'a silver leather dream machine.' It raised £942.

Henry Holland Bear

This cute little bear is made from '100% wool House of Holland tartan' and was 'punk' inspired. This is one of my favourites (but that's just because I'm obsessed with tartan at the moment!) This one raised £820 in the auction.

Jonathan Saunders Bear

Unfortunately this bear doesn't do it for me. It looks kinda wierd and it's all geometric and clashy. But lets see what 'ole Johnny has to say about it... 

"I decided to use the bright tonal prints in blues, reds and greens from my AW11 womenswear collection.”

That'll be why it clashes so badly! Blue, green and red... eesh...

I just tried to click on the eBay page for this one but it only loaded for a second before a message came up saying the bid was closed but I did manage to see the price. £200.

Katie Hillier Bear

I really like the idea behind this one. It was designed with the kids in mind using "fuzzy felt and bright colours." But what I really like about this bear is what Kate said next. "I wanted Pudsey to feel like he had been patched together by a childs imagination full of innocence, fun and fairytale dreams." Isn't that just the best description of a patchwork bear you ever heard? They even used denim from charity shops to make it. What could be more perfect? Oh yeah, and it raised £640 in auction.

Liberty Bear

Liberty have been displaying the bears (until Saturday - so if you can get down there, do it!) but they had to add one of their own into the collection. For me, it's a bit too busy, but that's personal taste. Other people must have liked it though because it raised £1,850 for Childen in Need!

Louis Vuitton Bear

This bear made me laugh when I saw it. If anyone has seen the Travelodge adverts, you'll know what I mean! This guy even came with his own suitcase and change of clothes! Brilliant! He has a mix of everything (literally) from a punk edge to calfskin and shearling covered feet to a gold nose and his own Stephen Sprouse hankie. What more could a bear ask for? And he's selling for an amazing £24,100. Someone must really want this bear.

Mulberry Bear

This bear is made from the " finest Mulberry leather" and raised a big (but not as big as its leather clad buddy, Louis) £2,550 for charity!

Patrick Grant

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. This bear is totally my cup of tea. He's made from a tartan cloth made of wool and cashmere and his foot and eyepatch are in a plain black wool melton cloth. And (this is great) he's stuffed with discarded wool, cotton, linen and silk scraps from the tailors boards in the Patrick Grant workroom. Plus, he looks so darn cute! (He raised £530)

PPQ Bear

This very skinny looking bear is made from black velvet and has a crystal on the eye and bow tie. I especially like the signature bandage; very nice. He raised £500. 

Pringle Bear

This bear is made by Pringle (the designer, not the crisps!) and is wearing a hand knitted cardigan with "Forevermark diamond buttons." This one is still being auctioned at the moment but the latest bid is £2,550.

Topshop Bear

The last one is designed by Topshop and is inspired by their 2012 SS Collection. One of the designers said about the bear "we used the exact hieroglyphic jewellery from the SS12 collection, plus one of the actual buttons" so there we go. If you buy this, you will get one of the acual buttons. Very exciting. The bids on this one haven't finished yet but as of now, the price is £1,020.

Which bear is your favourite?