People are hailing it as the biggest snooze of London Fashion Week.
Over the weekend, London-based accessories designer Anya Hindmarch skipped the usual runway proceedings and instead filled the city’s historic Banqueting House with an enormous beanbag lounging surface aimed at putting visitors to sleep.
Dubbed the Chubby Cloud, the Instagrammable attraction was part of a three-day event that Hindmarch launched to provide a mindful respite for weary trend hunters. Fashionistas were encouraged to kick off their heels, climb onto the cloud and zone out. Some relaxed and took in the space’s spectacular ceiling, painted by Flemish master Peter Paul Rubens; others enjoyed much-needed naps.
In addition to showcasing handbags and other wares from Hindmarch’s new collection, the event incorporated a cloud-theme cafe and pop-up shop, guided meditations and bedtime stories read by model Poppy Delevingne.
This isn’t Hindmarch’s first public design project. To mark this past Valentine’s Day, she installed massive, helium-filled, heart-shaped balloons near London’s iconic landmarks, as a love letter to the city.
“It’s the idea of engaging with people not in a traditional format,” Hindmarch told WWD of the cloud installation. “I wanted to just talk to our customers and make this inclusive.”