Background
The Smooches are a handmade series of plush toys made in Germany by Sarah Laban from EO art. They are released under their IGOZOO toy label.
The Smooches are a crazy bunch of bunnies who like to sing and whistle madly, smoke chocolate cigars and collect lipstick. They live off air and love. Without it they shrivel into sorrowful dusty random door stoppers or cat cushions. Be sure to squeeze a Smoochie often...
Enjoy Smooching!
The Facts
Smooches
Manufacturer: IGOZOO
Artist: Sarah Laban
Material: Plush – Terrycloth and Fleece
Dimensions: About 12” in height
Accessories: Smooches pin
Edition Size: One-of-a-kind handmade
Pricing: €29.99 (around $40.00)
Packaging/Tag
The plush Smooches come bagged with a header card. The card features illustrated versions of the various Smooches characters and the above background story. There's a swing tag attached to the Smooches' arm with the Smooches logo and something written in German on the back (why did I take Spanish in college?).
Our Opinion
My initial thoughts upon seeing the Smooches plush was that this character looks familiar. Then it hit me. Does anyone else remember the “Tang Lips”? They were used in an advertising campaign back in the 1980's. After finding an old commercial, basically the lone similarity is that their oversized lips are the character's focal point.
The handmade Smooches use terry cloth for the entire body. In this case, it's orange terry cloth. The lips are made of pink fleece. As far as stitching, the plush is fairly average for being handmade. You can see a few seams, but that is largely due to the chosen fabric. The pattern used for the lips really works. I like that they have a pleat for the mouth opening.
As far as character design...it's extremely simple. However, the plush is a great representation of the illustrated Smooches. It's stuffed a little on the more solid side, especially in the ears, but that's been done to keep them straight. And I like the choice of terrycloth...it's like a big, giant washcloth.
Some of the other characters from Sarah Laban and IGOZOO a little more than Smooches. (I'm still creeped out by those Tang commercials) But if these guys appeal to you, you'll be pleased with the material used and the quality of construction.
You can pick one up at the following:
TheSmooches.com: €29.99 (around $40.00)
You can also purchase these at a pair of Berlin, Germany based shops: Plazmalab Berlin and Ararat.
