Designers customise iconic Eames Elephant for designjunction charity auction
Dezeen promotion: Lee Broom and Eley Kishimoto are among 21 designers who have customised the toy Eames Elephant for the charity project at this week's designjunction exhibition in London (+ slideshow).
For the second year running, designjunction has chosen to support Teddy's Wish, an organisation that helps to support families affected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Teddy's Wish was set up by Jennifer and Chris Reid, who lost their three-month-old son Edward to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and wanted to do something to support other families in similar situations.
For the project, Swiss furniture brand Vitra donated a herd of iconic Eames Elephants – small children's chairs originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1945.
Using the elephants as a blank canvas, 21 designers and artists each applied their own interpretation to create the A Child's Dream installation for designjunction 2015, which is currently on show at the Victoria House venue on Southampton Row.
British fashion designer Zandra Rhodes has covered her elephant in orange and pink-coloured patterns, while Patternity has opted for dalmatian-like spots.
All 21 Elephants are for sale as part of a live online auction that opened on the 23 September 2015.
Bidding closes on the 4 October 2015, and all proceeds will go to Teddy's Wish to help fund research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, neonatal death and stillbirth, as well as supporting grieving families.
A Child's Dream is on display as part of an installation by designer Anthony Dickens and Studio Make Believe.
Designjunction is taking place from 24 to 27 September 2015 during this year's London Design Festival. Tickets for designjunction acquired online in advance are free for trade and £10 for the public. Dezeen is media partners for the event, and readers can get 50 per cent off the advance ticket price using promo code DJDEZEEN. All tickets on the door are £14.
Visit the designjunction website to find out more information about the event and the charity auction.
Read on for more information from the organisers:
Look out for a herd of customised elephants at designjunction2015
Painted, patterned, and accessorised by 21 world-renowned designers and architects who have added their personal touch to the iconic Eames Elephants - donated by Vitra.
The unique designs will appear as an installation at designjunction2015 entitled A Child's Dream. All 21 Elephants will then be put to a live online auction to raise funds and awareness for Teddy's Wish charity.
Designers include fashion maestro Zandra Rhodes; industrial designer Sir Kenneth Grange – famed for his designs for Kodak, and the TXI London taxi; furniture designers Terence Woodgate, Lee Broom and Russell Pinch; the multi-disciplined Michael Marriott; architects and interior experts at Aukett Swanke and Gensler; textile trend-setters Kit Miles and Eley Kishimoto. Each designer, invited to personalise an elephant, has created a unique version to reflect their individual passions.
A live online auction will accompany this year's A Child's Dream installation and designjunction2015 will preview each individual elephant in newsletters leading up to the show before the two-week bidding window opens on 23 September. All proceeds will go to Teddy's Wish to aid research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, neonatal death and stillbirth while supporting grieving families.
A Child's Dream will be displayed at designjunction2015 within Victoria House, in a stunning installation imagined and designed by Anthony Dickens and Studio Make Believe.
Participating designers include:
Aukett Swanke, Lee Broom, CKR, FRONT, Fredrikson Stallard, Industrial Facility, Kenneth Grange, Gensler, Eley Kishimoto, André Klauser, Max Lamb, Philippe Malouin, Michael Marriott, Kit Miles, Neri & Hu, Patternity, Russell Pinch, Raw Edges, Zandra Rhodes, Terence Woodgate, and Sebastian Wrong. Visit the website for more information on the designers involved in A Child’s Dream, their unique elephant creations and Teddy's Wish. This is the second year designjunction has supported Teddy's Wish with A Child's Dream. Last year's initiative in collaboration with Anglepoise and ercol raised an incredible £10,000.
Why this matters?
In the UK, more than 300 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year. The UK has one of the highest rates of unexplained infant mortality in the developed western world. We can change this. Teddy’s Wish was set up in August 2014 to honour the memory of Edward Louis Reid, who died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrom four months earlier. Funds raised support potentially life-saving research into SIDS, Stillborn and Neonatal Death Syndrome and helps provide support services for grieving families.Since its launch, Teddy’s Wish has raised more than £100,000 through donations on Justgiving.

"The response has been overwhelming and to raise this amount of funds in such as short space of time is testament to the impact Edward's death has had, and continues to have, on people's lives," said Edward's mother Jennifer, who founded Teddy's Wish with her husband Chris.
"We miss Edward terribly and will never forget every precious second we spent with him. While nothing can bring our beloved baby back, it is comforting to know so many people have been touched by our story. We want to continue to raise funds and awareness to ensure fewer babies die in the future and to support families unfortunate enough to suffer the agony of child loss." You can follow Jennifer’s story on her blog.
About the auction
A Child's Dream will take place at designjunction2015, and online bids can be placed from 23 September to 4 October 2015. Visit the dedicated website to explore the herd and place a bid.
Designjunction2015 takes place at Victoria House, 37 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4DA, 24 to 27 September 2015. Ticket entry to the show is £12 from 1 September to 23 September and £14 on the door, a percentage of ticket sales will go to Teddy's Wish.
www.thedesignjunction.co.uk/charity