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Bearing up on the fashion front

28/ 7/2005

MEET Glossop's latest catwalk model.

The only teddy bear to be suited and booted by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood has arrived at Glossopdale College.

'Van Gogh Ted' - originally a childhood toy belonging to Advertiser wildlife expert Sean Wood - is now the face of a new arts initiative for students.

Youngsters are being asked to write down projects they would like to do - such as visiting the Edinburgh Fringe Festival or sketching the Angel of the North - then ideas will be drawn out at random and granted through an 'Arts Wish List' funded by local businesses.

The only condition is that Van Gogh Ted travels with them and is photographed at each location.

And to make sure he's the best-dressed bear in any town, former Glossopdale pupil Vivienne Westwood has personally designed his clothes.

Sean, a behaviour inclusion advisor for Derbyshire, took two students to collect the ted from her studios in London.

"Unknown to me she is really into Van Gogh, so the idea caught her imagination" he said.

"She was really down to earth and liked art so we talked about that. I could have stayed for hours.

"The outfit is fantastic too, there's real attention to detail and there's even a Vivienne Westwood label in the back of his jacket."

Van Gogh Ted kicked off his photo album with shots around London including Buckingham Palace and the Thames. The pictures, plus tales of his travels, will be put on a website which will become a bank of information about the arts.