A new exhibition in Paris celebrates Snoopy's style ahead of his 75th
birthday
[March 22, 2025]
By NICKI FINLAY
LONDON (AP) — A new exhibition in Paris celebrates the history of
fashion — as worn by Snoopy and the Peanuts gang.
“Snoopy In Style," which opens Saturday, pays tribute to Charles M.
Schulz and his beloved creations by looking at the evolution of the
characters’ outfits and their context in — and influence on — popular
culture ahead of the 75th anniversary of the “Peanuts” comic strip on
Oct. 2.
The first time Schulz drew Charlie Brown, he didn’t have his iconic
zig-zag shirt. Peppermint Patty’s stance on what to wear to school
pre-dates a legal change for girls’ uniform. And Snoopy has been dressed
by some of the world’s top designers, from Chanel to Fendi to Vivienne
Westwood.
Seventy-five outfits created for the soft toy versions of Snoopy and his
sister Belle are on display, including those designed by Dolce & Gabbana,
Betsey Johnson, Zac Posen and Christian Siriano.
“We have dolls from every single designer around the world. Chanel is
here. Karl Lagerfeld is here. Dolce Gabbana, Balmain," Peanuts Worldwide
executive Melissa Menta said. “We also have 18 sets of dolls that
include Lacoste, and also Valentino by Alessandro Michele.”
Schulz's widow Jeannie Schulz, who is the founder of The Charles M.
Schulz Museum and Research Center, said the cartoonist “understood that
comic strip characters had to have a style.”
“He realized after a while that you need to know immediately who the
character is and what that character represents. So that’s when Charlie
Brown got the stripe and Lucy got the painted dress and Sally got a
bow," she said.
The show highlights a cultural difference in how Peanuts has been
embraced in the United States and Europe, Menta said.
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People watch figurines representing Snoopy wear creations as part of
Peanuts' 75th Anniversary, at the Snoopy In Style exhibition that
runs from March 22 through April 5, in Paris, Thursday, March 20,
2025. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)
“In the United States, we know them from these classic specials:
‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ is something that most Americans really
embrace Peanuts for. But here in Europe, it’s most often known as a
fashion brand,” she said.
Vintage fashion inspired by Snoopy and friends is also on display, from
the likes of Marc Jacobs and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac –- whose
affection for Snoopy led to a memorable catwalk moment in 1989, when
Vanessa Paradis modelled a jacket entirely covered with Snoopy plush
toys for his fall-winter collection.
His “King Snoopy” statue also holds court, while elsewhere in the
exhibition the vintage Peanuts merchandise on show dates back to the
1960s.
Asked why Peanuts continues to appeal 75 years on, Jeannie Schulz said
she couldn't tell “how much is just because that dog is very cute and
very lovable and very sweet ... (and) how much also the comic strip
represents humanity.”
“The characters in the comic strip, even Snoopy, worry about whether
people like him," she said. "Charlie Brown doesn’t know who likes him
and how he fits in the world.”
The free exhibition runs March 22 through April 5 at Hôtel du Grand
Veneur in the Marais district of Paris.
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Associated Press journalist Deborah Gouffran contributed to this report.
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