Tokidoki
Encyclopedia
tokidoki is the Japanese-inspired lifestyle brand
created in 2005 by Italian artist Simone Legno
and his business partners Pooneh Mohajer and Ivan Arnold.
tokidoki produces apparel, footwear, accessories and other products using art, iconic characters and the tokidoki logo designed by Simone Legno, including purses, t-shirts, vinyl figures, jewelry, and small toys.
Tokidoki has collaborated with several industries such as Levi’s, Skull Candy, New Era, Mikasa, Fujitsu
, Be@rbrick
, RIDE Snowboards, ASICS Onitsuka Tiger
, Hello Kitty
, Smashbox, Barbie
and LeSportsac
.
, Pooneh Mohajer, and her husband Ivan Arnold, discovered Simone Legno's personal portfolio website, which had some popularity, being listed as one of the The Independent
's top ten "websites of the week". They subsequently arranged to meet him, and Simone joined them in Los Angeles
to form the tokidoki business venture. Simone has become a recent fixture at the San Diego Comic Con and makes appearances at various locations worldwide for signings and promotions. Simone has also made a guest appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
.
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
line of handbags in collaboration with LeSportsac (each bag comes with a Qee
; a toy collaboration for Toy2R
, inside carabiner on stretch cord and a ball chain).
The first print was introduced in Spring 2006, originally named Tokidoki, but deemed by fans as '"The Original Print", which includes Sandy and her Cactus Friends, along with the Moofia minions.
Since then, many other characters have been released and featured on LeSportsac
bags, and the prints have also expanded to other merchandise such as jewelry.
The tokidoki for LeSportsac line of handbags have rare prints, increasiing value and escalating prices. This has led to the production of many illegal counterfeit copies.
. These include the 10" Trexi Yukuun and the 3" Trexi that came with it, Yuki-Za and the tokidoki series 3 Dunny. There was a collaboration with Devilrobots for the 3" Trexi Plus series. The Cactus Friends and Moofia line of designer toys with Strangeco has been highly successful. Simone also designed an 8" Qee Bear named Sahara with Toy2R
, available in several different exclusive colors (yellow, red, black and white). The original (yellow) Sahara Qee included a 2.5" version of Simone himself. There is also a collection of seven Cactus Pups that was released in 2007. These pups are the babies of Bastardino and Polpettina - each pup comes blind boxed with a little accessory, including a monkey, hot dog, soccer ball, skeleton head and a tiny grim reaper.
There have been two tokidoki Circus Punks. The Moofia is a line of 11 vinyl toys. The Moofia are milk box-themed toys, and consist of the following characters: Soya, Leche, Latte, Low fat Milk, Mou Mou Milk Bottle, Baby Milk Bottle, Choco, and Japanese Milk. There are three new Moofia that were released in 2008: Riso, Creamina, and Fragolina. In July 2008, two tokidoki plush dolls were released - SANDy and Mozzarella. In Fall of 2008, tokidoki released Mozzarella's boyfriend named Bulleto. During SDCC 2008, a grey-scale version of Bulleto was released in limited edition.
tokidoki, in collaboration with Toy Tokyo, premiered a limited edition soccer-themed tokidoki Be@rbrick at the New York Comic Con. Simone was pleased with the collaboration and subsequently created a limited edition Toy Tokyo geisha vinyl as well as another Toy Tokyo exclusive Be@rbrick (LA Robber) that was released at NYCC 2009.
produces tokidoki hats. Tokidoki has also collaborated with RIDE Snowboards to design a snowboard collection. RIDE produced snowboarding pants
, a jacket, bindings, boots and a snowboard.
These are the main sets, but there are others.
Lifestyle brand
A lifestyle brand is a brand that attempts to embody the values and aspirations of a group or culture for purposes of marketing.Each individual has an identity based on their choices, experiences, and background...
created in 2005 by Italian artist Simone Legno
Simone Legno
Simone Legno is an Italian artist best known for the creation of the tokidoki brand. Legno's designs are influenced by his interest Japan and its culture.-Career:...
and his business partners Pooneh Mohajer and Ivan Arnold.
tokidoki produces apparel, footwear, accessories and other products using art, iconic characters and the tokidoki logo designed by Simone Legno, including purses, t-shirts, vinyl figures, jewelry, and small toys.
Tokidoki has collaborated with several industries such as Levi’s, Skull Candy, New Era, Mikasa, Fujitsu
Fujitsu
is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
, Be@rbrick
Be@rbrick
Bearbrick is a collectible toy designed and produced by the Japanese company MediCom Toy Incorporated. The name is derived from the fact that the figure is a cartoon-style representation of a bear, and that it is a variation of MediCom's Kubrick design...
, RIDE Snowboards, ASICS Onitsuka Tiger
ASICS
ASICS is a Japanese athletic equipment company. ASICS produces professional footwear and sports equipment designed for football, running, netball, tennis, badminton, squash, martial arts, cricket, golf, wrestling, track & field, cross-training, volleyball, cheerleading, lacrosse, and for many other...
, Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
, Smashbox, Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
and LeSportsac
LeSportsac
LeSportsac Inc. is an American handbag, luggage, and accessories company. It is currently owned by Itochu Corp.-Company:LeSportsac, Inc. started in 1974, by Melvin and Sandy Schifter as an accessories company that introduced a collection of fold-in-a-pouch ripstop parachute nylon bags and luggage....
.
History
In April 2005, the co-founder of American cosmetics company Hard CandyHard Candy (cosmetics)
Hard Candy is an American cosmetics company, founded in 1995 by Iranian American sisters and Benjamin A. Einstein. Dineh Mohajer and ex-boyfriend Ben Einstein & several successful sport media comp., Pooneh Mohajer...
, Pooneh Mohajer, and her husband Ivan Arnold, discovered Simone Legno's personal portfolio website, which had some popularity, being listed as one of the The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
's top ten "websites of the week". They subsequently arranged to meet him, and Simone joined them in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to form the tokidoki business venture. Simone has become a recent fixture at the San Diego Comic Con and makes appearances at various locations worldwide for signings and promotions. Simone has also made a guest appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is a reality television series providing home renovations for less fortunate families and community schools etc...
.
Timeline
2005- Launched the tokidoki for LeSportsacLeSportsacLeSportsac Inc. is an American handbag, luggage, and accessories company. It is currently owned by Itochu Corp.-Company:LeSportsac, Inc. started in 1974, by Melvin and Sandy Schifter as an accessories company that introduced a collection of fold-in-a-pouch ripstop parachute nylon bags and luggage....
line of handbags in December
2006
- The tokidoki timing line of watches launched along with tokidoki iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
covers created in conjunction with iSkinISkiniSkin is a company based in Toronto, Ontario mostly known for its iPod cases, which it first released in 2002. iSkin has since produced a variety of other accessories such as headphones, Macintosh keyboard guards, and Sony PSP cases....
.
2007
- A tokidoki journal and stationery set was introduced, produced by Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
. - Spring, collaborations with Italy's Fornarina shoes to produce sneakers and pumps.
- Spring, collaborations with Smashbox cosmetics to release a limited make-up line.
- tokidoki opens its first retail store in Milan, Italy in September on Corso Di Porta Ticinese
2008
- tokidoki x Hello KittyHello Kittyis a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
- tokidoki x MimobotMimobotMIMOBOT flash drives are a line of collectible designer toy USB flash drives launched in 2005 by Mimoco, Inc., headed by Evan Blaustein. Designed by contemporary character artists, preloaded with original media content like music, video, animations, or games, and produced in limited runs of usually...
- Summer, collaborations with Onitsuka Tiger
- tokidoki x FujitsuFujitsuis a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....
- tokidoki x Skull Candy
- tokidoki x Tmobile
- tokidoki x Levi's
- tokidoki opens its second retail store in New York, New York in March on Spring Street
2009
- tokidoki does a 3 month promotion with Yogurtland
- tokidoki opens its third retail store in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in December on Melrose AvenueMelrose AvenueMelrose Avenue is an internationally renowned shopping, dining and entertainment destination in Los Angeles that starts from Santa Monica Boulevard at the border between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and ends at Lucille Avenue in Silver Lake...
2010
- tokidoki launches a line of cosmetics exclusively at SephoraSephoraSephora is a chain of cosmetics stores founded in France in 1970 and acquired by Paris-based conglomerate LVMH in 1997. The Sephora chain includes more than 750 stores in 17 countries...
- tokidoki opens a shop in Taipei, Taiwan
- tokidoki opens its fourth retail store in Santa Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica, CaliforniaSanta Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
in December - tokidoki x The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
- tokidoki x Karl LagerfeldKarl LagerfeldKarl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
- tokidoki x MarvelMarvel-In business:*Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company**Marvel Animation, an animation production company**Marvel Comics, a comic book publisher**Marvel Productions, a television and film studio subsidiary...
- tokidoki x Street FighterStreet Fighter, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
2011
- tokidoki releases a tattooed Barbie Doll
- tokidoki x Singapore PostSingapore PostSingapore Post Limited or commonly known as is Singapore's designated Public Postal Licensee which provides domestic and international postal services. It also provides logistics services in the domestic market and global delivery services...
tokidoki for LeSportsac
Since launching, tokidoki has created the tokidoki for LeSportsacLeSportsac
LeSportsac Inc. is an American handbag, luggage, and accessories company. It is currently owned by Itochu Corp.-Company:LeSportsac, Inc. started in 1974, by Melvin and Sandy Schifter as an accessories company that introduced a collection of fold-in-a-pouch ripstop parachute nylon bags and luggage....
line of handbags in collaboration with LeSportsac (each bag comes with a Qee
QEE
Qee are a collection of designer toys created by Hong Kong-based company Toy2R, which was founded by Raymond Choy in 1995.Qee figures vary in their design. The original Qee has a body that resembles an extremely simplified human form, somewhat similar in appearance to Playmobil or LEGO figures,...
; a toy collaboration for Toy2R
Toy2R
Toy2R is a designer toy company based in Hong Kong that was founded by Raymond Choy in 1995.-History:Choy spent 10 years as an employee of an American footwear company. During his tenure there, he developed skills in general business operation, especially quality control...
, inside carabiner on stretch cord and a ball chain).
The first print was introduced in Spring 2006, originally named Tokidoki, but deemed by fans as '"The Original Print", which includes Sandy and her Cactus Friends, along with the Moofia minions.
Since then, many other characters have been released and featured on LeSportsac
LeSportsac
LeSportsac Inc. is an American handbag, luggage, and accessories company. It is currently owned by Itochu Corp.-Company:LeSportsac, Inc. started in 1974, by Melvin and Sandy Schifter as an accessories company that introduced a collection of fold-in-a-pouch ripstop parachute nylon bags and luggage....
bags, and the prints have also expanded to other merchandise such as jewelry.
The tokidoki for LeSportsac line of handbags have rare prints, increasiing value and escalating prices. This has led to the production of many illegal counterfeit copies.
Toys
There are also a number of tokidoki vinyl toysDesigner toys
Designer toys is a term used to describe toys and other collectibles that are produced in limited editions and created by artists and designers. Designer toys are made of variety of materials; ABS plastic and vinyl are most common, although wood, metal, and resin are occasionally used. The term...
. These include the 10" Trexi Yukuun and the 3" Trexi that came with it, Yuki-Za and the tokidoki series 3 Dunny. There was a collaboration with Devilrobots for the 3" Trexi Plus series. The Cactus Friends and Moofia line of designer toys with Strangeco has been highly successful. Simone also designed an 8" Qee Bear named Sahara with Toy2R
Toy2R
Toy2R is a designer toy company based in Hong Kong that was founded by Raymond Choy in 1995.-History:Choy spent 10 years as an employee of an American footwear company. During his tenure there, he developed skills in general business operation, especially quality control...
, available in several different exclusive colors (yellow, red, black and white). The original (yellow) Sahara Qee included a 2.5" version of Simone himself. There is also a collection of seven Cactus Pups that was released in 2007. These pups are the babies of Bastardino and Polpettina - each pup comes blind boxed with a little accessory, including a monkey, hot dog, soccer ball, skeleton head and a tiny grim reaper.
There have been two tokidoki Circus Punks. The Moofia is a line of 11 vinyl toys. The Moofia are milk box-themed toys, and consist of the following characters: Soya, Leche, Latte, Low fat Milk, Mou Mou Milk Bottle, Baby Milk Bottle, Choco, and Japanese Milk. There are three new Moofia that were released in 2008: Riso, Creamina, and Fragolina. In July 2008, two tokidoki plush dolls were released - SANDy and Mozzarella. In Fall of 2008, tokidoki released Mozzarella's boyfriend named Bulleto. During SDCC 2008, a grey-scale version of Bulleto was released in limited edition.
tokidoki, in collaboration with Toy Tokyo, premiered a limited edition soccer-themed tokidoki Be@rbrick at the New York Comic Con. Simone was pleased with the collaboration and subsequently created a limited edition Toy Tokyo geisha vinyl as well as another Toy Tokyo exclusive Be@rbrick (LA Robber) that was released at NYCC 2009.
Clothing and Accessories
There is a line of tokidoki clothing available which includes t-shirts, hoodies and jackets for men, women and children. There is also a line of jewelry, watches, and belt buckles. New EraNew Era Cap Company
The New Era Cap Company , located in Buffalo, New York, is a headwear manufacturer. It was founded in 1920 by German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch...
produces tokidoki hats. Tokidoki has also collaborated with RIDE Snowboards to design a snowboard collection. RIDE produced snowboarding pants
Snowboarding Pants
Snowboarding pants are outdoor clothing specially customized to meet the needs of snowboarders.These specialized garments for the lower body are used by snowboarders practically for comfort and safety reasons...
, a jacket, bindings, boots and a snowboard.
Cosmetics
Tokidoki collaborated with Sephora and launched a new line of cosmetics in 2010. In the beginning, Sephora sold makeups that included eyeliners, eye shadows, lip gloss, and concealer. Later on, Sephora expanded its production and started to sell makeup accessories. Accessories included hair clips, hair brush, straightener, mirror, and eye brush.Characters
Many of the tokidoki characters have appeared as Strange co. vinyl toys. http://www.strangeco.com/- The Cactus Friends include Sandy, Sabochan, Bastardino, Polpettina, Bruttino, Carina, and the Cactus Pups Series
- The Moofia include Mozzarella, Bulleto, Leche, Latte, Latte Strawberry, Mou Mou, Soy, Choco, Miruku, Bibekun, Low milk,Rice Milk and the Bulletos
- Adios & Ciao Ciao are the Grim Reaper and his girlfriend
- Skeletrino & Skeletrina
- Bruttino & Carina are part of the cactus friends series. Carina is a gray kitty with a white cactus and yellow, blue, and pink spikes. Bruttino is a tan kitty with an aqua blue cactus and dark blue spikes.
- Captain Coco, Cocotrina and Grenadina Captian Coco is a monkey who formed Cocommando to patrol the jungle. Cocotrina & Grenadina are the 2 friends Captian Coco teamed up with.
These are the main sets, but there are others.