Gallerie II will be visiting Zombinaland during winter markets next year, welcoming in a new collaboration between the brand and artist Tracy Scheff.
Scheff, the artist behind Zombinaland, began the new line of whimsical pillow figures by designing, sewing and painting all the original character before Gallerie II’s artisans replicated those creations, keeping with the “hand-crafted and painted artistry key to to the line,” per a release.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Tracy,” said Laura Pagley, vice president of product development for Gallerie II. “We love the Zombinaland characters and the story behind how it all started. Tracy is such a creative spirit; seeing her ideas come to life has been so much fun. We are excited that Zombinaland has found a home with Gallerie II.
Scheff, a Los Angeles native with what Gallerie II described as a “vivid imagination,” grew up with artists and retailers. Her parents, Linda and Ralph Yarro, were both accomplished artists in their time and Linda was a boutique owner and co-owner of a decorating company. Scheff said her mother “infused her love for handmade 1960s items” into her upbringing, but that her love for crafting by hand really began with her grandmother, Ruth, who taught her to sew.
As a mother of four, Scheff has channeled much of her creative talents into planning extravagant birthdays and holiday celebrations. Her favorite holiday, Halloween, inspired the creation of Zombinaland. When her son asked her to make a moon-themed pillow for her, she took the idea and ran, inspiring and naming her then Halloween-inspired pillow collection after “Zombina,” a more than two-decade old zombie movie prop that Scheff had been using as Halloween décor.
“My creative aim when designing each pillow is to capture the holiday spirit,” explained Scheff, whose Zombinaland line now includes a number of holidays outside of Halloween. “With the amazing team at Gallerie II I can finally share Zombinaland with all the holiday lovers around the globe.”
To bring this collaboration to life, Gallerie II worked with Zombinaland to build out the brand for a retail audience, establishing a look, voice and packaging reflective of the products themselves. Scheff came to the Gallerie II team with sketches and inspriration, and the company’s marketing team was able to use those as it worked alongside Scheff to create a logo and packaging reflective of the brand’s vintage, Hollywood-inspired look that stayed true to both Zombinaland and Zombina.
“It was important for us to infuse Tracy’s inspiration and personality into the branding,” said Colleen Hall, vice president of marketing for Gallerie II. “We started with a sketch Tracy had created that was quite literally the name “Zombinaland” hand painted in Tracy’s “soul colors.” From there, we incorporated old Hollywood and the eyes for which the pillow characters are famous.”
Gallerie II’s Zombinaland packaging will include the Zombinaland story and the names of each character on its hangtags. The brand’s initial launch with Gallerie II this January will include Christmas, Halloween and harvest themed characters, with future seasons set to include spring holidays as well.
Visit Gallerie II’s showrooms this winter in Las Vegas, Atlanta and/or Dallas to see Zombinaland in-person or see the line’s preview online now. Gallerie II will also be hosting a “Welcome to Zombinaland Party” in its Atlanta Market showroom from 3-6 p.m. on Jan. 18.
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