Introduction
Welcome to the story of the most inspiring, unique plushies in the world… Smiles & Friends!
At the heart of Smiles & Friends lies a mission to inspire positive emotions and creativity through high quality, fine-art inspired luxury plushies for kids and grown ups alike.
Come with us on a behind the scenes adventure to discover how Smiles & Friends came to be and find out how you can join us in our dedication to making the world a more joyful place!
The Inspiration Behind Smiles & Friends
The journey of Smiles & Friends started with oil painter Brent Estabrook’s vision of creating unique high end plushies inspired by his stuffed animal paintings.
Like the Smiles & Friends plushies, Brent’s has a unique perspective when it comes to making art! He follows his Creativity without question and his art is shaped by a a passion for positivity, curiosity, wonder, and joy.
Brent’s artistic vision sparked the creation of the very first Smiles—a bronze sculpture that became his personal symbol and the inspiration for our plushie line.
Looking at the World with a New Perspective: The Birth of Smiles
While creating the sculpture, Brent realized he had an opportunity to do what his fans and collectors expected by making a cute teddy bear, or he could do something totally different…
Brent chose to embrace that idea of being different and surprised everyone by flipping the teddy bear’s face upside down!
The unexpected result was a huge success and sparked the creation of an entirely new style for Brent’s oil paintings which he is still exploring with his cRaZy stuFFed aniMAL series.
“Different is Good”: the world’s first fine art-inspired plushie is born!
From sculpture to painting to plushie, the creation of Smiles & Friends’ first plushie, Smiles, was a journey as meticulous and hands-on as Brent’s approach to his famous paintings!
Brent’s dedication to every detail—from color matching to fabric sampling—ensured the Smiles plushie was as true to the beloved oil paintings in every way possible…
Smiles’s design features:
- a 12-degree tilt of the teddy bear’s face,
- a pyramid shape between the face and floppy feet
- the perfect amount of stuffing and a weighted bum for cuddly hugs and perfect perching
- and of course Brent’s signature colors, Plushie Pink and Mint Green!
Every Smiles & Friends plushie will represent a unique and positive message and Smiles’s message of “Different is Good” encourages plushie lovers around the world to embrace what makes each of you unique!
In a world that often pushes us to conform, we created Smiles, with its quirky design and cheerful colors, to encourage you to see beauty in diversity and strength in individuality.
Each hug from Smiles is a gentle nudge to be proud of who you are and to celebrate the things that make you unique. When you embrace what makes you special, your Creativity has no limits!
Building a Vibrant Community
Smiles & Friends is more than just plushie lovers; it’s a community of quirky art lovers who cherish creativity and positivity and of course, plushies!
We started by connecting with Brent’s art enthusiasts who embraced these luxury plushies for their meaningful messages and art-inspired beginnings.
Then we launched Smiles at our LA pop up The Smiles Plushie Pop Up at Westfield Century City in July 2024 and got to meet thousands of new Friends. Smiles wasn’t just a plushie with a message anymore, it was a whole movement!!!
We’ll definitely do another pop up again but in the meantime, the best way to be a part of our creative and positive community is to join our email list and follow us on TikTok or Instagram!
Positivity in Action: Social Responsibility, Collaborations, and Partnerships
Our commitment to spreading joy extends beyond our plushies!
The factories where our plushies are produced are held to the highest social and environmental standards and our plushies are as safe as they come. You can read our full transparency here.
We’re also proud to partner with organizations like Inner-City Arts in LA.
We stand by our belief in the transformative power of creativity and 5% of every plushie sale goes straight to this nonprofit, making you a partner in our mission!
These commitments help us make a positive impact on the supply chain and supporting communities by nurturing young artists with a shared passion for artistic expression.
Growing the Smiles Family: The Future of Smiles & Friends
We’re so excited to bring more unique and meaningful plushies into the world!!!
New plushies that come from Brent’s cRaZy stuFFed aniMAL series will be released every year…
We are also looking forward to future collaborations with brands whose mission aligns with ours of positivity and creativity!
Are you a brand or influencer whose mission aligns with ours? Reach out and let us know so we can talk future collabs!
We hope our journey inspires you to embrace what makes you different and find joy in the unexpected details of life! Stay connected with Smiles & Friends by subscribing to our email list and following us on Instagram.
