For a dog whose everyday wardrobe consists of little more than a simple red collar, Snoopy has developed a surprisingly impressive and illustrious fashion résumé over the decades. Long before modern streetwear collaborations and high-concept capsule collections became the norm for pop-culture icons, the beloved Peanuts beagle was already catching the eyes of the world’s most prestigious couturiers. Over the years, legendary design houses including Chanel, Hermès, Dior, Armani, and Givenchy have taken a turn dressing the character, with many of those historic creations famously appearing in a landmark 1990 exhibition at the Louvre in Paris. Now, decades later, a brand-new generation of visionary designers is getting its turn to reinterpret the world’s most famous canine silhouette.
Opening in Manhattan’s vibrant Meatpacking District, Snoopy in Style NYC brings together archival fashion pieces, fresh designer commissions, and immersive installations that explore the profound and enduring influence of the Peanuts character across fashion, sports, music, and broader popular culture. Spanning an expansive 16,000 square feet at 25 Little West 12th Street, the exhibition follows in the footsteps of earlier international presentations—most notably the historic showing in Paris—while dramatically expanding the concept for New York audiences. Divided into 10 immersive zones curated by The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, the exhibition offers visitors a deep dive into the intersection of comic strip history and contemporary design.
Fashion remains firmly at the center of the exhibition experience. A new wave of contemporary talents, including BODE, Christopher John Rogers, Coach, Collina Strada, GAPStudio designed by Zac Posen, Kith, Levi’s, LUAR, Sandy Liang, and STAPLE, have stepped up to create bespoke, custom looks for both Snoopy and his loyal feathered companion, Woodstock.
According to Melissa Menta, senior vice president of global brand and communications at Peanuts, the participating creators were given complete creative freedom in their interpretations. "They all have a way of interpreting looks for him that display some semblance of their own taste, but give Snoopy the personality and style he deserves," Menta explains, highlighting the unique collaborative spirit that allowed each fashion house to imprint its distinct aesthetic onto the character.
By placing these newly commissioned pieces directly alongside historical archival works, Snoopy in Style NYC establishes a living timeline of fashion history. It vividly illustrates how entirely different generations of designers have approached, deconstructed, and reimagined the exact same deceptively simple character across varying cultural eras.
"Snoopy is the only character who can claim a decades-long relationship with designers dating back to the early ’80s," Menta notes. "It’s been incredible to see designers embrace designing for Snoopy and see how they make him ‘their own’ with their designs."
That remarkable adaptability may very well stem from the genius of Snoopy’s original design. When Charles M. Schulz first introduced the character to the world in the comic strip back in 1950, he gave him relatively few visual ingredients to work with: a stark white body, iconic black ears and nose, and an exceptionally economical hand-drawn line. Yet, what Snoopy has always lacked in complex visual ornamentation, he has more than made up for in sheer, boundless personality.
"What I think is really at the heart of it for designers is the simple art and beauty of Charles Schulz’s line," Menta explains, reflecting on why the character continues to captivate the creative industry. "That, coupled with the multifaceted personality of Snoopy, makes it easy for designers to want to make their own mark."
Beyond the core haute couture and contemporary fashion displays, the exhibition reaches out into other cultural touchstones deeply tied to the comic strip’s legacy. A dedicated tennis installation explores Charles Schulz’s lifelong personal relationship with the sport, highlighting his genuine friendship with tennis icon Billie Jean King as well as his steadfast advocacy for Title IX and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Another major highlight, Joe Cool’s Listening Lounge, shifts the focus to music and popular culture by celebrating the timeless jazz compositions of Vince Guaraldi. This area features an interactive DJ booth, rare vintage vinyl albums, archival materials, and exclusive music-inspired merchandise that pays homage to the unforgettable television specials. Furthermore, the New York edition of the exhibition pays special tribute to the comic strip’s historical ties to the city itself, including the notable fact that the newspaper syndicate which originally debuted Peanuts to the public was headquartered there.
For a character first penned more than seven decades ago, Snoopy has proved to be unusually capable of fluidly moving between mediums, artistic disciplines, and passing generations without ever requiring a drastic reinvention of his core identity. While his costumes continually change, along with the contemporary designers dressing him and the shifting cultural landscapes surrounding him, that spare, iconic silhouette remains instantly recognizable to people of all ages.
Snoopy in Style NYC is on view at 25 Little West 12th Street in New York City through September 26.
