FRAN + JONESY THE CAT - 2021 GOTY ENTRANTS
Product Description
Mr. Spoon the cat
Hand sewn and embroidered, each kitten is unique and has its own expression that always tries to reproduce the wonder and amazement you feel looking at a lighted Christmas tree.
Made of a beautiful tweed by Harris Tweed , famous not only for its beauty but also for its resistance.
Its resistance has been tested personally by Jonesy, our exuberant quality control manager cat.
Tell us about your business
Handmade gifts and toys for cats
What can you tell us about your entered products?
Spoon the cat is one of the products of this 2020 Christmas collection. We love him very much, perhaps because he widely represents the spirit of Fran + Jonesy the cat.
Spoon the cat is not just a "cat toy", we wanted to recreate the affection and warmth that a child feels for his stuffed friend and that he will carry with him for life.
Not a toy but someone special with whom to share imaginary adventures, moments of struggle and long naps. The design is inspired by the atmospheres created by the illustrator Brian Patterson and the book "The Secret Valley"
Why did you choose to enter Gift of the Year 2021 and has the competition helped boost your brand in the past?
This is the first time that I participate in the Gift of the Year. As it usually goes with the most beautiful things, it all happened by chance. I already knew the competition because it is very famous also here in Italy, but the first deeper contact took place at Top Drawer London on demand (the first edition of the Top Drawer in virtual version).
Has your business been affected by Covid-19?
Absolutely yes,
We have been through some really tough times which brought our business to close for more than 6 months. Today , however, conditions have improved, the production has slowed down due to the implementation of the necessary safety measures (such as the sanitation of the raw material when it arrives and of the products before the shipment).
Security remains today as always, the main focus that we all must have in order to soon get out of this nightmare.
What changes have you made as a result?
Not being able to ensure the health of our employees, we have chosen to close our online shop for almost 6 months.
This gave us the time and the opportunity to focus on the design of the new collection, to look for new partnerships, to strengthen our presence on social networks. Thanks to this long period of inactivity, we have also reflected on the future we want for our business and how could be our commitment to the environment.
So we decided to transform the processing waste into padding material and this choice alone has reduced the waste we produce by 70%. We have completely abolished the use of plastic and derivatives, starting from our products up to the packaging. Today we can say, with a pinch of pride, that we are making products which respect our environment.
What other products have you brought to market for 2020, can you share them here?
The other products that complete the 2020 collection of cat toys are: the sardines (our workhorse), the elegant country houses, the sarcastic-looking clouds and the brave lions.
All games are handcrafted in the finest of harris tweed wool tweeds
Where can your products be purchased? Fran + Jonesy cat toys can be purchased on our online shop www.franandjonesythecat.shop