Tous celebrates 100th anniversary with documentary and artistic project

Spanish jewellery brand is marking its 100th anniversary with a series of high-profile activities, including the release of a documentary and an artistic project.

The ‘Oso’ documentary made its debut at the San Sebastián International Film Festival on 25 September. It details the brand’s history from when Salvador Tous’ father began working as a watchmaker’s apprentice, to the present.

The feature film was produced by Globomedia (The Mediapro Studio) for UM Studios. According to Tous, it allows its viewer to see the brand from a totally different point of view.

Oso Director Amanda Sans Pantling said: “Making Oso has been a fascinating journey through the history of what can already be considered a pop icon. And the great privilege has been to be able to do it hand in hand with its own protagonists, the Tous family, whose fresh, sincere and direct story is the soul of the film.”

Oso highlights the brand’s accomplishments, controversies and its visionary nature through the milestones that have marked the company’s success. The film, which is narrated by members of the Tous family, also explores four successive generations and the brand’s international outreach.

“For the first time, we go behind the scenes at Tous… we, and the more than 4,000 people who work for the brand, are proud to be represented in a such a special, very personal project”– Tous Corporate Vice President Rosa Tous 

It features over 20 testimonials from individuals who have a special connection to the family or the company, and representatives from the worlds of art, design, media and fashion.

Tous Corporate Vice President Rosa Tous commented: “We’re very excited about this project. It’s a tribute to our mother and the company she created together with our father. For the first time, we go behind the scenes at Tous… we, and the more than 4,000 people who work for the brand, are proud to be represented in a such a special, very personal project.”

Tous has commissioned young artists from graphic design, illustration, painting and animation to reinterpret its iconic bear through the prism of their personal creative styles in its artistic project.

The brand commissioned ten artists from Spain, Mexico, USA, Portugal and Russia: Brosmind, Studio Posti, Martin Satí, Laprisamata, Aheneah, Violeta Hernandez, Melissa Ely Ely, I am ira, Emily Lopez and Craig&Karl.

Tous also collaborated with three international schools of Art, Design and Creation on the same project: London College of Fashion (London), Elisava (Barcelona) e Istituto Europeo di Design (Madrid).

According to Tous, all three have student bodies that are characterised by being very international.

A maximum of 30 projects have been selected from each school. The most outstanding one from each of them will be awarded with an academic scholarship and an invitation to Design Weekend: an experiential three-day trip to a European city where they can be around spaces and activities related to the design. The judges have also selected an absolute winner among the three schools, who will be awarded a scholarship at Tous.

Each of the ten pieces made by the artists will be exhibited in Tous stores in Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Russia and the US. All of the artwork will be published on the Tous website and on social media.

Tous Artistic Director Marta Tous said: “The idea of reinterpreting our iconic bear with the participation of young international designers allows us to creatively transmit and reinforce the values of the brand (tender, fun and young spirited) in this year of celebration for Tous.

“To do so, we have had artists from different disciplines that have made this project into something very special, the result of which we are excited to share with all our customers”.

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