KAWS’ Companion Will Make an Appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

Perhaps the biggest showcase of imaginative characters brought to fruition from the minds of artists, illustrators and creative luminaries, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is undoubtedly a cultural benchmark. Today marks news that KAWS’ Companion character will float high above New York City – joining only Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Tom Otterness and Tim Burton as living artists who have had the honor bestowed upon them. This marks yet another creative milestone for KAWS who in the past has designed an album cover for Kanye West, detailed a Porsche for Pharrell Williams and contributed designs for the likes of COMME des GARCONS and Marc Jacobs. Parade executives approached KAWS a couple of years ago, and the 40-foot-long balloon, made from urethane-coated nylon, has been in process ever since. While the models were first cast and the paint was first mixed in New Jersey, the actual balloon was manufactured in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with the help of a 3-D scanning program and a special machine that seals urethane panels