​HARRODS TO HOST ELEPHANT PARADE®

The Elephant Parade elephants are preparing to grace world-renowned luxury department store Harrods with its first Elephant Parade ‘pop-up’ shop. The tenancy will initially be from the 5^th to 23^rd October 2015, with an extended invitation to stay until January 2016. Elephant Parade is an international public art phenomenon, raising awareness and financial support for elephant conservation.

By hosting the Elephant Parade shop, Harrods in its Toy Kingdom will help raise awareness of the plight of Asian elephants. The shop will include exclusive hand painted elephant replica designs from Elephant Parade events around the world, including some of the most popular designs from Elephant Parade’s two previous UK expositions – the London Elephant Parade of 2010 and the 14-stop UK national tour from 2013-14. For those who feel inspired to paint their own elephant, Elephant Parade’s Art Boxes will be available too. The ‘pop-up’ shop will include appearances from special 5ft guests Miliana-phant and Ferrari-phant – the only one in the world and also signed by the Ferrari team -both having featured in Elephant Parade Milan 2011.

The Elephant Parade’s next tour is taking place in Bangkok from December 1st, presented by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas. The exhibition is hosting a herd of eighty-eight 1.5 metre brightly coloured elephants - which have been decorated and hand painted by artists and celebrities. The elephants themselves are being shown throughout the city and will then be auctioned off, with the proceeds going to The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation.

Mike Spits, Founder and CEO of Elephant Parade commented: “With our milestone 10 year anniversary coming up, joining up with Harrods at this stage of the elephant journey seems a great and significant step in extending the Elephant Parade movement. Our developing relationship with Harrods reflects how wide the Elephant Parade message is being received and reflects the on-going efforts of our tours and exhibitions. The elephants themselves are unique pieces of art, and are loved by so many but also raise awareness for the need for elephant conservation; Harrods is an excellent partner for spreading the ethos of Elephant Parade. Our London event in 2010 still lives in many people’s memories and our 377-day UK tour from 2013 also started in London and allowed us to connect with a national audience. It’s an exciting time for Elephant Parade – returning to familiar places and starting new adventures."