The Fantastical World of Zebedee Helm
Plenty has changed — around the world, here in London, and inside 181 Piccadilly — since we first opened the doors to our flagship store back in 1707.
And in that same spirit of happy progress, we’re currently doing a little renovation right in the heart of Fortnum's: but rather than shying away from that fact, we've turned to our good friend — the award-winning artist, cartoonist and all-around good egg, Zebedee Helm — to turn our home improvement project into an art exhibition full of his signature sense of humour.
On display now across our Ground, First and Second Floors at Piccadilly, we caught up with Zebedee for a quick chat about the inspirations behind his new work for Fortnum's.
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“Fortnum’s has been in my DNA since childhood, so when I was asked to do this there were sort of mixed emotions of excitement, elation and huge responsibility.
"I'm very sensitive to atmosphere, and very appreciative of the atmosphere that Fortnum's strikes (and it was that) amazingly romantic allure which I wanted to do justice to, in the mural.
"I wanted to create something that people wanted to come back to time and time again, where each time they saw it, they would discover something new just around the corner...rather like the shop itself.
“With the Snakes and Ladders design on the First Floor, I was referencing the rising and falling elements of the concealed stairs, the ladders also hinting at the hard work going on behind the hoardings.
"The Snakes and Ladders board that I grew up with contained an abundance of Edwardian moralising tales which would punish questionable behaviour with a slithery descent down a serpent and do-gooding, with a leg up from a helpful ladder. With my design here I’ve enjoyed weaving a Fortnum’s twist into every scenario.
"So for example: the woman running the London Marathon dressed as a fridge freezer, that's her brother giving her a Scotch Egg — so he would be someone who definitely goes up a ladder!"
“In the days before my highly-anticipated childhood trips to Fortnum's, the grown-ups would talk about the outing ahead in hushed tones, so in the Fantastical Map on the Ground Floor, I wanted to capture some of the feeling I had when the day would finally come, and we would finally burst through the doorway into this world of incredible delectables.
"And with the Fantastical Garden on the Second Floor, I wanted to create something that was visually very enticing, with the flowers growing like they're in a kitchen garden, and the Fortnum's staff there as busy little worker bees, going up the plants and harvesting the nectar to make scent and bubble bath.
"It's meant to feel as if the Fantastical Map on the Ground Floor has extended into an apothecary garden upstairs, where all Second Floor's many lotions, potions and scented goodies are created."
...and the joy continues in our windows!
Continuing the joyful spirit of Zebedee's beautiful work inside the building, the talented team behind the window displays at our flagship store — led by Fortnum's Head of Visual Presentation, Sallie Smith — have put a playful twist on the work going on inside our building, by reimagining a host of Fortnum's icons as hard-working helpers, from builder teas to hi-vis waiters with glasses of bubbles in tow. Take a closer look at our windows below.
Inspiration
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