Caitlin and Joe, the husband-and-wife duo behind Collectable Cities, design charming art toys inspired by iconic figures. Their playful, clay-like characters whimsically revitalize real-life personalities with colorful details and unique accessories.
The concept for Collectable Cities was inspired by the couple’s love of storytelling and their travel adventures. “My partner Joe and I love traveling, and became inspired by the way Asian countries have so much fun with characters,” Caitlin tells My Modern Met. “Their culture has really embraced the use of cute mascots for brands, destinations, products, etc., which seems to add a lot of color and personality to daily life.”
Caitlin and Joe both bring a wealth of creative industry experience to Collectable Cities. Joe specializes in captivating character design and animation, while Caitlin focuses on branding and graphic design. They decided to create something of their own, and began designing a selection of collectable, pocket-size city mascots.
The Collectable Cities series offers a diverse range, from pop culture icons like Sherlock Holmes to historical figures such as Elizabeth I. “We wanted to represent the interesting stories of historic characters in a sleek but nostalgic style, where locals or visitors could collect their favorites as a nice addition to their bookshelves or desks as a nice memento.”
Today, the Collectable Cities collection of characters continues to grow. Caitlin and Joe now offer a range of seven British characters, along with the new Frida Kahlo collection. Inspired by the Mexican painter, the set features two limited-edition Frida characters that can be posed to hold hands just like in the artist’s 1939 painting, The Two Fridas.
The Frida Kahlo Dreams figure features the artist’s iconic flower crown and a monkey, a frequent subject in her paintings. The Frida Kahlo Nightmares model, on the other hand, holds a paintbrush and a human heart, another recurring symbol in her art. Both the Dreams figure and the Nightmares model are available for purchase individually or as a set, each capturing a distinct side of the iconic artist.
Each art toy stands between 7.5 and 10.5 centimeters (approximately 2.9 and 3.1 inches) tall and comes packaged in a colorful, illustrated box. Some feature cute accessories, like Sherlock’s magnifying glass or the Queen’s corgi. First editions also include limited, hand-numbered collector’s cards. Plus, new art-inspired figures are currently in the prototype phase, including one depicting Pop Art legend Keith Haring and another modeled after contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama.
Caitlin and Joe also design and sell enamel pins, key rings, postcards, and prints of their adorable characters. Check out the art toys below and head to the Collectible Cities website for more.
The Collectable Cities art toys bring famous personalities to life, complete with colorful details and unique accessories.
Inspired by Frida Kahlo, this set features two limited-edition Frida characters that can be posed to hold hands just like in the artist’s 1939 painting, The Two Fridas.
The Collectable Cities series also offers a diverse range of British-inspired icons.
There’s one toy depicting Sherlock Holmes…
…and more modeled after British royalty.
There’s even a toy figure inspired by Shakespeare, complete with his Hamlet skull and quill pen.
Plus, new art-inspired figures are currently in the prototype phase, including one depicting Keith Haring.
And another modeled after the legendary Yayoi Kusama.
Discover how Caitlin and Joe, the husband-and-wife duo behind Collectable Cities, design and produce their art toys.
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My Modern Met granted permission to features photos by Collectable Cities.
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