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 Frogs
and cats and puppy dog tails… That’s
what Phebe Phillips’ collection is made
of. Not to mention bears, mice, elephants and
bunnies. For those who haven’t heard of
Phebe Phillips, we aren’t talking about
live animals but the take-home kind with fancy
outfits, jewelry and all the whimsy of a storybook
tale. Children and parents have been collecting
and enjoying these adorable plush toys for nearly
half a century. And, yes. As the tag on all of
her creations proclaims, there really is a Phebe.
The designer grew up in Gilmer, Texas, just 115
miles east of Dallas. As an only child, Phebe
was lavished with love, attention and a special
stuffed rabbit. It was given to her at age 4 on
Easter Sunday, and she ever-so-aptly named him
“Bunny,” after her favorite character
on the television show “Captain Kangaroo.”
To this day Bunny sits in Phebe’s office
to serve as a reminder of what was and what was
to come.
She attended Southern Methodist University and
graduated in 1981 with a degree in film and journalism.
After a short stint with the NBC affiliate in
Dallas, she decided the doldrums of hard-news
reporting were not for her. It was at this time
that Phebe conjured up the idea to design her
own stuffed animals. Her line includes beautifully
created and embellished characters with personality
and great attention to detail. But she does admit
to having a favorite. “All of my characters
are designed with a human form for the intent
of lending a subconscious attraction to become
a child’s best friend. For me, ‘Dancing
Rabbit Tutulina Rose’ is quintessential
Phebe. She is an elegant toy that is well-finished.
She is large enough to be a grand room piece and
still fully playable,” she said. The larger
Phebe Phillips plush toys have elastic straps
on the bottom of their feet so that children can
slip their own feet underneath and actually dance
with the animals.
Another trait that makes each Phebe Phillips’
toy so unique is the little pad on the right foot.
For the first three years, her characters had
faux fur on the bottom of both feet. Customers
suggested to Phebe that she should sign her toys.
One day, while walking out of a movie theater,
she noticed a leather store. Since her business
was still in its infant stage, she could only
afford to put leather on one foot, so she chose
the right foot and a trademark was born!
 Today,
business is beyond booming; and that single leather
foot has become a special trademark and serves
as an ideal spot for personalizing gifts with
a special autograph from the designer. But, of
course, Phebe has since switched to faux leather
out of respect for her real animal friends.
If she could, Phebe would make sure every child
owned one of her toys. But until then, she has
a separate line for the mass market called “Tweakie
P.” Currently, available at Michael’s
Craft Stores nationwide and in Canada, this more
accessible line of characters and accessories
cultivates creativity by allowing kids to add
their own flair with bow ties, high heels and
jewelry. The name is derived from the idea of
taking a Phebe Phillips creation and “tweaking”
it into something new. Also new at Michael’s
is ‘Dress Up’ by Phebe Phillips…sized
for girls age three and up, it is a collection
of ballet tutus, halos and fairy wands!
Phebe Phillips certainly knows plush toys, but
it seems everyone in Hollywood knows Phebe Phillips.
Recently, Salvatore Ferragamo’s newborn
twins were the recipients of her “Petite
Couture Poodle” and “Prince Froglett.”
Carl Lewis purchased the “Dancing Dandy
Dakota Dog” and “Dancing Tutulina
Rose Rabbit.” Sharon Stone also received
“Dancing Dandy Dog Dakota” for her
new son. And, makeup mogul Laura Mercier purchased
a large plush piece for Madonna when her daughter
Lourdes was born. Britney Spears received one
to celebrate the birth of Spears’ son, Sean
Preston. So, where else would you find the crème
de la crème of plush toys but Neiman Marcus,
which has carried the Phebe Phillips line since
1983.
Beyond Hollywood A-listers and Olympic greats,
Phebe has just as many friends on Capitol Hill.
Each year, the White House hosts an Easter Egg
Roll for the children of Washington, D.C., and
the White House staff. Little ones gather to hunt
for eggs on the South Lawn and listen to stories
read by their favorite authors. Phebe sends a
few hundred of her rabbits to the White House
every year to serve as decoration and gifts for
the event and its attendees. “It’s
an honor to make a product that transcends party
lines and socio-economic lines. I feel a bit of
reverence to be a part of Neiman Marcus for 22
years and the White House for eight years,”
said Phebe.
“For me, that’s history.”
Speaking of favorite authors, Phebe dabbles in
the literary world as well. Her first book, set
to be released this August, will be based on her
“Tweakie P.” collection and available
at Michael’s. The second, set to be released
at the end of the year, will be based on one of
the cats from her original Phebe Phillips collection.
Then, it’s on to designing children’s
furniture styled in the same capricious fashion
of her plush toys and set to debut sometime before
the end of the year. “I remember everything
about my childhood bedroom, and to now have the
opportunity to mix my whimsical animals into room
design is going to be great fun for me to create
and hopefully for a child to grow up in,”
said Phebe.
 When
you meet Phebe Phillips, it’s easy to see
that she’s just as fun-loving as the characters
she creates. Her unique sense of style and passion
for being imaginative began at an early age. “When
you show up for the first day of first grade with
red cat-eye glasses and a fuchsia dress with white
polka dots, you’re set up for a certain
kind of life,” says Phebe.
She still wears one-of-a-kind glasses, which
have become another signature in themselves, and
her love for animals is apparent at home, too.
Phebe Phillips resides in Dallas with her husband,
Mac Hargrove, two cats named Tibby and Tinker,
and a silver standard poodle named Henry. She
travels frequently, making
appearances at all Neiman Marcus stores and
special boutiques throughout the country to autograph
her toys for children and the young at heart.
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