Update: KAWS is bringing back his insanely popular BFF plush toy, which crashed the The Modern’s webstore when it was first offered in October 2016. The toy will go live at 12:00 EST on February 9, 2017. The price is $200. Visit kawsone.com for more details.
Read the original story below.
As part of Brooklyn artist KAWS aka Brian Donnelly’s “Where the End Starts” retrospective at The Modern in Fort Worth, Texas, the museum let it be known there would be items sold in conjunction with the event, though it wasn’t clear what the merchandise would be.
Days before the opening on October 20th, Pharrell more or less ignited a fuse when he posted an image of himself holding a black BFF plush toy, which the museum reposted. KAWS first revealed the BFF sculpture in June at an exhibit in Bancock, and also created a run of 1,000 blue BFF plush toys in conjunction with the new character.
The museum also posted an image of six vinyl Companions, which it said would be sold at the museum shop and online the day of the opening, all of which was enough to create a line on the day of the opening not unlike one for a Supreme x Nike SB release.
Current line for merch @themodernfw for #KAWS opening of #WhereTheEndStarts exhibit. #hypebeast #KawsBFF #themodernfw pic.twitter.com/HhnTGYEXoY
— Gary (@masterwilliams) October 20, 2016
According to a member of Reddit, the The Modern shop crashed from volume a few minutes before the countdown even finished, and as of now, the store is still shut with a message that reads: “Due to extraordinary demand, available inventory is being validated. If any KAWS Companions are available after inventory validation, we will allow for orders to be placed on the website. Thank you for your patience.” Bloop!
Currently, there are multiple BFF toys being sold on Ebay, along with a tote that was also sold at the event. Prices for the BFF range from $700-$1500.
Knowing how KAWS operates, the likelihood of a restock is slim to none, however, when the show wraps up in Ft. Worth on January 22, 2017, it will travel to the Yuz Museum in Shanghai, China, where it will open in March so perhaps a BFF in a new color will be offered at that time.
