While I was scrolling aimlessly through my Instagram’s Explore page one day, a fashionably plush teddy bear caught my eye. I stumbled upon JJ the Teddy Bear, who was wearing a paper re-creation of Drag Race All Stars winner Shea Couleé’s pink Viktor Luna gown. (The dress was inspired by Couleé’s mom’s prom dress.) An intricate drawing of the gown sat on top of JJ, like they were both paper dolls. Intrigued, I continued to scroll through JJ’s page and found that he has slipped into everything from Prada runway looks to red carpet outfits from celebrities such as Lil Nas X. JJ’s style game is clearly strong, but one question continued to linger as I double-tapped: Who is behind this trendy teddy?
After some determined DM’ing, the mysterious person responsible for the account was unveiled to be Sam Crosby, a multidisciplinary artist based in New Orleans. Crosby, who specializes in drawing and painting, began dressing JJ as a personal project about two years ago. “JJ is actually my boyfriend’s teddy bear,” says Crosby. “He’s had him since he was born. He’s a little worn now and has lost a lot of stuffing.” In 2018 Crosby came up with the idea to dress JJ while working on a holiday gift for his boyfriend. “Two years ago, for Christmas, we had a very strict budget of $10 or $15 to gift each other, so I made a calendar with 12 looks on JJ,” says the artist. “That was the first iteration of me dressing him up.” Some of the looks JJ modeled in that very first calendar drew inspiration from the spring 2019 collections, from a spooky Rick Owens look (for October) to a romantic Simone Rocha gown (for February).
Since that calendar project, Crosby has continued treating JJ as an ever-evolving fashion plate. A couple of months ago, he began an Instagram page fully devoted to JJ, in which he dresses up the teddy in striking outfits made out of paper. “Everything that’s on the bear is a paper outfit,” says Crosby. “I just use card stock and Crayola markers.” JJ has worn re-creations of looks by fashion icons such as Iris Apfel—bug-eye glasses to boot—and celebrities like Real Housewife Erika Jayne. Runway fashion also continues to be a huge inspiration for Crosby. “I only try to do a designer’s full look once, and I’d like to do some more emerging designers,” says the artist, adding that he’s currently eyeing brands such as Palomo Spain and Daniel W. Fletcher. (JJ wears both menswear and womenswear—he’s genderless in his approach to style.)
Dressing a bear entirely in paper, however, comes with its own set of challenges, says Crosby. For one, he has to constantly think about flattering the teddy’s body in a material that is, well, quite rigid. “Not everything looks good on JJ, unfortunately,” notes Crosby. “He’s short and wide—which is totally fine—but things have to be tailored in a way that might not be totally true to the original garment. He doesn’t like super-flow-y or drapey pieces. He likes a more structured silhouette.” When it comes to the final look, JJ also appreciates a more-is-more approach; the artist can simply never just phone it in. “JJ likes an accessory such as sunglasses or a hat—it just reads better when it’s a full outfit and not just clothes,” says Crosby. The bear’s got good taste.