Anthropologie’s 11-Foot Denim Whale Spotlights the Art Behind Its Store Displays

A Familiar Material at an Unexpected Scale According to Anthropologie, Leister created the whale, nicknamed Seymour, for a “By the Sea” theme at its Glen Mills store. The feature looks back on that project as part of nearly a decade of work with the retailer.

The accompanying photograph shows the whale extending over tables of glassware, dishes and decorative objects. Its blue and white surfaces sit against a muted blue-green wall, connecting the sculptural focal point with the surrounding home assortment.

Suspended above the fixtures, the piece occupies the upper part of the space while leaving the merchandise tables available for browsing. The installation brings two different scales into the same scene: a large, immediately recognizable form overhead and smaller products arranged below.

Denim becomes a sculptural surface, giving an everyday textile a role beyond clothing and helping establish the display’s seaside setting…