A Dog Named Jimmy: The Dog Who Inspired The Jimmy Choo Autumn Collection

The book of A Dog Named Jimmy, from Instagram superstars Rafael Mantesso and his bull terrier, Jimmy Choo, is the heart-warming story of an unlikely creative duo. On Rafael’s 30^th birthday, his wife left him. She took everything, leaving behind just their bull terrier in an empty all-white apartment. Whilst also dealing with a recent Asperger’s diagnosis and getting used to his new antisocial life post-divorce, Rafael found in Jimmy a vital link to the real world and they became closer than ever. As Rafael and Jimmy, who imposed order on his owner’s life after the upheaval of the divorce, became accustomed to their new routine, Rafael had a flash of inspiration and the urge to do something he hadn’t done in 12 years: draw.

Using his advertising background, he recreated famous films, cartoons, album covers and iconic scenes with his best friend Jimmy as the star. He began to share the images online and became an instant hit – they now have 387,000 Instagram followers and are much-loved across the world.

Rafael and Jimmy hit the big time when they were approached by the creative team at JIMMY CHOO to collaborate on a line of doggy accessories for their autumn 2015 collection. You can view the brilliant launch video here. In A Dog Named Jimmy, Rafael shares over 100 of his brilliantly simple, line-drawn illustrations, un-photoshopped and wonderfully inventive. Rafael’s pictures have been much-loved by the media in recent years, but the book contains a wealth of previously unseen artwork all unique in each and every way possible.

Imogen McGill

Click here to purchase A Dog Named Jimmy online.