Artist Joey Chou Shares Inspiration Behind His New Disney Parks Merchandise Collection

Celebrate the joy and magic of Disney Parks in a whole new way, through the creative lens of artist Joey Chou, who reimagines iconic Parks imagery in his signature graphic style with his new collection of apparel, accessories, and home goods. The Disney Parks Collection by Joey Chou has garnered great excitement since it was released at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. And now there’s even more reason to get excited, as starting today the collection can also be found on shopDisney!

Paying tribute to his own fond memories of Disney Parks, the artwork Joey Chou created for this collection transforms timeless characters and attractions from Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park into contemporary fashion showpieces. 

Teacups from The Mad Tea Party, alongside Dumbo and it’s a small world’s iconic hippo, decorate the collection’s Spirit Jersey, while Mickey Mouse and Pluto take to the Disney Parks railways under colorful fireworks on the Disney Parks Denim Jack by Joey Chou. Can’t choose your favorite Parks attraction? No worries! An abundance of Disney Parks icons, from the Hatbox Ghost to Pirates of the Caribbean’s prison dog, adorn this woven shirt in a fun allover print. And make sure you top off your look with the Disney Parks Ear Headband by Joey Chou, which features Tinker Bell at the center of an electric blue sequin bow, releasing soon on shopDisney.

Carry happy memories with you wherever you go in the Disney Parks Loungefly Mini Backpack by Joey Chou and relax in a comfy—and colorful—pair of sleep pants as you dream of your next trip to the Disney Parks. Kids will also love dressing up in the fun designs in the Disney Parks T-Shirt and Pullover Sweatshirt by Joey Chou.

Bring Joey’s creative designs into your home as well, with drinkware like this colorful mug and pitcher, as well as the set of four acrylic cups, which showcases four of the original lands of Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland Park: Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland.

These dishes are almost too pretty to eat off! Gorgeous art of the four lands is also featured on the adorable bowl set as well as on Joey’s personal favorite, the plate set. 

In celebration of the launch of these fabulous items on shopDisney, I had the opportunity to interview Joey and gain further insight into the creation of the collection and what it means to him.

What was your inspiration behind this collection? 

Disney Parks always have a special place in my heart. Not only do they bring all the Disney animated characters and their worlds to life, many original Park attractions tell magical stories on their own. This collection is paying tribute to all the happy memories that Disney Parks have brought me. 

What is your creative process when making a new piece of art or product design?

I looked at a lot of vintage Disneyland and Walt Disney World ride designs for inspiration, incorporating modern color palettes and my personal art styles. I often started with simple geometric shapes and played around with compositions and later refined them with character details to make the pieces come to life.

What’s your favorite piece from the collection, or a piece that was most fun to work on, and why?

The plates were really fun for me to design. It’s rare to design compositions with circular shapes. Personally, I also collect plates with art on them. It has been a dream come true to see my own work on these plates.

What is your fondest Disney memory, be it personal or professional?

Seeing both Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland and Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World were some of my favorite memories. The number of beautiful details on these castles really brought the fairytale stories to life for me.

What is your favorite part about your job?

Growing up, not only did I love going to Disneyland, I’ve also bought a lot of Disney Parks merchandise. I always admired the cool artworks and wondered who got to design them. Being able to create Disney art that will become next generation Park goers’ memories is truly a dream come true for me.

As a Disney art collector myself, I definitely won’t be able to resist buying multiple items from this wonderful collection (especially that plate set!). You can shop the full Disney Parks Collection by Joey Chou now on shopDisney and at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.