'Iconic' Body Shop sculpture donated to museum

A sculpture that once sat outside the Body Shop headquarters is being delivered to a museum – by the artist who created it and the woman who posed for it.

The fibreglass figure depicts a woman seated on two of the oversized letters that originally formed a stack spelling out "The Body Shop."

It was one of a series of sculptures created by artist Giles Penny for the company's pagoda-style base in West Sussex, which was demolished last year.

Penny, who has restored the work, is donating it to Littlehampton Museum as part of an effort to preserve the town's history. Littlehampton councillor Freddie Tandy said the sculptures were "well-known and well-loved".

Tandy added: "We are very pleased that one of them can be saved for the town."

Littlehampton Town Council described the sculptures as "iconic".

The ethical beauty brand, founded by Dame Anita Roddick in 1976, moved out of its headquarters in 2024.

The building was later demolished after the business's remaining UK stores were rescued from administration. Roddick died in 2007.

According to the town council, the sculptures were visible from nearby roads from the 1990s onwards, becoming a "beloved" landmark, with strong local interest in preserving their legacy.

Only a few of the works that remained were in a salvageable condition, all needing repair, the council added.

The donated sculpture was chosen in consultation with Penny to represent the whole set.

It is the first object to be added to the museum under a National Lottery-funded project that aims to collect and preserve contemporary stories, to reflect how the town has changed before people's memories fade.

Former and current Body Shop staff are being asked to take part in workshops and to contribute memories for oral histories.

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