Fashion Royalty News

First up, Integrity Toys will be unveiling a new line of dolls at the upcoming Wu Convention called "Dark Romance" taking place on October 27-30th.  This new line "FR2" (pronounced FR Squared) will debut at the official WClub Luncheon with a full presentation from the IT designers!

This line will feature the debut of “version 4.0″ of the FR body (a brand new, fully re-sculpted figure with details like you’ve never seen before!), new characters and a renewed couture style by Jason Wu. This new body will be used just for the FR2 line (Fashion Royalty dolls will continue to be made with their current body). The first product of this line will be in the convention collection!

Next up, the official registration packets were mailed to registered guests and in it was the list of dolls in this year's collection!  These dolls are only available to attendees and are limited edition sizes. No official pictures are released until after they are unveiled at the event to attendees. The dolls this year are:

• “Always Polished” Dasha (FR2 dressed doll – new character)
• “Fine Romance” Eugenia Perrin Frost (dressed doll)
• “Wild at Heart” Lilith & Eden giftset
• “Scarlet Woman” Adele Makeda (dressed doll)
• “Out of the Blue” Kyori Sato (dressed doll)
• “Night Vision” Count Adrian Von Lamberg (new character)
• “Ask Any Girl” Poppy Parker giftset

Alice, simply unhappy

Alice, unhappy
Originally uploaded by alington

Kim Lasher's Simply Alice seems to be a little upset with me today. (At yesterday's doll meet, she even made a few people uncomfortable with her glare.)

She's wearing a DollHeart wig (Lynea), and her own skirt, tights and shoes, and a bodice and overskirt hand-sewn by Miseri from the DoA board. It was originally made for a larger Dollmore Model body. My friend Jen modified it by machine for a Peak's Woods body, and Alice can wear it, too.

Though she really isn't pleased with it. But I am. More photos on Flickr.

Goldie in Bells

Goldie in Bells
Originally uploaded by alington

This is a normal bust, normal skin Peak's Woods Goldie in Dollzone Morphoa's outfit and a Leekeworld wig.

I thought she was one of the happier BJDs in my collection, but she looks very sultry in these photos, I think. Her face-up is a factory version--so worth the price. Peak's Woods do an amazing job.

Here, she's wearing acrylic eyes in violet. See more photos on Flickr.

LaLa Pullip

LaLa Pullip
Originally uploaded by alington

LaLa Pullip was the 2009 exclusive San Diego Comic Con doll from Jun Planning, and is my very first Pullip. I attended 2010 Comic Con, and my daughters insisted on allowing them to buy several more (two large ones and several minis--more pictures coming soon).

I'm surprised at how much fun these girls are--their eyes open and close, and shift left and right. They pose very well!

LaLa's hair is a blush/pinky shade, and her eyes are sparkly. Her "scarf" is actually a hair tie. Whoops! See full-length shots on Flickr.

Guest post: The Role of the Doll in Society Throughout History

by Caity Collins

Caity Collins is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on online schools for Guide to Online Schools.

Dolls have served a role in societies around the world for thousands of years. Whether as a plaything, religious icon, or medicinal prop, cultures throughout time and across the globe have considered dolls a source of utility and enjoyment. While our modern conception of the doll is as a light source of entertainment for young girls, their history is actually quite varied, just as the materials from which they are made and the variety of types found.

Gold Label Cami from Tonner

Tonner Direct is offering an exclusive Gold Label Cami (Cinderella head sculpt on a cameo skin tone Antoinette body) doll for sale for $150 retail. She's a limited edition of 250, and she's got golden hair with blonde highlight and green eyes.

She comes dressed in a cocktail-length sequined dress under a chiffon dress with an empire waist and short puffed sleeves. Faux leather strappy shoes, lots of chunky bracelets, ribbons and a flower hair ornament complete the look.

New FR Monograms

WClub members got a sneak peek at the new FR Monogram doll “Extravagance” and 1st ever FR Monogram fashion & wig set called “Escapade”. These are due to arrive at your favorite dealer in mid-late September and are both a limited edition of 300. They will be available for preorder today.

First up we have Extravagance.  She has rooted honey blonde hair, feathered hat, trench coat, cocktail dress and accessories. She will retail for $150.00.

**Photos below are property of Integrity Toys**

These Barbies may not cater a luau, but they will waitress!

My good friend, Stacy, is expecting her first baby very soon, and I had the privilege of throwing her a baby shower - the first one I've ever put together. The shower was co-ed, and - much like Stacy herself - not entirely "traditional." In the spirit of bucking tradition, I decided to enlisted my little Mattel army to host the snack table.

Tonner Tuesday sale items

As usual, it's Tonner Tuesday at Tonner Direct. Find the following specials from noon to 5 PM EST, six in each price category:

• $49.99 - Girl Friday outfit, Onyx outfit, 2009 Basic DeeAnna Denton, Favorite To Win, Influential, Serene
• $74.99 - First Mate Piggy, Striking outfit, Belladonna (Agnes Dreary), Hemlock (Viktor Dreary), Belle, Sizzle on Sunset
• $99.99 - Guilty Pleasures, Brother Dreary, Dancing With a Star, Green Lantern, Beauty (sold out already!), Jonquil Sass

OOAK Sweet Poodle Momoko

Exclusive OOAK Pretty Poodle Momoko
Originally uploaded by alington

My very first Momoko happened to be a raffle win at IFDC. Yes, I probably put 20 tickets in each of the four OOAK Momoko dolls that PetWorks donated for the raffle room, and I was still shocked to have won her, since each of the four bags was completely full. I was surprised and delighted!

The two women who attended IFDC to represent Petworks were really sweet. They both looked and dressed like Momoko dolls, too. Just adorable. And they were really helpful, and just amazingly knowledgable about these fun little dolls.

Iplehouse: Noctarcana Circus

I'm such a huge fan of the Iplehouse BJD dolls and Iplehouse has added 2 gorgeous dolls to their Noctarcana Circus line. These are both the largest dolls in their collection with a height of 65-70 cm (25-27 inches).  I have 2 of their smaller dolls (JID size) but I just don't know if I'm ready to go this large even though they are absolutely gorgeous.

First up is Carina, the Belly Dancer. She is retailing for $686. Faceup is an additional $60 and outfit is an additional $117. She is absolutely gorgeous with her dark skin!

**Photos are property of Iplehouse**

Uyoo in braids

Uyoo in braids
Originally uploaded by alington

Mini Gem "Glory of Love" Uyoo (an Asian BJD by Soom) dressed in a J-Doll outfit, trying on a different wig, which is slightly too large, but still quite sweet on her.

She's such a cute little thing! I love her little feet. She can also wear Fashion Royalty and some Barbie clothes.

More photos are available on my Flickr photostream.

But who will care for my dolls? Special guest post by Milady Blue

Another guest post by Milady Blue, who is recovering from data loss (among other losses) from the past week. In this thoughtful post, Blue addresses the concern of bequeathing dolls, and the sticky concern surrounding this issue.

But who will care for my dolls?by Milady Blue
Special guest writer

For the first time in my life, I was hit by bad luck on a Friday the 13th. My computer crashed. I used to put this down to superstition, since all Friday the 13ths I have lived through lacked any kind of calamity. No friends or family reported anything particularly sinister. In fact, I was beginning to wonder if it was something made up to sell tickets to horror movies.

While taking data from my last backup, which was in February, I decided to go through my bookmarks. I came across one link that made me sit up and take notice. It was a site for pet owners, giving estate planning advice to make sure one’s pets are cared for in the event of the owner’s death. Of course, we have all heard the cliché of the eccentric rich lady leaving her multi-million dollar fortune to her cat. But regular folks worry about beloved animals, too. Be it a cat, dog, hamster or whatever, they do not want the animal to be left to the mercy of an estate executor.

But it got me thinking--what about my dolls?

Style Setters: Vidal Sassoon

Sassoon was born on born January 17, 1928 in Hammersmith, London. His father was from Salonica in Greece, and his mother, whose family was originally from Kiev, was born in London. Vidal Sassoon spent six years in a Jewish orphanage in London after his father abandoned the family. When his mother remarried, the family re-united. Although too young to serve in the Second World War, Sassoon became a member of the 43 Group, a Jewish veterans' militia organization that broke up Fascist meetings in East London after the end of the war. In 1948 he joined the Israeli Defense Forces to fight in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Focus On Fashion: Mary Quant

If there is one name that comes to mind when thinking about 1960’s fashion and the British invasion, it has to be Mary Quant. Mary Quant typifies all things British and what was happening in 1960s swinging London.

Mary Quant was born February 11, 1934 in Kent, England. She went to Blackheath High School and then studied illustration at Goldsmiths College before taking a career with a couture milliner. She went on to be instrumental in the mod fashion movement and one of the many designers who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants. She is also famed for her work on pop art in fashion.

My Liv Dolls

Hi everyone. As for my second post, I will show you a few pictures of my Liv dolls, who I have just recently collected. You may not recognize them because they are wearing each other's wigs.

I know who they are by their skin and eyes, and in which order I got them. I got Alexis, Daniela and Katie from Target, and Sophie from Las Vegas (but she didn't come with any clothes). Although a month after I collected them all, the back to school Liv dolls came out!

Bergdorf Goodman + Jason Wu

Jason Wu is working with Bergdorf Goodman to make an exclusive doll for New York’s “Fashion’s Night Out” event. This event takes place on September 10th. Berdorf Goodman will have Jason’s clothing in their window displays for the event and he will be signing the dolls between 7 and 8pm that night.

For this event the exclusive doll will retail for $150 and will be available there at the event. This doll uses the Poppy facemold and comes dressed in a miniature version of one of Jason’s designs from his 2011 Resort Wear collection and she has a miniature BG bag!


**Photos are property of Integrity Toys**

80 Degrees for Cami & Jon

My first ever post to The Fashion Doll Review! Here are my own (at last!) pictures of the 2010 Cami & Jon outfit called 80 °, modeled by Basic Cameo Antoinette. Included were the green ruffled dress, several necklaces, several bracelets, and a pair of shoes. I haven't had time to check to see other "real" pics of the outfit, but here is my version. I hope it is helpful for somebody, but I worry it will turn a few green with envy as it is sold out at Tonner...

Ultra Basic Daphne available now at Tonner Direct

A limited edition of 300, Ultra Basic Daphne is available for order now at TonnerDirect. She will come to you with long brunette hair (yay!) and brown eyes, and a basic body suit.

I know Daph is one of the more popular Tonner sculpts, and this brunette is quite lovely. So if you're interested, snap her up while you can!

Collector Barbies That I've Never Seen

For my first post, I'll talk a little about a few Barbies I've never seen in person but would love to add to my collection! (I have never had problems shopping online for dolls, so far.)

The first doll's name is, well, I don't know her name but I know that she's a collector Barbie. She's the second doll in the 2001 Collector Edition. I really want her but she's similar to the Angel of Joy Barbie, who I also have in my collection.

Tonner Tuesday and shipping schedule update

Today is Tonner Tuesday, and today's special deals are a little different than last week. As last week, this is valid only today, form noon to 5PM EST. They've added six items under each category as follows:

• $49.99: Hide and Go Creep, Horrific Hopscotch, Odd One Out, Ultra Basic Esme, Brilliant outfit, and Determined outfit.
• $74.99: SoHo a Go-Go, Dorothy Gale, Heartthrob, Au Printemps Renée, Peppermint Twist, Tin Man
• $99.99: Posion Ivy Deluxe, Amanda Evert, Moonlight & Magnolias, Tyler Signature Brunette, Death Becomes Her, Clark Cable as Rhett Butler.

Additionally, the shipping schedule has been updated as follows:

What the heck is happening at the Fashion Doll Review?

Yeru in blue
Originally uploaded by alington

You may be asking yourself, why the heck did they change their layout again? What can't they create a single layout and stick to it? And what the heck is going on over there editorially? Is there an editorial staff? What on earth is your purpose and mission?

Well, allow me to address your concerns. I, Alison in CA, am officially the editor, and you can forward concerns to me. Also, if you have any promotional ideas, link requests, or less than positive comments, I'd appreciate it if you'd reply to the posts made by me, which are posted almost daily.

Jeannie, Samantha, and Elly May

Mattel chose the 2010 San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) to publicly unveil three new pop culture Barbie dolls from the 1960s. The three are Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie, Samantha from Bewitched, and Elly May from The Beverly Hillbillies. Unfortunately I couldn't find out much official information on these dolls as the booth attendant informed me that no Barbie designers were at SDCC because they were all at the Barbie Convention in Cleveland, OH. What I can tell you is that all three are vinyl and use the vintage face mold and that they are prototypes for a future release. I can also tell you that there was a fair amount of grumbling on the Barbie Collector website that these dolls were shown at SDCC and not at the Barbie Convention. I actually was a little surprised about that myself, but I'm happy they chose SDCC to unveil them so that I could take pictures and show them here.

Organize & Style!

I thought I'd do a little post on organizing and styling for your dolls.  This is my absolute favorite thing to do with my dolls other than photographing.  My doll room floor is always in disarray with bags of clothing, bins of accessories and bead containers full of jewelry all scattered on the floor.  Throw in several dolls in all states of undress and that's my doll room on any random day. 

So I want to share a little with you about organizing your dolly goodies so that you can style your dolls more easily.

"Lady in Waiting" Dania Zarr

WClub members got a peek at their 1st Club Doll for 2010! She is the lovely “Lady In Waiting” Dania Zarr. Members were allowed to preorder 1 doll per membership. Dania has lovely ash brunette hair (never used before on this character!) and for the first time ever she will come on a NuFace body!

I personally am very pleased with this Dania! I think she’s gorgeous and I love that sexy wavy hair. She pretty much has the faceup of the prototype Dania that modeled the “Flash Star” fashion with the updo. I know alot of people in the club are very pleased with this Dania because they were wanting that prototype doll!

**Photos are property of Integrity Toys**

Focus On Fashion: Rudi Gernreich

Another of the great 60’s designers is probably one of the least known but certainly no less of an icon of the swinging 60’s, Rudi Gernreich. 

Rudi Gernreich was born on August 8, 1922 in Vienna Austria. He was the son of a hosiery manufacturer, and came from an intellectual Viennese family. He fled the Nazis with his parents in the late 1930s and the family settled in Los Angeles. He became an American citizen in 1943. He would become one of the most revolutionary designers of the 20th century.

Gernreich studied dance and was a member of  Lester Horton's modern dance troupe before entering the world of fashion. He moved into fashion design via fabric design, and worked closely with model Peggy Moffitt and photographer William Claxton. He would push the boundaries of "the futuristic look" in clothing over three decades and, using a dancers practice clothes as inspiration, particularly leotards and tights, he produced pared down body-clothes in the 1960s.

New Kim Lasher doll is available -- Lily

Available to pre-order from her regular dealers (I highly recommend Happily Ever After), Kim Lasher is offering a new LE250 BJD for sale, 11" tall (close to YoSD size), called Lilly. Following her usual design aesthetic, this adorable little thing comes in the outfit shown--a hoodie, t-shirt, hot pink tutu, striped leggings, tennis shoes and fingerless gloves. She's got a fun dark brown wig (it looks like a pony-tailed JRock wig to me) and dark brown eyes, and is hand-painted at Lasher Studios.

She retails for $498, plus shipping, and scheduled to ship in the November/December range. This is the first release of a large edition of this size.

I'm finding she looks quite a bit like a smaller version of Layla and Lotus. I think she's quite cute!

Photo property of Lasher Studios.

New line of dolls

The incredibly talented Cheryl Crawford has announced that she will shortly be debuting her own line of dolls! For those not familiar with Ms Crawford she is a re-painter who makes these incredible costumed dolls from Tonner & BJDs as fairies, historical figures and storybook. Just to name a few.

 I've long admired her work and had a chance to meet her at the one and only doll convention I've attended: the Tonner Halloween convention a few years back. (BTW - anyone who is thinking about attending their Halloween convention this year, do it! It's fabulous.) She is an extremely nice and modest woman, as I was fairly gushing over her.

Check out her web site to see the beautiful dolls she has created in the past and there is a link to sign up for her yahoo group.

Mod Mint Misaki

Mod Mint Misaki
Originally uploaded by alington

Another IFDC find and Wave from Japan steal, I just adore this girl. I'd been wanting to find her forever, and she's even cuter than I'd imagined. She's made by Integrity Toys from the FR.Nippon line.

She's wearing a Fashion Fever dress (I know, a little lame for this girl, but what I had at the time!). She rocks it anyway.

I really love her soft make-up and her glam eyelashes. You can see more of her photo shoot on Flickr.

Dynamite Girls: Chill Factor Collection

On the heels of the release of the Vintage Vinyl collection comes the fall/winter collection "Chill Factor".  These 3 girls are super cute in their winter gear complete with mittens!  First up we've got Aria, who is one of the original 3, and she looks amazing with her brand new facemold!  Next up is Eltin, who premiered at the 2008 FR Convention, she shares a facemold with Sooki.  This collection also introduces a new character Neve, who is of mixed ethnic descent.  Neve shares the same facemold as Reese. 

(L-R) Aria, Eltin, Neve

**Photos are property of Integrity Toys**

These dolls are limited edition sizes of 300 and are retailing for $54.99. I see they are already up for preorder at several online stores. Marl & B has them up already and Maddie's Dolls also has them up, which is great for International customers.

Topic discussion(s) on Facebook

Oh yes, we have a spot for discussions. And oh no, I hope it won't email you. If it does, you can turn that setting off.

We've been searching for a friendly way to have a forum style discussion for our blog recently, and figured we'd give Facebook's discussion section a try. I wanted to find something that won't overwhelm your email box and that is easy to navigate, since we cover a variety of dolls and topics.

Pop on over and let us know what you think. Also, I'd love to know if you can use the discussion section even without a Facebook account. (That is my concern at this point.)

Specials at Barbie Collector and Louboutin shoes...

What are they trying to do to me? Did you all see this crazy cute new shoe pack--promo photo finally released--by Christian Louboutin for Barbie? It retails for $69.95 and is scheduled to ship August 26. Want, want, want. It's killing me! (If I said I didn't pay that much for a pair of shoes for myself, I would be lying! But aren't they adorable?)

And check out Barbie as Cleopatra ($100), available September 9, and some fantastic Barbie Shanghai fan club (oooh--I'm about to join!) exclusive accessories, and a brand new embossed wallet ($30) and matching handbag ($65) available August 26.

Plus, now through September 3, you can save $10 on orders $50-$74.99, $15 on orders $75-$99.99, and $20 on orders over $100. And specials gift with purchase items are available while they last:

• Buy two Barbie Basics™ and get a free 4x7 doll sketch for free
• Buy any Christian Louboutin doll and get a free 16-month calendar diary.

Have fun shopping! We'll see if I can make it through the next week without a fan club membership....

She's Arrived! Poppy Parker Gift Set

Well, I'm back. Two conventions in one month got me so off track that it's taken me this long to return to some semblence of my usual routine. Not that I had much of a "routine" before, but I think you know what I mean. Anyway, the FedEx delivery man visited last week and I got quite a large box filled with Integrity Toys goodies. Today I opened two dolls, both of them the Poppy Parker She's Arrived! gift set.

"Two?" Is that what I'm hearing you say? Well, yes. I needed two because the gift set includes two complete ensembles but only one doll. Obviously I needed two sets so I could have two dolls, each wearing one of the ensembles. This is the kind of rationalizing that gets me into trouble. So today I spent about an hour deboxing and dressing my new Poppys. Or is that Poppies?

2010 Fall/Holiday Line from Tonner

The new fall/holiday line is out and available for pre-order from your favorite Tonner Doll dealers. Here's  a recap, though you can see the full collection and descriptions on Tonner's site:

REVLON® Fashion Doll Collection and ReImagination
A brand new collection of 13" and 10.5" vintage Little Miss Revlon dolls is pending licensor review and approval. No descriptions, photos, names or dates are available yet. Also, there is a teaser about Jacqueline Frost™, from the ReImagination line, whose "collection is on hold for a later date."

Firefly™
Based on the popular SciFi series by Joss Whedon, two new dolls will be available. Photos of Jayne Cobb (LE1000, $179.99) are available now. His new sculpt is based on the likeness of actor Adam Baldwin, and  of course includes his mother-made orange knit hat. First mate Zoe Washburne, based on the likeness of Gina Torres (LE500, $169.99) will also be offered, but her promo photo is still pending review.

Tonner 2010 Fall/Holiday

Tomorrow Wednesday the 11th Tonner's new Fall/Holiday line goes live at 5:00 eastern daylight time.

Are you there with me?!

Tonner Tuesday starts today

Starting today, and every Tuesday, Tonner Direct will be offering special deals to online customers, between noon and 5 PM EST only. Today's specials are:

• Antoinette Spice Basic doll $49.99 (retail $89.99)
• Enlightened Antoinette outfit $74.99 (retail $99.99)
• Signature Style Blonde Tyler Wentworth (LE100!) $99.99 (retail $149.99)

And while you're there, you might as well check out these specials:

• Items under $50
• Items under $75

Photo property of Tonner Doll Company.

Style Icon: Jean Shrimpton

When I think of the 60s,there are three faces that always come to mind.  Twiggy,  Veruschka and Jean Shrimpton.  I believe that they are most representative of the decade known as the swinging 60s, but to me, the absolute definitive face of the era is Jean Shrimpton.

Jean Rosemary Shrimpton was born on  November 7, 1942 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.  She was an icon of Swinging London and is considered to be one of the world's first supermodels. During her career she appeared on the covers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Elle, Ladies' Home Journal, Newsweek, and Time magazines.

1971 Walking Jamie

1971 Walking Jamie
Originally uploaded by alington

Yet another IFDC splurge--but look at her! I couldn't pass her up. She also was at another friend's table, and I try to support collectors I know, as well.

This doll is by Mattel, and either from 1971-1972, I think. She's a friend of Barbie, a Jamie sculpt, and was a Sears department store exclusive. She was a "walking" body, and it still works. When you make her legs walk, her arms swing in the opposite direction, and her head tilts.

She also was available in blonde and brunette. And I believe she's closer to Midge in size than Barbie. But super sweet!

She's so cute. You can see more shots of her on my Flickr photostream.

Focus on Fashion: Pierre Cardin

I’d like to continue our look back at the 60s with probably the most prolific of the 60s designers: Pierre Cardin. His career went well beyond the swinging 60s and spanned fashion, fragrance, house and home and food service. He is still going strong today.

Pierre Cardin was born in Venice on July 7, 1922. In 1926, his parents moved back to their native France where Cardin grew up in the industrial town of St. Etienne in the Loire Valley of southeast France. His parents were wealthy wine merchants who had always hoped their son would become an architect, but by the age of eight Cardin was showing an ability and aptitude for fashion design. In 1936, Cardin began apprenticing in for a tailor named Manby and would stay on until almost the end of World War II. At Manby's, Cardin learned the art of tailoring suits that would show in the rest his work.

One of my IFDC splurges

#6 Ponytail
Originally uploaded by alington

This Number 6 vintage Barbie (with repainted lips and nails) was a splurge for me at IFDC. I bought her from Kathie Tilton, and I hadn't planned on it. But you should have seen her display! There was only one like her--and I adore her rounder face, and dark hair. I walked past her like three times, hoping someone else would buy her. And she ended up coming home with me.

I love her. So classy. Those repros, well, they can't hold a candle to the real girls.

This outfit is I Know a Place from this year's Randall Craig's collection. I think it's amazingly detailed. I love it, too. You can see more photos on my Flickr photostream.

Beatnik Blues Poppy Parker

I finally got around to deboxing my newest Poppy Parker.  For those that are collectors of this line, you know the faceups have changed since the previous incarnations.  The main change has been with the eyes and collectors are divided over the changes.  There are those that loved the old version and hate the new change and those that never collected her before and love the new Poppy's.  I guess I fall somewhere in the middle.  I absolutely loved the older versions, well only the ones with side-glancing eyes, and it took a bit to warm up to this new version.

Now that I've had her out of the box and have been photographing her, I totally love her.  The fashion on this one is what drew me to her.  She reminded me of Sandra Dee in "Take Her, She's Mine" in which she gets caught up in the Beatnik culture.  I'm also loving her as a platinum blond, which I don't have in my collection of Poppy's. 

New Tonner exclusives and free shipping

Several new items available from TonnerDirect exclusively. Use the code MATT for the guys, and they will ship for free (international orders, MATT10 will give you a $9.95 shipping credit). Only valid through Sunday, August 8, midnight EST.

• Matt O'Neil Ultra Basic™ doll, $59.99, LE 300. 
• Russell Williams Ultra Basic™ doll, $59.99, LE 300. No stand or shoes are included with UB dolls. You can buy both guys together and save $10.
• Exclusive Love, REVLON® redhead doll in black dress. $125. Only a few are left, and she was only a limited edition of 50 (UFDC centerpiece). 13" tall. The raven and blonde have already sold out.
• No Frills Antoinette™. LE100 $79.99. She comes nude with a bobbed brunette wig, and will be packaged carefully, but will not include a box or stand.

Going to the Austin BJD convention this weekend - Exclusive Peak's Woods BJD!

Oh no--looks like I should save all my money until the second half of the year next year. The Austin BJD Convention is happening this weekend, and registration is closed. However, the show floor will be open Saturday, August 7 at the Omni Hotel Southpark from 10 AM - 3 PM and will be open to the public.

I will do everything I can to go next year, because it looks like Peak's Woods will be one of the vendors. Ack! Their limited edition (of only 40) dolls, a collaboration with DollHeart, is called Bloody Alice. The doll shown is a Wake-Up Yeru sculpt and a gorgeous Alice set, which can be ordered with a plain or "bloodied" apron. It's just gorgeous. The doll is included with the wig, eyes, special face-up, complete dress set and shoes. (Socks are not included.)

Her price is $648 at the show, which isn't bad for them, and their limited editions. So enjoy, dear convention attendees!

Find us on Facebook!

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Focus On Fashion: Paco Rabanne

I'd like to continue our look at the swinging sixties with probably the most outlandish and controversial of the 60s designers: Paco Rabanne.

Paco Rabanne was born Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo on February 18, 1934 in Pasajes, Spain. When the Spanish Civil War broke out, he and his mother fled Spain for France. In 1952, while studying architecture at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, he met intellectuals and artists. To finance his studies, he produced accessories for the couturiers of the day such as Givenchy, Dior, and Balenciaga and became involved in all forms of artistic expression. Attracted by the tremendous energy stimulated by artistic research he decided to create Haute-Couture clothing. In 1965 he presented his first collection of 12 contemporary dresses called "the Unwearables." These included his first plastic dress.

Glamtastic Giveaway, the "Barbie Daily" event

Don't miss the fabulous Glamtastic Giveaways from Barbie Collector. Each day from August 2 through September 1, you can enter to win a doll each day! No purchase is necessary. And remember each day is a new drawing, so you have to enter each day to win. Don't forget!

Visit Barbie Collector's website to enter and for the full details. Winners are posted after 11 am CDT for the previous day on the Winner's Page. Good luck!

Vintage Vinyl

The Dynamite Girls newest collection arrived at my home today!  This one is titled "Vintage Vinyl" and features new facemolds for the girls along with new knees!  They are just a tad taller than the older versions, but the body is the same and can share clothing still.  This set includes Gavin, Rufus Blue, Reese & Sooki.

I am a huge DG fan, and was a little hesitant about the new faces, but now having deboxed them, I adore the set!  Even Reese who's never been my favorite, is just so sweet!  The outfits are all well made and I love the styling of this set.  The shoes are fitting a little funny for me though.  The girls that have socks, well their shoes dont' fully go on around the back of the heel and the girls without socks, well their shoes are a tad big and tend to fall off when moving them around. Other than that I think they're superb! 

Randall Craig's RTW Collection

Randall Craig's newest collection for your 12" fashion dolls is up for preorder online.  There are 6 pieces in this collection so if you'd like to see the collection and find out which retailers will have them for sale, please check out Randall Craig's website here:  http://www.randallcraigrtw.com/fashions.html

**photo is property of Randall Craig**

Heart throb of the moment -- Are you attracted to funny looking dolls?

Have you ever encountered a doll and had your breath taken away? Even a chance encounter online, can be like falling in love, for me. A large part of the joy in collecting is building my wish list, which more than likely will never be fulfilled. Just the idea of looking at beautiful faces and being swept away by their beauty is often enough.

What happens, however, when you are swept away by the unusual or unique, or heaven forbid, even funny-looking face? I recently came across a photo in Flickr of Leeke World's Florence. She's 40 cm (about 15.75") tall, takes 20mm eyes (other BJDs in this size often wear 12-14mm), and wears an 11" wig (other BJDs this size wear a 7-8" wig).

Hitting Midnight, Cami&Jon outfit

Hitting Midnight
Originally uploaded by alington

A new outfit, Hitting Midnight, arrived, and it's well-made. It's too slim for Tyler. The camisole is a satin bodysuit. The pants are slim, the belt attached, back closure. The outfit includes sparkling gray pantyhose, which peak through the cage boots.

The cardigan really makes the outfit. It's perfectly made with chiffon ruffle trim, miniature sequins and a wonderful drape.

The oversized chunky necklace and bracelet were a nice finishing touch, though I wouldn't have minded earrings also. Still, I'm impressed. I like the quality. More photos on Flickr.

Model is Antoinette Obsessed (hence the mirror). I actually ordered the outfit for my BJD Bobobie Lan, who is Alice at the moment. I'll try it on her after my girls are finished with their current Alice in Wonderland phase.

BJD news at a glance

Again, from the Den of Angels news forum this morning:

• DollZone is offering two new 45cm full-set rocker girls for sale, Annie ($386) and Yan ($383). Sorry, the guitars aren't included, but the earphone is! Check out Tulip and Stramonium while you're there, too. I missed these girls early--and they are gorgeous! (The DollMarket carries DZ dolls, by the way, and has really flexible layaway plans.)
• Don't forget, The Glamour limited edition tan Sky and Briana 58cm Peak's Woods dolls are now available to order through August 10 only. The gowns are available separately. (I can tell you now, since I have my own tan Briana on order, heh, heh!)
• DollWhy is offering a new LE steampunk outfit for SD13/16 for girls and boys.
• Spirit Doll is now offering a new line of SD13-sized dolls, starting at $450. Six new sculpts are available.
• Soom's August monthly doll won't be released till September.
• For our Polish readers: Villemo Art, a BJD shop in Poland, now sells and stocks some Dollzone, Angell-Studio and Island Doll BJDs. They are also participating in DZ's summer event, and has a few of the sold-out jointed girl hands in stock. This store also offers layaway.
• Save the date: October 9-10 of this year for the Ldoll Festival in Lyon, France. Peak's Woods will be a guest of honor! Find out more at the official website. (Wow, would I ever like to go!)
• Wind Dolls is a new French retailer for Ring Dolls and Custom House.

As always, you can catch up on previous news at Den of Angels' news forum.

Couture Customs: The History of the Bridal Gown

A wedding is a rite of passage, a shift from childhood to adulthood, and most western wedding traditions can trace their origins back to ancient Rome.

The wedding ring on the third finger of a girl's left hand symbolizes engagement. At the ceremony, the bride wore white robes as a tribute to Hymen, the god of marriage and fertility, and was accompanied by her bridesmaid.

In Latin, the female verb "nubo" or marry - means literally "I veil myself." Hence, a bride was "nova nupta" and the wedding--nuptials. The bridal veil or "flammeum" was rectangular, transparent and worn off her face. Flame-colored, it matched her shoes. In her hair, she wore a wreath of fragrant flowers. Her gown was a white flannel or muslin tunic with a "cingulum" or girdle. Around her waist she carried the "knot of Hercules" to ward off evil spirits, and undoing this complicated knot was the groom's first order of business on the wedding night.