2005 Fashion Royalty - A Fashionable Life - Vanessa Perrin

The year was 2005 - a year of amazing Fashion Royalty dolls including:
 Born to Gamble Kyori

 Flirtatious Veronique

Bodacious  Adele

Age of Opulence Isha

Amazing gift sets including:
Poesie Sans Couleur Vanessa

Ginza Blond and Redhead Kyori

A Fashionable Life Raven and Platinum.

It was also the year for furniture including the chaise, coffee table, liquor cabinet and bed.

I started collecting FR in earnest that year as well. I got the platinum AFL right away but it took several years to get her sister. This week, they were both redressed in Talking Drama Adele's gown. I dyed the steel blue version.

 

I love these dolls. There is something about handling the 'older' Fashion Royalty dolls and redressing them that is very satisfying and comfortable.

 I think I'll do Poesie next.

More about → 2005 Fashion Royalty - A Fashionable Life - Vanessa Perrin

Fashion Royalty Convention Packet Released

Internet Photo

Included in the release is the notice that there will be a new Fashion Royalty spin-off brand. I don't know why the news doesn't excite me. I like Madame Alexander's Cissy doll but I wouldn't go to a Madame Alexander convention because I don't care for the other dolls that are included in their conventions.  From the point of view of a collector, I don't know that a convention is the place to celebrate a brand new line. We certainly can't say Integrity is boring because we never know what to expect.

The line is entitled FR2 and pronounced FR Squared. I think I'll always call it FR Two (I hated math.)  When something is squared you multiply the original by itself and you get more of the original. The title can lead to a great deal of speculation as evidenced by the 3 page thread on the W Club board.

Note: An email from the W Club just arrived. It says:

"...spin off brand called FR²... This new line will have a brand new body, new characters and a renewed couture style by Jason Wu. "

Haute couture (French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking"; pronounced [ot kutyʁ] OHT-koo-TOOR) refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture is a common abbreviation of Haute Couture, which refers to the same thing in spirit.^[1]
It originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century.^[2] In modern France, haute couture is a "protected name" that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as Milan, London, New York, Tokyo and Madrid.

The term couture style is being misused.

Integrity Toys' Logo

The Registration Package
The 30 page long layout is very artistic thanks to Alain's design skills.  Spooky castles and dark patterns infuse the package with a sense of Halloween and scariness.
The forms are interactive - there's nothing to print out and mail or fax. It's very tree friendly.

 The Workshops
All except one of the workshops is being held on Friday.  It's all very organized. I am registered for the first four workshops below.  The hubster will have to amuse himself.

1. Poppy Ponies Up! - Rob “Uriah” Redden
2. Thinking Out of the Box - Vaughn Sawyers
3. Mini-Masterpieces - Steven Fraser
4. Baby Light-Up my Fire! - Alain Tremblay
5. FR Do’s, FR Don’ts - Francisco Garcia
6. Recycle Those Doll Boxes - Ava Plummer

The workshops are free. Some of them will offer optional kits to use during the session. At the last Gene convention, the Madra head sold for the hairstyling class was a highly sought after item after the convention was over.

The Convention Collection

1. “Always Polished” Dasha FR2 Dressed Doll (New Character!)
2. “Night Vision” Count Adrian Von Lamberg™ Figure (New Character!) 
3. “Fine Romance” Eugenia Perrin Frost™ Dressed Doll
4. “Scarlet Woman” Adèle Makéda® Dressed Doll
5. “Out of the Blue” Kyori Sato® Dressed Doll 
6. “Wild at Heart” Lillith and Eden™ Gift Set
7. “Ask Any Girl” Poppy Parker Gift Set

Seven items with a total of nine dolls. I wonder if Dasha is Tatyana reworked.  It's been a long time since Kyori appeared at a convention and many have been asking for her. The Lillith and Eden giftsets were very popular in 2008. (A friend notes that this wasn't really a popular giftset. I suppose it's a matter of perception.)

Missing from the above are Agnes, Vanessa, Veronique, Elise Jolie, Dania, Natalia, Jordan, Luchia, Tatyana, Isha, the Hommes, the rest of the Nu.Face characters, the Monogram dolls and the Avantguard dolls.

My guesses for centerpieces are Agnes (that's a given), Veronique, Vanessa and Elise. Perhaps those are my wishes as well.

More about → Fashion Royalty Convention Packet Released

2010 Integrity Toys Debut Line of Dolls

At 5 PM EST last night approximately 400 W Club members from all over the world logged on to a webinar held by Integrity Toys for the purpose of seeing the new dolls for 2010. Carol Roth ran the event. Percy Newsome, Jason Wu, Vaughn Sawyers, David Buttry and Alain Tremblay took part.
I expected a live event with live pictures rather than just live voices and pictures. It was over after about one hour. About 6 questions were taken from attendees. The event was scheduled for two hours so I wonder what was missing.
One by one each grouping was shown. I compliment the size and quality of the images. For the first time we have been shown images that didn't try to be artsy but rather intended to display the dolls and fashions with appropriate lighting and focus.

The Event dolls are a set of two mini Avantguards, Aphrodisiac (on the left) and Androgyny and will sell for $175. That's a fair price for the two. I would have rather gotten a Fashion Royalty doll but many are pleased with this choice. They are wigged as are the original full-sized versions and are dressed in the same fashions. It's a cute idea. I think it will be fun to photograph the two Aphrodisiacs together. I don't have Androgyny anymore. I wonder if there will be a mini Goldmine. She would definitely find a place in my collection!
The Fashion Royalty Monogram Collection, in my opinion, was the winner out of all the lines. Besides the doll Brilliance, which I have previously reviewed, there is a lingerie version , two fantastic dressed dolls and another dressed doll that I will pass on. Each one is $150 except for the lingerie version which is $120.

They are Enigmatic, Incandescent, Dreamscape and Disclosure.

Enigmatic and Incandescent

Dreamscape

Disclosure

I don't like the pink gown from the waist down and that's a shame. The fabric detail on the bodice and shoulder and the cute beaded hat are lovely. I like the look of the short wig as well. The structure of the skirt reminds me of the outrageous Biltmore Hotel Gene Marshall gown from years ago. The Biltmore gown was a work of art. I don't want to spend $150. for a Monogram doll whose outfit is useless to me.
I finally found a use for Brilliance's outfit...it fits a Silkstone doll perfectly!


But I digress. Back to the debut.

Next up are the Fashion Royalty dolls themselves. They were divided into two categories, Dazzle and Foundation....whatever. Foundation would be a good name for a line of lingerie dolls.

The Dazzle dolls have 60's hairstyles and Heidi Klum type sequined dresses. They are $79. except for the Kyori giftset which is $175.

Sorry to say that Mattel did the sequin thing better.
The Kyori giftset comes with a big red ruffled gown sporting a beige bow, a plaid suit with a blouse underneath, two pairs of shoes, earrings, bracelet, ring and black potholder gloves.

Let's talk about hair. It's depressing to see those gorgeous faces under the ridiculous hairstyles. They look rock hard and are so unattractive. Adele's Afro is not to my taste either. I'd really tone it down a few inches which would still give her an ethnic hairdo but keep her from looking like she belongs in a Mike Myers movie.

Overall, the theme of the collection is a little bit of this and a little bit of that as far as fashion eras. It's certainly not like Jason's runway collections which are cohesive and relate to eachother.

The Foundation Collection
Staying Power Darius Reid and Model Citizen Lukas M., two Hommes in ill-fitting suits carrying great man bags and wearing great shoes. $139.00 each. This is not a giftset with two dolls. I have combined them into one image to save space. One can only hope that the jackets do not actually fit the way they look in the pictures.
Fire Within Jordan $139.
Jordan is very pretty and I think her outfit is adorable. I'm hoping the construction lives up to my expectations as it looks complicated. I will get rid of the pot holders immediately. I love hats for my dolls.

Tricks of the Trade Eugenia Perrin Frost $139.00
Which "trade" is that? The outfit is cute, I think. Actually I don't know what to think about this doll. I'm afraid she'll open her mouth and the fangs will come out. I am ordering her because she is so strange that she's interesting.

Private Goddess Natalia Fatale $150.
Someone is going to have to rethink the color and the draping of the fabric on that dress. The bodice has possibilities. Did Natalia's fairy godmother use the nursery room draperies for the skirt? Was she in a hurry?
Winning Ensemble Luxury Wear Fashion $69
I want the doll that is modeling this outfit. It appears to be Vanessa before the LDS hairstyle was applied. The outfit is another mini bubble skirt type dress in spring colors, a 50's bow hat with tulle, and the ubiquitous black gladiator shoes. I'm undecided.


The Three NuFace dolls below are Perk Colette, The Great Pretender Lillith and Mais Oui! Giselle Diefendorf. Each is $99.
Giselle's outfit comes with a fitted black jacket that has an interesting peplum. I think they're all adorable. The clothes are edgy eye candy. Colette and Lillith have beautiful faces. They will be mine.


Flash Star Luxury Wear Fashion $69.
Poppy Parker, the Dynamite Girls and ITBE will be covered in the next post.

More about → 2010 Integrity Toys Debut Line of Dolls

Agnes Von Weiss ~ Festive Decadence Mini Gift Set

On Tuesday I received a box of goodies from Integrity Toys. My first review will be of the Agnes W Club Mini Giftset which was priced at $145. and is an edition of 800. This was the second W Club doll for 2009.The contents were the doll, two skirts, belt, one jacket, two tops, one pair of shoes, bracelet, earrings, necklace, handbag, additional hands and doll stand. There was also a story card. As always, the presentation in the box was beautiful but it's so much fun to rip those puppies out (even though ripping is done carefully with a sharp scissors) and get them into my hot little hands.
Since Agnes came dressed in the black skirt and red top, she was first up to be photographed. I thought the shoes would be a nightmare due to the tiny straps but I didn't have to unbuckle them to get them on and although the strap sticks out, they fit well and the doll can stand flat on the ground which is a huge improvement over the past years.The big black skirt is an oddity. it did not sit well with that top which was too short to stay tucked in or the belt which wasn't wide enough to cover the waistband of the skirt and stay put. A big wide waistband on the skirt would have made it so much more useful and user friendly. Soooo, I put the purple jacket over the whole thing and it looked better but definitely not couture.
The red top is too large across the bust and shoulders. The hooks in the back could be moved for a better fit.
The handbag was a surprise because it was so mediocre compared to FR handbags in the past. I like the chain handle which is perfectly scaled to the doll.
I love the jewelry but I don't see it complementing this fashion at all. Additionally, they can keep those crappy little bracelets that never sit well on the wrist. I have bunches of them and never use them.
This is one of the prettier Agnes screenings. She doesn't look as dour as usual. I hate the painted lashes. They are cartoon-like. She does have applied lashes as well. I hope this isn't a trend for 2010. The hair....sigh.....what can I say? It's a puzzle to me-strange style, stiff glued curls...just completely weird. She could be so beautiful if her hair were just pulled back in a simple bun or pony tail. I don't think there has ever been a pony-tailed Agnes. Perhaps she's trying to channel Gene Marshall with the hair rolls.
For the second outfit, I chose True Royalty Vanessa as my model.
The purple skirt is adorable and the bi-colored top looks good with it. The purple jacket that matches the skirt looks cute, too. I added the jewelry.
The construction of this set is very, very high quality. There is great attention to detail. Here's a back view of the above fashion.The fit could have been a bit better on the sleeveless tops and the waist of the black skirt but otherwise, the set is very good.
This Agnes will not make it permanently into my collection but most of her clothing is staying.

More about → Agnes Von Weiss ~ Festive Decadence Mini Gift Set

Osvaldo Vasquez, Dolly Dress Designer

Twice a year, Osvaldo Vasquez, aka Ovaz, debuts a new line of breathtaking gowns for 1/6 scale dolls. His creations are, for the most part, not for the faint-of-heart. Sequins, beads, lace, skin tight and sheer fabrics are his palette. Here are two from his latest collection. I want them!

Photos above by Ovaz

I interviewed Ovaz a few days ago. Here are the questions and his answers:

1. How you make the dresses?

All my dresses start in a scrap of paper. Sometimes I see a couple of dresses in a store and I vision a couple if each dress details into One design. That's how the process start..then the selection of the fabrics .. Living in NY that's very easy. lol

But one of the most important thing during the fabric selection is the size of the sequins and crystals.. They have to be at the scale of the doll..so it look natural...I don't create Doll clothes. I create woman clothes for a doll.I think that's what I want to accomplish .

2. What types of fabrics are used? Where do you buy your fabrics?

I use alot of different fabric... Chiffon,strecth, anything with sequins.

Most from NYC stores... I even sometimes go to macys or bloomingdale to the clearance racks and buy gowns just for the fabrics..

3. How long you've been doing this?

I been designing for about 15 years

4. How long does it take to make most dresses?
It take me about 3 days to finish a dress with alot of sequins..(beaded by hand,no glue. With the glue technique about 1 day.. But when it come to a whole collection it take me about 3 months to complete the collection

5. How many collections per year you make?

I try to do 2 regular collections (fashion shows) and 1 Holiday collection

6. Do you do OOAK commissions?

Sometimes I do commissions, but not a lot. It's hard for me to follow direction or visions of somebody else.. Lol

7. What is your art background or your background in general?

My background has nothing to do with Fashion.. My background is in the travel & Hotel industry ..all this started when I wanted to come to the USA to study... I needed 3 credits to graduate from High School before the regular end of school year and the only class available was sewing 24 student and I was the only guy. But I learned the basis of sewing.. And look now...

8. What dolls do you collect?

Fashion Royalty - but not all of them because sooner or later they end up in somebody's home with one of my designs. The only dolls I love are my repaints by Pink Man. They love it when I dress them, but they don't leave my house....lol

9. What designers do you admire - real or doll sized?

Hmm...I love Bob Mackie and Versace, also Valentino. Fellow artist I admire are Pink Man, Gin-O, Tula, Randall C., Matisse. And when it come to blog or Photo if the week....You, Terri.

I have several Ovaz gowns in my own collection and the girls are always fighting over them. Here are some of them. One can never have enough Ovaz!

If you would like to see more of Ovaz' work, here is the link to his website: www.ovazdesigns.com

More about → Osvaldo Vasquez, Dolly Dress Designer

Dollystyle Convention Featured Souvenir Dolls

The Dollystyle Convention just took place in Tokyo on November 21-22. Attendees were presented with a stunning Amelie (Misaki's friend) dressed all in pink. Her fashion is a a throw back to the first Misaki doll who was dressed similarly but all in black. Amelie is called "Tokyo A Go Go." The original Misaki was called "Tokyo Here We Go!"
There was also an uber-limited Tokyo Here We Go - Marui Misaki released when the Nippon line began. I wanted this doll for such a long time and then I stopped collecting Misaki. She was dressed all in white and only 100 were ever made. I still admire this doll.

The other doll took me by surprise and until I was able to secure one I was on pins and needles. She is called "Night Warrior" and has the Vanessa sculpt.
Registrants also received the following items. This partial list was posted by Robsdolls.

DollyStyle Tote Bag(The 1st two were great!)
DollyStyle Tumbler
DollyStyle Pen
ECO Cute Bag-gift from Bar-B
Mini Cosmetic bag-gift from PB Factory
Momoko Doll-Gift from Sekiguchi
Doll Stockings-Gift from Azone
Mini Doll or Blythe items-Gift from Toms Toys & Goods

The convention was sponsored by BIC Co., Ltd. owned by the wonderful Kazue.

More about → Dollystyle Convention Featured Souvenir Dolls

Color Therapy Vanessa

Finally! Some of my readers may know that Vanessa is my favorite sculpt of all the Fashion Royalty dolls. I spend more time and energy (read: money) on them than most of my other dolls. I don't stop until they look gorgeous. Color Therapy arrived on the scene with too much hair. No amount of combing or hair tamer worked. So I bit the bullet and boiled a pot of water and used it to straighten her hair. Believe it or not, the result - which looks like she has had a light perm - was the straightest I could get it! I think it's much better than before.

Here are two earlier photos of her. In these, her hair has been combed out but I couldn't get it into a pleasing style.

More about → Color Therapy Vanessa