Other IDEX Highlights and Reviews

DRESSMAKER DETAILS

On Saturday, before the doors were open to the public, I was chatting with Steven Fraser of Dressmaker Details. As you may know, DD now has two lines of fashions. The new line is called Pink Label Paks. They are simply designed and less expensive than the regular fashions. Take a look at this and tell me which line you think it belongs in.

Strolling Along $45.

Believe it or not, it's a Pink Label Pak. I want one. The style is a timeless sheath with a matching swing coat. The fabric looks like silk but isn't. I do want to see how the coat fits over the dress collar. That could be a problem but the sheath by itself with the gold lining and gold shoes are winners! The sheath is available in mauve without a coat for $25.

Here is a fashion from the regular fashion line.

Mon Cheri $85

A doll can never have too many red dresses or too many sparkly rhinestone bracelets!

Steven showed me his wonderful sketchbook. What a treat it was to chat with him about his work.

How about this fabulous black evening coat? Perfect for the opera, isn't it?

Swing Coat $25.

Two poorly behaved gals are seen here fighting over dresses.

For more information about Dressmaker Details, check out their website.

MADAME ALEXANDER CISSY

My Cissy collection consists of five dolls and a few extra outfits. They're all modern Cissy dolls. I mention this because I don't have a connection to the look of vintage Cissy dolls that so many do. I've been a lurking member of the most active Cissy group, however, and from what I've read, 90% of the collectors are very disappointed in the face paint of the new Cissy dolls. The beautifully designed Jason Wu fashions on these dolls were well received but the eye makeup was not. The combination of babyish body and face shape does not do well with runway makeup. I sure would love the clothes!

Envy Cissy 21" LE 200 $349.95

Jason is debuting new Cissy collections this year. In additional to wonderful designs with a 50’s flair and an exquisite make-up palette, Jason has provided these, the 21” Cissys, with newly engineered jointing which includes a concealed shoulder joint, an elbow joint with a 45 degree bend and the most inspired touch of all – adding ball jointed wrists with removable hands which bend and are removable for endless dressing possibilities.

You’ll be green with ENVY when you see this new design by Jason Wu. It, a navy taffeta swing coat with a shawl collar and black belt, is worn over a short-sleeved emerald green, silk dupioni, sheath with a peg skirt. It looks marvelous on 21” Cissy with her black bun and blue eyes. Her face paint looks perfect beneath her fox ‘fur’, pom pom hat that has an attached black net veil which covers the forehead and adds drama to the eyes. A rhinestone necklace, silver, bow shaped earrings and black gloves that reach her elbow, add accents and additional style. As does Envy’s black, platform heels with a black crisscrossed ribbon detail and nude pantyhose. She comes with a martini glass, which you’ll Envy too.

Vice Cissy 21" LE 200 $349.95

21 inch tall Vice Cissy is made of vinyl and shows off her hourglass silhouette wearing a cobalt blue wiggle dress with 3-quarter length sleeves and a black belt. She also wears black matinee gloves, a straw hat and golden jewelry. Fishnet stockings, peep-toe shoes and sunglasses are the finishing touches to her fashionable ensemble. Wearing a jeweled collar is her little black dog, kept close by her side on a golden leash. Vice Cissy is a 2010 edition from Madame Alexander's Couture Collection.

NEO CISSY DOLLS 16"

L'Enfant Terrible LE 200 $134.99

This new fashion doll, as designed by Jason, features a nostalgic Elise sculpt, re-interpreted with a brand new, fully ball jointed body with endless posing possibilities. There are 15 joints in all including neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, bust, hips, knees, ankles, and waist.16” L’Enfant Terrible, a NeoCissy with green eyes, bright red hair in a side-parted ponytail and black nails, has an incredibly daring look. She is presented here in an ensemble that combines a bra-top bodice that has a black fishnet neckline and sleeves with a short black taffeta mini-skirt which is trimmed with black horsehair. Adding additional drama and finishing L’Enfant Terrible’s look is silver rhinestone earrings, black undies with attached garters and black stockings, bright green open-toed booties that have platform heels and a black feathered eye patch that is trimmed with jet caviar beads.

Blu Belle Cissy LE 200 $134.99

16” Blu Belle, a NeoCissy with blue eyes, a large, side-parted, blue Afro and black nails, wears a very chic black taffeta, dropped waist, mini dress. The bodice has a peach ribbon detail stitched to look like a corset and an overlay of ruched, black net with white, flocked, mini polka dots. A strap of the netting extends over one shoulder and the pleated, mini- skirt of the dress has a matching overlay of the same net. Blu Belle’s "‘je ne sais quoi" look is finished by nude pantyhose, orange vinyl, platform sandals, that are accented by orange suede rosettes on the middle strap, silver rhinestone stud earrings and a lacy black eye mask that comes with sticky dots to adhere the mask to the face.

Let the images speak for themselves. I thought the Neo Cissy dolls looked far worse in person than they look in the pictures.

Picture of the Week ~ Not Really

I'm going to reward myself for quitting Farmville by posting some of my own pictures in place of the usual Picture of the Week Award. The truth is that I didn't spend much time on the doll boards this week and I don't have a nominee.
This doll was Cruise Control Vanessa. She was reviewed by me several months ago. She had terrible hair. This photo was taken after I tried to carefully comb out her disaster of a do.

She was re-rooted by Susan Korba who did her usual fantastic job using mixed blonde shades.
Shortly after that I saw a Cruise Control doll whose eyes had been re-done. I had to have mine done as well. When I received her yesterday I couldn't believe how gorgeous she was. Vin Trapani worked his magic and made her more beautiful than the one I saw to begin with.

While I am posting these pictures of her I might as well talk about her outfit. It's a Dressmaker Detail's fashion called "Feet First."This image is the property of Dressmaker Details.

I have wanted it since it was first released months ago but my experience with DD fashions has not been a good one as far as fit and quality of accessories. Originally priced at $79.00, when it went on sale for $35. directly from DD, (plus another $20. for shipping!) I ordered it. I hoped for the best with the skirt and sweater and left the rest to chance.
This time I give DD an A for effort as far as design goes. They have kept it simple except for the silly little bow on the back of the sweater which was easy to remove. The skirt fits nicely and has a tiny zipper closure with a hook at the top. The sweater has real buttons and button holes that are adorable and made very well. One needs a light weight pliers to help close the buttons but it's do-able.
The problem with the sweater is that the seams under the arms keep the doll from lowering her arms close to her body. There's got to be another way to construct a tiny knit sweater so the doll can lower her arms properly. Wu did it with several sweaters. Even Mattel has made a few sweaters that work.
I added the chains. The pearl studs and pearl bracelet come with the fashion.
DD plastic shoes are very good. They fit fairly well and come in lots of good colors. I knew that the tall gold boots weren't going to work; I could tell from their profile. They fit but they are Barbie-ish in look. The red shoes and the gold stretch cord shoes fit but look awkward because the foot bed is too large or off-center. At $79. I would have been very disappointed. At $55., I'm not that unhappy because I didn't expect much. I'm glad I got the skirt and sweater no matter what.
DD does great skirts. Construction techniques can be improved and I will jump for joy when Steven Fraser decides to eliminate the low quality frills and put all the manufacturing effort into the main pieces. Perhaps Steven can learn a few tricks by studying the construction and design of Randall Craig's doll sweaters. Take a look at this beauty. (LE 100 MSRP $58)This gorgeous and beautifully made/fitted fashion from Randall Craig is called The Gold Standard. It is part of his latest line. The skirt has inverted pleats and the sweater fits perfectly. RC still has a long way to go with their shoe fitting problems. These shoes, just like last year's, do not fit properly.
All of Randall's fashions this season come with cigarettes. Perhaps next year they will come with coke and I don't mean in a bottle.

Graphic Language Adele

Graphic Language Adele is one of the most popular and beautiful Fashion Royalty Adeles. She was issued in 2004 dressed in an argyle pattern sweater, black tights, black pumps with gold heels. Her jewelry was rhinestone studs and a pink plastic cuff bangle with a W monogram embedded with 3 rhinestones. She came with an adorable pink round travel case. GL Adele was the first Adele with the new Adele sculpt. She was on a straight arm body. One thousand of these dolls were issued at a retail price of $59.99.

In the photo above, Adele has been given a tall articulated body and is wearing "Sugar Plum" a Dressmaker Details creation. Believe it or not, I have removed two layers of this gown and it's still pouffy and huge. Unfortunately, the gown is being held closed with a safety pin because they were all made too tight for the large busted FR body. I bought this gown when it first came out and I just couldn't get over how much it looked like a crocheted or tulle toilet-paper-cover-doll that my students' parents would make for me at Christmas when I was a teacher. I returned the gown at that time. This time I got it at a very reduced price on eBay with the intention of cutting it down. It looks nice on Adele when she is seated like this.
Jewelry is by Bev Shahab.

Tatyana - New Fashion Royalty Character

I look up everything on Wikipedia.

Tatyana is a Slavic female name derived from the Roman name Tatianus, which was derived from the Roman clan name Tatius. Saint Tatiana is considered a patron saint of students and Tatiana Day is now an official school holiday for students in Russia. There was a Princess Tatiana Konstantinovna of Russia (right) and her distant cousin Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia. (below)

I might also add that Tatiana is the name of a Siberian tiger who bit a zookeeper's arm severely and about one year later, after an escape from the tiger grotto, killed one patron who had been taunting the tiger and injured two others. The tiger was killed by police.

Fortunately none of these pictures looks in any way like the doll we received on the last night of the 2008 Jason Wu Convention, although the Princess looks to have been quite beautiful. Our Tatyana has pale porcelain-looking 'skin' and is wearing an unusual dress and hat as you can see in my photos.

The dress is constructed meticulously and fits perfectly. The shoes echo the royal blue and black of the garment. She sports a large faceted blue rhinestone ring which I love and her earrings and bracelet match except fot the big plastic drop hanging from the earring. That is the only sour note in the entire ensemble. Why the big blue plastic blob when the rest of the jewelry is metal and rhinestones?
The hat sits well atop her updo. It is a stunning hat but I need a faux fur wrap to match, perhaps with little fox heads and tails. That would be so fun.
Today I changed her outfit. I took some time holding garments up to her face to find a color that would not make her look washed out. Here are the results:

Tatyana is wearing a gown made by a Thai dressmaker and Agnes' Drama Behind the Drama faux fur coat. I think she is staying.

Dressmaker Details - More Isn't Always Better

When Stephen Fraser began designing for the 11 - 12 inch crowd, he stated that his fashions would be similar to those his wife might wear. I took that to mean they would be classic designs, not overdone or gaudy. There have been many fashions that fulfilled that description that were lovely and simple and enhanced the appearance of the dolls. Some of them were a bit dowdy-looking because of the colors used; many of them had fitting issues and most of them included accessories that looked cheap.
I have avoided buying any DD fashions first hand for the last two years. Those that I did buy were sold to others not long after arriving in my collection. On impulse I purchased a new outfit at the Wu Convention recently. This is called Kalyna. According to Wikipedia, Kalyna is a highbush cranberry plant found in East Central Alberta Canada. It's flowers are white and the red fruits which look like cranberries are edible.
OK...so now I know why the outfit was called Kalyna - it's red. It has white flowers in the spring and bright red edible berries in the fall. The stole is white. That's where the outfit's sense ends.
It looked really cute on the model at the show table. I needed more red clothes for my holiday doll picture.
I put it on one of my prettiest dolls and took it off an hour later. This image is from the Dressmaker Details website and it's a great picture! I love the white couch and the 'painting' behind it.

The first thing I did when I took it out of it's package was to remove the small ribbon bow which holds a tear drop shaped rhinestone at the bust line. It just didn't make sense with all that other jewelry. It comes with thigh high panty hose which never stay up so I just left them in the box. The necklace is over-scaled for these dolls. I may put it on one of my 16 inch gals The earrings have an odd aurora borealis bead between the stud and the dangle; I removed it. It was at that point that I realized that things were added to the ensemble just to have more stuff. More isn't always better and it doesn't make up for a lack of fine design. The little white gloves and cheap-looking stole were useless. The silver clutch bag has sparkly ornamentation on the flap. Meh.
And then we have the shoes. At least they fit.
I am spoiled by the haute couture of Jason Wu's fashions. When other companies charge similar prices to those of Integrity Toys, I have come to expect similar quality and I am disappointed.
Can you guess how much this outfit cost? I feel like such a jerk. It was $85.00. I know. Stop laughing.

10-20-07 Hommes

The Homme Boys are on their way to a new home. I sold all my male dolls and the extra clothes and accessories. they just didn't do anything for me. I'm also selling off my 16" Tonner dolls. I kept the most beautiful but it's time for them to move on. I love the turnover and making room for new goodies. There's a new Hana on the way from Korea! She is the Halloween special limited version. Quite a few new items are on the horizon besides Fashion Royalty dolls. Articulated Kish Riley and 16" Ghost of Christmas Past will be here next week.
Yesterday I sat down to the anticipated pleasure of deboxing Sugar Plum, the huge convention exclusive gown.
It is too tight around the bust. I knew I shouldn't have bought this dress. What a waste of $100. It reminds me of a Puerto Rican crocheted lace toilet paper roll cover that used to be popular in the 50's. It's huge and gathered and fluffy and over the top. Oh well. Perhaps if I get one that fits, it will look dramatic. It will also need it's own room...LOL.
I got my preview copy of this quarter's issue of FDQ and I was floored to see that my interview of Joy was given 6 glorious pages. My images are amazing. One takes up an entire page. Whoever laid it out did a great job.

10-21-06 Why am I buying these?

So I'm sitting here getting stiff and wasting my life browsing for Kelly items. Ugh. Why? I also want to keep checking the board to see who is offering convention items at a decent price. What is this need to keep accumulating more and more dolls? I have so many that I really love. They have lots of play value and I can barely keep up with photographing them. I really just want their clothes anyway. I don't have room for more dolls. I did manage to score the new Monsieur Z head and dress kit for $10. That was a steal.

So dumb. I don't even really like those faces. I want to close the mouth so she doesn't look like she has buck teeth. It seems to me that Integrity is giving the attendees leftovers as many of the gifts. The outfits from the first day were Playline items. Dressmaker Details gave out the usual blue shoes. The Integrity note cards and billfold with bracelet were new and useless items (to me.) I do like the diorama backdrop. It looks like a good item to use in photos. I'm sure many will be selling that one. I used the Barbie diorama items from the Barbie convention in many shots. That was a worthwhile purchase. And yesterday I made a deal to trade a premium Adele nude for a NRFB Fashion Royalty bed with someone who lives in the state of Washington. I want to set up some dioramas. I recently got some vintage Sindy items such as a room divider and a writing desk with bench. Also got a lounger and some beach umbrellas. That will be fun.

The rerooting of Traveler by Nature Veronique is coming along slowly but nicely. I am using black hair with some plugs of reddish orange. At first it looked like a Halloween wig....then it didn't...but in the end, it will look very contrived. That's OK. I am having fun and it is different.

It's Gothy. If I were going to IFDC next year, she could be entered in that category.
But I'm not.

Here's a funny offer from a buyer. She was interested in both premium Adeles but wanted to know if I would sell just the heads. I replied that I would but the price would be the same. Duh. What would I do with two headless AA bodies?

I have only three AA Fashion Royalty dolls remaining since I decided to stop collecting Adeles. I had all of them at one time and saved my favorite three but they have to go now. Via Venetto Adele was my first Fashion Royalty doll and she will probably be the last Adele to go. Her picture is above. You'd never know it is her because she is wearing a wig.