2/27/2011

IT 2011 New Dolls ~ Part I ~ Vanessa and Fashion Royalty

Where do I begin? This was a massive amount of dolls in an impressive collection which spanned almost every current single line produced except for Avant Guard. I think I was lucky that I could not be on-line during the reveal as I was not affected by any emotional overtones or pitches. It wasn't until I began to get emails from fellow collectors who know my attachment to the Vanessa Fashion Royalty doll that I actually began to look at the new dolls on the small screen on my iPhone.  Now, almost 24 hours later, I have been digesting the dolls and I am ready to write.

Apparently the biggest storm is over the perceived change in Vanessa's sculpt. Even before I read the pages and pages of troubled and unhappy comments I had her on my pre-order list.  At first I thought, oh good, now my addiction to that sculpt is over and I don't HAVE to have every one anymore. And then as I looked at her more, I realized that it was only her hair that I didn't like. It was in the style of Shirred Not Shaken. Remember her?
Shirred Not Shaken
 I have pulled several images of recently produced Vanessa dolls for comparison in order to show that there is really very little difference in the new sculpt, if any at all.
 What has changed is the painting of the lips and the drama. That started already with the last Vanessa shown in the lower left of the composite and the shape of the jaw - see it in the lower right and the upper left. If you think her cheekbone structure is gone - it's the lighting of the photograph. It's very easy to flatten an image if you light it equally from all angles or light it too much.
Most of us have multiples of particular sculpts - all painted differently with differently colored and differently styled hair. Many collectors re-root brand new dolls; others tweak their looks slightly with paint or just by restyling the hair.  If no one had told me that this version of Vanessa was redone "in order to keep the family resemblance" (with Veronique) going, I wouldn't have known the difference. I would have thought that they chose to paint her lips without the teeth showing. She's got the same huge eyebrows, the same nose, the same everything. I don't think she looks like Vero II. I didn't think the original looked like Vanessa either.

And if I am wrong (!?%#*!?* ) then the designers are shooting themselves in the collective foot by messing with the most popular character ever since the beginning of Fashion Royalty and one has to wonder what the thought process is or if anyone is even thinking.


Last year when I was still carrying on a one-woman protest about the retiring of Veronique's sculpt, I sarcastically posted that they should just go ahead and retire Vanessa at the same time. Whoa!!! There was a small uprising from the rank and file...no, don't change Vanessa, blah, blah. It was obvious that no one wanted to see her change.

Let's look at the rest of the new Fashion Royalty line which will have applied eyelashes although not for the purposes of photography. There are 12 dressed dolls and two separate fashions.
Three female and two male  dolls are new characters! Someone has definitely been working overtime.

Quiet Storm Annik™  London Mist Imogen™  Easy Elegance Korinne™
Nothing here is exciting even if it is new. Tights, shorts, short coats. Whatever.  Each doll retails for $110.

Silent Partner Romain Perrin™ &  Fast Track Victor James™ $125. each.
Romain is very interesting and if I collected male figures, I'd definitely be interested. I would like a more mature looking male but I love what he's wearing and the look is very cool. Victor looks like Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper.  Any minute now he'll step into into a phone booth (if he can find one) whip open his trench and fly out as Superman-With-A-Tan. (SWAT) His coat looks very ill-fitting unless the guy has the most amazing pecs.

It was fun looking for this picture.
In The Trenches and True Blues Luxury Wear™ Fashion $75. each.
Cute in a little girl, Nu-Face and Dynamite Girl way. 
Pencil Me In Eugenia Perrin Frost™   Scene Stealer Isha™    Porcelain Beauty Kesenia™    High Brow Adèle Makéda®
Eugenia still retains her gorgeous face (for now)but the hairstyle is supremely unattractive. Isha doesn't look like Isha anymore. Kesenia is frightening-looking with that mouth, but I love the outfit and I ordered her. I'm on the fence about Adele. She looks like the classic beauty Adele that I love and I do like the outfit. I just can't make up my mind. I have a feeling that Korrine's jacket matches Adele's pants but I'm not buying Korinne just for the jacket. These dolls are $110. each.

Leading Man Lukas Maverick™   Dress Code Vanessa Perrin®     Breaking The Mold Véronique Perrin®
Lukas ($125.) comes in colors. Vanessa ($110.) has been discussed already. Veronique isn't Veronique ($110.) She will always be an impostor to me.

Estimated delivery of all dolls appears to be the Second Quarter of 2011. (April, May, June)

15 comments:

  1. I know I complain a lot about prices, but still trying to understand why a doll with just a dress is at same price point as the ones with a complete outfit (trench coat included). It kind of irks me.

    Your comments on AA male is hilarious. I am done with the over use of Takeo's face mold. I am still waiting for a new and mature facemold.

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  2. Thanks for the comparison of the Vanessas. They do look similar to the new version when placed side-by-side. I'll be curious to see "live" owner pics of the new Vanessa when the dolls are produced.

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  3. ugh..I love Eugenia Annik and Imogen (who named this poor thing?) the rest are Ok, Adele looks pretty but how many of them with a Pony tail? enough already, the whole collection looks very grey...isn't tis supposed to be their spring summer collection?

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  4. Gold? Hmmm. Sounds like you have some Jewish descent or you're - not that I have ANYTHING against Jews. I loooove'm. They're descendants of Christ. You rock, girl!

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  5. @Kold_Kadavr_flatliner:
    I rarely criticize those who post comments but you sound like an idiot. Maybe it's your ancestors.
    T

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  6. I was eagerly waiting for your take on this. I like several of these, but since I can't afford them anyway I won't be crying into my pillow over them.

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  7. I realize the scream over the change on Vanessa since it was so unexpected! But, the sculpt is so similar to the past, so I can't believe it's that upsetting to people. I like the new sculpt, still very pretty. I like the new Korrine and Anik since they haven't used her much, but the fashion outfits are too similar, don't you think??! I hate getting dolls that are too similiar, tough choice here.

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  8. I'm just laughing at the lug nut who said Jews are descendants of Christ. LOL!

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  9. @Maria99:
    I'm just cracking up reading that again.
    T

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  10. I don't mean to sound negative but I'm bored by IT's fashion sense here. Either shorts or short skirts and all in shades of black/white/grey. The dolls look like they work at a law firm^^ The clothes seem to lack some imagination.

    Ariss

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  11. PS- I really enjoyed that pic of the pecs in the middle there. Always nice to see a great set of pecs. All muscular and firm.......... I'm sorry, what was I talking about?

    Steven

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  12. Vanessa is destroyed. She now has Poppy Parker lips. Many find Poppy cute. I don't.

    Poor Vanessa, this is a tragedy

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  13. I didn't end up sending my original comment! I thought something looked odd when I clicked "post comment" and then went on to post my PS. LOL so my "PS" was to nothing!

    i really liked the fashions offered this time. I have never been a gown person, and I love the mix and match fashions.

    and I still don't get the "gold" comment the guy made. And that would have to do with your doll blog because........? People are strange.

    Anyway, now my PS will seem less random! LOL

    Steven

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  14. My fave Vanessa is 'Pale Fire". Her entire outfit is beautiful & her face-up is perfect. Why are Integrity trying to 'fix' something that ain't broke? The same goes for Veronique. I wouldn't have recognised her!
    BTW I love the pic of pecs & I DO think Integrity are not producing the dolls that we all knew & still love!

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  15. Well at least they have a fair amount of dolls of color. I am so frustrated with the lack of dolls of color at there especially the male dolls.

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