Home, Again

Another convention under our belts! It's so interesting to go to conventions put on by varied doll manufacturers.  The dolls are amazing but more than that is interacting with the employees of a doll company like this one. Listening to Robert Tonner talk about himself, his sculpting, decision making and creative process is enlightening. He talks about the company and getting licenses ... or not getting them.  He introduces his pattern makers, designers, tech people and who knows what else they do but they're all there! There are no great mysteries about who designed what or what's coming up or why something wasn't done. There's no reason for secrecy. He's funny, droll and his love of costumes is amazing. They all dress up. I'm guessing that's the first thing they agree to when they are interviewed. They probably don't ask for a resume´; they just want to see who you've been for the last five Halloweens.  You know I'm kidding but it's definitely a company that plays.
I am thrilled with my purchase of the Queen of Hearts centerpiece. I have her set up in my dining room temporarily and she is entrancing with her stern gaze and sculptural cheekbones. I love her!

During the coming week I will take time to photograph her with my studio camera. She is a very special doll. I also want to shoot her next to Elise Jolie to show their similarities. The Queen came holding a male doll head. I have  heard there were only 40 of those heads and they are very desirable. Who knew?

I'd  like to direct everyone who wants to see pictures of every doll from this event to go to Dreamcastle Dolls where Carol is compiling a database of them. She is pulling pictures from all sources.
Here is the link: 2011 Tonner Halloween Convention Scary Tales

Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't look at my pretty pictures but Carol has done so much work on her Tonner Doll database that you ought to get to know about it and that's one way.

Going backwards, I never did talk about the crazy funny program put on for the Cinderella brunch. I did mention the story that ended with Cindy becoming queen of the zombies but I failed to discuss that we were participants in the story. Each of us was provided with a kit of tools to use during the story which consisted of a sponge, bubbles, a loaded water gun (yes, it was filled with water), a clapper, paper, sword and I don't remember what else. During the crazy story, we were prompted to do things. When the water gun prompt began it was hysterical. People started shooting eachother all over the room. Robert said this morning that he learned never to give loaded water guns to a roomful of middle aged people. I don't know if the age of the people mattered. Water guns are fun! Throwing sponges around is fun, too. You had to be there.

Last night we came into the dining room to find Pat Henry's beautiful book at each of our places. Pat amused us with a brief talk. The book, which, by the way, contains lots of my photos, is definitely worth purchasing. And then you might even want to read it.  Where can you get it? TONNER: Two Decades of Fashion & Design

Suggestion to event planners: dinner music should be soft so people can TALK to eachother without having to shout. The band, except for the sax player, was not all that good but they did make a lot of noise. 

 A  highlight of every convention is the presentation of the event souvenir. She is called Eye of the Beholder and is a very Gothic reinterpretation of "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast, which was the dinner theme. Her hair is pink and black as is her fashion which is lush.

Here is Tonner's photo of Beauty with her Beast. He's quite the hunk as were all the male companion dolls at this event.

This morning we came in to the Harry Potter breakfast to find Harry and Hermione on the table. These are two very realistic-looking sculpts. The thing I liked most about them were their clothes, especially what Harry was wearing. Their bodies are Matt O'Neill size for Harry and flat-footed Tyler for Hermione.They will be offered as part of the regular Tonner Harry Potter line.

I've left so much out. There were so many dolls to see. I was very good. Hehe. More will be revealed in the days to come as I sort through more than 300 pictures.

Tonner: Two Decades of Fashion & Design

Robert Tonner celebrates twenty years in the business this year. FDQ has published this limited edition book featuring highlights from the past two decades. From his first porcelain models to Freedom For Fashion, this is a wonderful guide to the highlights of one of the most creative and successful artists in the doll industry. Color, 148 pages LE 1000 

Click here to order this gorgeous book for only $32.99 FDQ ships internationally.

A Kentourage for Ken by Pat Henry, Editor of Fashion Doll Quarterly

Article reprinted by permission of the author, Pat Henry. I have added the pictures below.

A Kentourage for Ken

 As we continue to celebrate Ken’s birthday as well as his reunion with Barbie in 2011, it is fun to look back at Ken through the years and his many styles of dress. Certainly, his place as Barbie’s consort meant a lot of coordinating looks. “Dreamboat” by itself is just a few pieces of sportswear, but putting Barbie and Ken in the roadster while Babs is in “Open Road” becomes an entire narrative.

Certainly, the matching cheerleader/football player is a classic, as is the costume party pairing of “Pierrot” and “Pierrette”, along with the fantasy driven costumes for the Little Theatre, like “Cinderella” and “The Prince”. But to me, the realistic and well made details of “The Yachtsman” or “Rally Day” reminds me of my own father’s wardrobe. The smell of after shave and soap, along with the classic lines of a striped tee shirt, or a driving cap and a Macintosh raincoat, combine to form a tiny time capsule of early sixties high style, when men (and women) still dressed for work and play with a certain sensibility.

Of course, Ken continued to stay abreast of the fashion times. After disappearing for a while during the sixties, Ken made the first of many comebacks with a brand new look. Now, he was “buff” and fit, ready to hit the beaches of Malibu as a blond, or take up extreme grooming with newly rooted hair and sideburns. His clothes stayed apace with Barbie’s; the prints became louder, the pant legs wider. Ken sported turtlenecks more often than ties, and left best bud Allan behind for Brad, a much hipper dude of color. Ken embraced rock and disco, sports cars and guitars.

At this time, I remember more of my male friends actually being allowed their own Ken dolls. Whether they wore their mothers down, or they just swiped their sister’s dolls, it didn’t seem like such a big deal to play “Barbies” with the neighborhood girls. (That may have been due to our stealing their G.I. Joes, but that’s another story for another time.) These dolls were no longer just Barbie and Ken, they were secret agents, astronauts, and rock stars, reflecting our growing interest in pop culture and the adult world around us.

Depending on your age, you probably have your favorite Ken. Mine was the first “Talking” Ken. I thought he was just dreamy. His dazzling smile and his groovy short-sleeved Nehru jacket was just fabulous! But there are so many other Kens for different times and different generations that must be represented, so I recently flew to Los Angeles and headed to El Segundo for a special photo shoot featuring the entire “Kentourage”.

Not only was it a thrill to work in Mattel’s photo studios, but also everyone had a favorite Ken and a story to go with it. Paul Jordan shot an amazing group photo that will become a centerfold spread in our special issue of FDQ, and the soundstage set looked like something from the MGM lot. Mary Jordan did the styling, placing each Ken perfectly on set, looking as though they were talking and interacting with each other. Lars Auvinen is the secret star of these shoots. He designs the sets, and molds and paints tiny pieces of wood and foam into the astounding miniature world that Ken resides in.

In an era where everyone assumes “it’s Photoshoppped”, it is truly a treat to see a full scale set with tiny phones, working doors and a boom camera hanging over the dolls’ heads as if they are actors ready to go on set. Make sure you get to see this amazing photograph in FDQ and on the Barbie Collector site. It’s part of Ken’s history and something to cherish.
___

Pat Henry is the publisher and editor of Fashion Doll Quarterly. She is a former fashion stylist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology in the Photography Department. Pat lives in NYC with her husband Hal and their fox terrier, Bo, and a large assortment of fashion dolls and action figures.

Paul Phamm's Numina Devon Has Arrived

My Numina Devon, an FDQ exclusive, arrived today. I had just a little time to take her out of her box and admire her.
She is even more beautiful in hand than in photos. Her creamy silk dress has amazing metal epaulets which are topped with beading...just gorgeous.
Her sueded joints look wonderful and I am looking forward to playing with other fashions and wigs after I photograph her.

Photo FDQ/Alexandra Forbes

Paul posted the photo of the OOAK Devon, below, on his site. He created her for Leigh (Leigh in ME) who produced the necklaces for the FDQ Devon. It's another gorgeous creation.

Paul Phamm

Numina Devon is a limited edition of 50. Price is $750. which includes shipping.
For information on availability click here.

Fashion Doll Quarterly - Winter 2010 Issue

You're not seeing double. There are two covers this quarter. One will be on the newsstands and the other is for subscribers. Both covers feature the new FDQ exclusive, Devon, a Numina by Paul Pham. Devon is a gorgeous 16 inch resin BJD who wears an exclusive Patta Art wig. Her silk dress sports embellished gold epaulettes. Her bra beautifully fills in the V bodice shape.  This issue contains many wonderful photographs of Devon by Alexandra Forbes showing her in different wigs and fashions.
Devon is a Limited Edition of only 50 dolls and is available only through FDQ for $750. Mail order forms are being accepted until November 15, 2010 as long as the supply lasts. After that, there will be a lottery if dolls remain.

More information and to order click here.

Paul Pham's Dollcis Website

Rumor: The Magazine "Haute Doll" May Be Closing Down Production

If you go to the Haute Doll site and try to order a subscription or renew an existing one you will get the message "no products found."
Yesterday the unconfirmed statement that they were shutting down erupted on one of the doll boards and spread like wild fire. Later in the day, HD sent the message that they would be issuing a statement. They did not say when.
I'm rather surprised as I thought the last issue of Haute Doll was one of their best!
I know something went wrong recently with their ordering system during a big event and shortly after that they went on leave for a while.
In spite of the fact that I write for FDQ, I enjoyed most of what HD had to offer. The main focus of each publication is different.

Perhaps they were overextended with the amount of exclusives they took on. We may never know the underlying problem. Right now, we're just waiting for some explanation.

Some of their recent exclusives have been Sybarite: The Cross; Dolci Bambola Giftset and Peak's Woods Goldie.

 While I'm sure The Cross (LE 150) sold out even with it's $820. price tag, I don't know about the  LE60 Bambola for $510.  That's quite a specialized type of doll and I know of just one person who purchased one. The Peak's Wood doll (LE 40 @ $760-$810) is the latest and part of an entire collection of exclusives which included many fashions. When the ordering for those items opened up, that was when their system went haywire.

Previously they offered an exclusive Traveler Innoquii. This doll had to be practically given away she was so disliked. Ditto for the Valia Pivoine whose initial price point was ridiculous, was put on sale and then the W Club wound up having a 2 for 1 lottery on their leftover Valias. 

I always thought those two dolls resembled eachother. In a prior blog post, I parodied a Haute Doll cover which featured Innoqui with my version of Valia whom I named Innoquous.

Now she needs a cover.

Must be the new Abused Woman style.

Deneuve asks...

"Why on earth are you wasting your time with other dolls when you have me now?"
This lovely lady arrived in the midst of a mountain of Gene Convention goodies. The poor dear has only had a quick point & shoot session with a toy camera. She deserves so much more and when I get the time she will be introduced to the camera which resides upon a tripod in my studio.
But since you asked, here are some of her initial shots.


Deneuve comes with a different wig than the Monique Gold one she is wearing in these pictures. I can't wait to put several other size 4/5 wigs on her that I recently purchased. They fit perfectly.


Once you hold this doll in your hands, you won't be able to let go. Her resin is smooth and silky. Her articulation is superior and she can pose like a dream. Deneuve is ultra-pale with an non-standard proportion to her sculpt that turned me off at first. This sculptor marches to the beat of her own drum and I'm willing to open up to a different beauty.

She comes with 'dressing hands' that are ball shaped attachments which one removes after the doll is dressed. Her hands are graceful and her fingernails are carefully manicured as are her toenails.

She can stand without the doll stand but I didn't trust the possibility of a gust of wind out-of-doors.

As far as her outfit goes - under the dress is a lacy bodysuit. The dress itself is a sheer silk. Her corset is a warm platinum colored resin with easy to open and close metal hook-type thingies in the back. The boots are the same color as the corset and are properly made so she can stand correctly with the sole and heel of the boot in contact with the ground. Yay!

Deneuve has the new body with improved articulation and is part of the JAMIEshow line sold at Angelic Dreamz. She is a FDQ exclusive doll with a limited edition of only 50 dolls.

You know you want one.
Contact Pat Henry at FDQ for updated purchase information or call 1 (212) 961-0662.

Picture of the Week Award ~ March 14, 2010

Our featured photographer is Denise Jefferson aka DeeinNJ. Dee is well known and admired for her creative dioramas and uncanny ability to use items commonly discarded to create settings for 1/6 scale dolls. This week's photo shows The Soiree Silkstone Barbie doll in a OOAK gown whose creator is unknown. The fur is from Silver Society Veronique and the jewelry is Joe Tai. The tiara is original to the doll.

Dee Jefferson

In this shot Soiree Barbie is making her red carpet entrance. The set was created using Barbie's red carpet runway, red posterboard, red felt, a potted plant and a cityscape backdrop. The steps are packaging inserts from the FR Loft Collection.
Dee used a Nikon Coolpix 880 camera. Lighting is natural daylight. Her suggestion to other doll photographers is to pose the doll the way a person might pose. Use props for realism.
Dee has a feature piece in the quarterly publication Fashion Doll Quarterly (FDQ) magazine. You can also see more of her beautiful work in this album.

Congratulations, Dee, on the Picture of the Week Award. I always look forward to your photos.

Picture of the Week Award ~ December 6, 2007

This week's featured photograph is as much about the doll as the photography. They both deserve the spotlight.
Alexandra Forbes is a well known photographer in the fashion doll world. Not only is she the Creative Editor for FDQ, she is a regular participant on the doll board Prego and that is where she posted this amazing photograph of the Ficon doll, ME IN.

I asked Alexandra to tell us about the doll and how she made the photograph.

The doll featured in the photograph is produced by Ficon doll http://www.ficondoll.com/

Her name is "ME IN." This is a traditional Korean name meaning "Beautiful Woman." ME IN, herself, is a high quality resin 16 inch fashion doll and part of a new gift set that has just been released by the doll manufacturer, Ficon Doll. Her beautiful wig, tights, shoes and the gown are all part of this amazing gift set. The image you see featured on her gown is one of the original (ME IN) based in Korean history, which adds a very special touch to this Versace inspired gown.

My photograph was taken in a black lighting cube tent with a highly polished black veneered surface as the floor. The doll reclines on a simple plastic riser. Keeping everything monochrome and simple helped to lend high drama and keep the focus on this exquisite doll.

With gorgeous photography and dolls like this, the dolls will be very hard to get! That's what makes it worth it to many in the doll collecting hobby.

Congratulations, Alex, on the Picture of the Week Award!

You can see more of Alexandra's beautiful photography at her website: Alex's Attic.

Purse of the Month Feature Article in FDQ

This article was one of my first and at the time the most ambitious one I had undertaken. I had already collected many of the POM's that had been issued but I was missing the equivalent of almost an entire year's worth. I put out the request to buy or borrow from the collectors out there and three trusting and generous souls mailed me several handbags so I could photograph them.
Clicking on each picture will enlarge it somewhat.

Joy Jarred: My FDQ Feature Article

This group of images is from the FDQ feature article I did for the theme entitled Accessories. I interviewed Joy Jarred and photographed her creations on my dolls. Joy is a doll herself and gave me the jewelry as a gift after the shoot.
Clicking on each image will enlarge the image but the text will not be large enough for most people to read. I will place the article text at the bottom of this post soon.

1-25-07 Miami Shine, Mauve Absolue, Rare Creature

This doll, Miami Shine Veronique, is more beautiful than I expected. She has the glamour of Flirtatious Veronique. I love her!

Four of the seven dolls I put up for sale yesterday are sold. They are all the Kyoris and the redhead close-up Veronique. I'm not surprised.
Notification of the impending arrival of True Royalty came via email. I am trying to sell the dress but I was asking a very high price. I don't think this doll will get the money of FDQ Vanessa. Personally, I'd rather have FDQ than this weird doll. Her hair is strange and she has that Pompadour doll eyemakeup. It's way too heavy and not pretty at all. Including her there will be three new dolls within the next month - Fashion Royalty dolls, that is. I'm really looking forward to seeing the W Club Agnes doll. There's no word about their arrival date, though.