Twilight's Bad Guys (and a Girl)

Three new Twilight character figures were announced today by the Tonner Doll Co. If you haven't read the series, these three are a small nomadic group of vampires who provide most of the plot of Twilight. Victoria is a major bitch.You may or you may not be wondering what happened to her shoes. This trio of phlebotomists goes shoeless. What? Did you think they forgot shoes for the dolls? Victoria actually comes with flat and high-heel feet so she can run around on her toes. Doesn't everyone?

Laurent doesn't play much of a role in the books, but this doll is the best of the three IMO. I love the faux leather jacket and the tight cords. He's even got the tops of his boxer shorts sticking up from above his belt.James is a serious predator. His outfit makes more sense to me. I don't understand why they describe him as "devilishly handsome." This doll is the only one out of all of Tonner's vampires that actually has a sickly pallor and could be a vampire.

Pictures above: Tonner Doll and Me! Mine is the second one of each pair of shots.

When I saw these dolls at the reveal at the Tonner store last month I wondered why one would want the bad vampire dolls. Then again, why would anyone want vampire dolls in the first place? Logic does not belong in this discussion.
I understand the attraction to Edward as he is highly romanticized in the book. I have to admit that I read them all...at least I think I read them. They're like Chinese food. You're hungry again shortly after reading them. They are quick reading, not frightening (unless you know good literature) and possibly entertaining if you want to know what the teeny boppers are screaming about.
All I want from this trio is the clothes.

The suggested retail price for each doll is $179.00. Apparently between August and now, the price was raised by $20 per doll. Did the economy suddenly get better when I wasn't looking? You may be able to see the price on the cards of my photos. It says $159. These vampires exact quite a price, don't they?
Production is 1000 of each and they are due to arrive from the beginning of October through December.
Pre-Order at Cherished Friends for $153.

What did I do with that garlic necklace?

Aren't they cute?

Adrian "A Woman of Means" Fashion ~ Hollywood Ahoy Convention

I did not know anything about Adrian previously. When I saw photographs of "A Woman of Means" I knew I had to have the fashion. Now that I have it, I'm thrilled that I can dress a doll in such a stylish and beautifully made outfit. Here is a brief bio and photo of Adrian which I have snatched from the internet:

Adrian, Gilbert, 1903–59, popularly known simply as Adrian, fashion designer, b. Naugatuk, Conn.

Educated in New York City, he created designs for Broadway shows until 1925, when he moved to Hollywood. As studio designer at MGM studios (1928–41), he created glamorous clothing for such stars as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, and Katharine Hepburn, his opulent designs influencing haute couture throughout the 1930s and 40s. Adrian was known for his extravagant, draped evening gowns; hooded dresses; embroidered, padded evening jackets; and elegant suits. He was creative director for MGM's Wizard of Oz (1939), one of his most acclaimed productions; the same year he married actress Janet Gaynor. From 1942 to 1952 he ran a fashionable Beverly Hills salon.

The suit: there was been a great deal of discussion on one doll board regarding where this suit was manufactured. No definitive answer came about as a result of those queries. I didn't see it as relevant in any event.

None of these are meant to be seen as artistic images. They are for showing the style and details of the garments and accessories.

The outfit came with lots of pieces: jacket, skirt, sleeveless shell, handbag, shoes, gloves, earrings, bracelet, hat and faux fur. It was packaged almost identically to the way Ashton Drake packaged the Gene line fashions. There was a lovely ribbon tied around the box with a tag.

I had heard that although the fashion was created for Robert Tonner's Joan Crawford doll that it would fit other 16 in dolls as well. Heavenly Gene needed a change of clothes so she got lucky. Did it fit? The waist and hips of the skirt are visibly large. The bottom of the shell hangs loosely but overall the suit looks very good. It is easy to put on - no struggling with hooks or ill fitting shoes.

The inside of the jacket looks almost as good as the outside. The lining is a royal purple - I love that. The label is a replica of Adrian's original label! The stole is wired for shaping when placing it on the doll. That's a great detail. My stole needs to be aired out as it has a weird odor as if it's been stored too long in a basement in China. Not that I'd know what a Chinese basement would smell like...

The gorgeous metal and rhinestone embellishments truly make the suit. The one at the waist is not laying properly. If it really bothered me, I would make a temporary tack with three stitches to get it to lay flat. It's making a slight right turn as it is now.

The bling, in addition to that which is sewn on to the suit, consists of a multi-strand rhinestone bracelet and dangling rhinestone earrings.

The large zippered handbag and open toed pumps are black patent leather. There is something a little off about the tops of the shoes at the opening. They are too long - unless this is a style of which I am not aware.

The hat...I really didn't know what to do with it. I put it on and turned it this way and that and still couldn't find a pleasing way for her to wear it.

This outfit cost $129. and was available as an optional purchase at the Hollywood Ahoy Convention which just took place in Long Beach, California in August. There are a few still available. Buy one! You will not be disappointed.

Here is the link to purchase Hollywood Ahoy souvenirs that may still be available:

http://sandrastillwell.com/2009/
Tell Sandra I sent you!

Picture of the Week Award ~ August 30, 2009

This photograph of Style Mantra Eden is sure to brighten any computer monitor. I love the colorful, casual fashion and the relaxed pose of the doll. It's young and fresh. The photograph was taken by Nina, a W Club member, who told me that the outfit is from the "Souol by Louos" shop on Etsy.

Congratulations, Nina, on this wonderful photo.

Integrity Toys Announces Two New AvantGuard Dolls

Two new 16 inch AvantGuard dolls from Integrity Toys will join the ranks shortly. One is called Attention! and is an exclusive to Chelsea's Collector Cottage in Australia. This doll is limited to 300 worldwide. The retail price is $304. AUD which equals US $253.91. The least expensive shipping to the United States is $45.30 AUD or US $37.85. The doll will cost me $291.76! YIKES.
The other doll is called No Exaggeration. This gal has caused a bit of a stir because of the pants she is wearing. Whether they're called harem or dhoti pants, they're "out there" and they are freaking some collectors out. What I don't understand is that collectors seem to want high style and when they get it it scares them. She is priced at $220. and is limited to 400 dolls worldwide. She can be ordered from any AvantGuard dealer. With shipping from my dealer who is in a neighboring state, she will cost me about $232. That's about $60 less than the one from Australia. The Oz exclusive itself before shipping is nearly $40 more. I can't figure out why. No Exaggeration's fashion is more complex and interesting.
Some collectors have been commenting on the uber-colorful eye screening. The same complaint is heard with Fashion Royalty dolls, too. They're saying the doll is not as versatile. Does every doll have to wear shades of ochre and gray? It sounds funny coming from me but I've learned to wait until I see the doll in person. The change in my perception began with Aphrodisiac. I thought her eyes were freaky and that she looked like a zombie with her huge curly wig and black rings around her eyes. I never did get to liking that wig but the doll herself became beautiful and ultra-fashionable in my eyes after a short while. When the last set of basic Fashion Royalty dolls came out, I thought Vanessa looked diseased because of the dark blue/black lips. Now, redressed and with her hair crimped, she's one of the most stylish of my Vanessas.

I've also heard complaints about the lack of extra clothing for the AvantGuards. There has been only one fashion created for them so that's a valid point. When I compare what Tonner puts out for his new lines of dolls to what Integrity puts out, the difference is night and day. When Tonner created the character DeeAnna Denton he put out two basic dolls in lingerie, two dressed dolls and four outfits. The next season he put out three basic DeeAnnas in bathing suits, two dressed dolls and four separate fashions. This season there is one basic DeeAnna in a bathing suit. A new character, Peggy Harcourt, has been added and comes in two basic versions. There's one dressed Peggy and two separate outfits. Collectors cannot complain about a lack of support for this doll's body type.

What are we seeing here? We often hear the excuse from Integrity Toys that they are a small company. Yet they keep putting out line after line of new dolls. How small are they? How does a company grow? Not every doll that Robert Tonner releases is a success but he still keeps going with creativity and daring. Robert's famous quote is "Believe in the Power of Play." Is Integrity's theory, "Believe in the Power of Display?" or "Put it on a Shelf and Go Away?"

Anyway, I tell all the "...no clothes for AvantGuard..." complainers that almost every single Gene fashion, the Madame Alexander Alex clothing and now Tonner's Antoinette fashions, fit AvantGuard dolls. There's no shortage of clothing for them at all. Sybarite items are a bit loose but can be pinned. I've seen them in Tyler clothes as well. Most of Alex's, Gene's and Antoinette's shoes fit, too. There's no nekkid AGs around these parts.

Images in this post are the property of Integrity Toys.

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.

NDR: New Yorker Cartoon by Alex Gregory

Just because I think it's funny.