Fashion Royalty Elise Dressed by Fu Zin Dolls

 This gown is called "Purple Reign."  It's another example of the fabulous work of the talented people in our doll world. Rudi Teruel carries Fu Zin creations exclusively. They are very limited editions and Rudi announces them on FaceBook.

This is a hand made, hand embellished deep purple gown, reminiscent of a Dior, with multiple layers of fabric, each worked differently. The panels are wired as well as beaded and sequined.

I have to take more pictures of this gown. It needs to be adjusted to look the way it was intended.

The background is all wrong as I was just too lazy to put up something else.  Excuses, excuses.

You can probably get the idea in spite of my lame attempts.

Integrity Toys Summer 2016 Reveal

This past Saturday, IT held a webinar for members of the W Club during which Fashion Royalty, ITBE-16 and <3MLP dolls were revealed.

Fashion Royalty 

"Contrasting Proposition"  Natalia Fatalé™ Dressed Doll
Body Type: FR2013
Head Sculpt: Natalia Fatalé 2.0
Limited Edition Size: 700
Suggested Retail Price: $135.00

Emerging Rebel Kyori Sato™ Dressed Doll 
This doll features our new hybrid eye screening method.
Limited Edition Size: 700
Suggested Retail Price: $135.00
Body Type: FR2013
Head Sculpt: Kyori Sato™ 2.0
Suggested Retail Price: $135.00

Daytime Impact Dasha™ Dressed Doll
This doll features our new hybrid eye screening method.
Limited Edition Size: 700
Suggested Retail Price: $135.00
Body Type: FR2013
Head Sculpt: Dasha™

Fresh and Delightful: Véronique Perrin® Dressed Close-Up Doll
This doll features our new hybrid eye screening method.
Limited Edition Size: 700
Suggested Retail Price: $89.00 + Shipping and Handling
IMPORTANT! THIS DOLL WILL BE OFFERED DIRECTLY FROM IT DIRECT VIA A RIGHT-TO-BUY LOTTERY. NOTE: THIS DOLL WILL NOT BE OFFERED VIA DEALERS.
Body Type: FR2013
Head Sculpt: Veronique 2.0 

Fabulous Fields   Luchia Z.™ Dressed Doll
This doll features our new hybrid eye screening method. 
Limited Edition Size: 600
Suggested Retail Price: $135.00
Body Type: FR2013
Head Sculpt: Luchia Z.™ 2.0

Ruffles and Blooms: Eugenia Perrin-Frost™ Dressed Doll
Limited Edition Size: 800
Suggested Retail Price: $150.00
Body Type: FR2013
Head Sculpt: Eugenia Perrin-Frost™

Key Pieces:  Elyse Jolie™ Dressed Doll Gift Set
Limited Edition Size: 800
Suggested Retail Price: $199.00
Body Type: FR2013
Head Sculpt: Elyse Jolie™ 

My thoughts on the FR collection.
My favorite is Natalia because of the fashion. If you noticed, several dolls have a 2.0 after their sculpt names.  When the company "updated" these sculpts (along with Vanessa and a few others,) they watered down and de-ethnicized the faces. Everyone got pouty lips and narrow noses. Adele, whose very popular 2.0 sculpt was changed drastically became less popular. Natalia was originally a Latina character. She didn't need a new face or white skin.
Many collectors are displeased at the lack of skin color diversity in this release.  They're surprised that a company whose goal was to produce dolls of ethnic diversity has come to this.
The year isn't over yet. We'll see what is to come.
As to the Elyse Jolie gift set...Elyse is my favorite sculpt but this one does nothing for me. Her palette makes her mouth disappear. The outfits are not calling me either.
I think Eugenia is a beautiful doll but that yellow gown is blinding. With all that's going on with the color and the (lovely) embroidery, the sculptural details and the frills above the bustline are distractions rather than attractive elements. This could have been a beautiful strapless ball gown.  Perhaps that upper part can be removed without damaging the gown. Unfortunately, the points would be difficult to remove. It's a shame.
I thought about ordering Kyori because I like the embroidered sheath but then I read further and it's vinyl. I don't like the way the shoes or the bag look with the dress either.
If Dasha were being sold as a nude doll or in a different fashion, I'd consider her. I love the neck piece.
Veronique...meh for the dress. The shoes and necklace are pieces I'd want.
Luchia is OK. I don't like the way the lower part of the dress drapes.

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Integrity Toys + My Little Pony = <3 MLP

This is IT's new line designed by Jessy Ayala. Although they are not dolls I will collect I think he did a wonderful job. They are very cute and supremely colorful and fun. 

Each doll is a LE of 500 with a retail price of $130.
The boys use the Homme Body and the girls use the new Industry body type. They all have applied lashes and rooted hair.

...not be sold through dealers, but will be available exclusively via IT Direct!
...will be released later this fall, in waves of 2.
Each doll will have a portion set aside for W Club members only via a first-come, first-served sale opportunity in the IT Direct shopping cart.
Priority pre-ordering details for W Club members for the first two dolls in the line, sonic_rainboom_92 and sparkling_stargazer, will be sent to all W Club members prior to the W Club first-come, first-served sale date of September 12th, 2016.
Once the W Club portion is sold out, you are welcome to purchase the dolls on the public release day of September 13th, 2016, while quantities last.
An email notice containing the full purchase details for the first two dolls will be sent to W Club members ahead of time, closer to their sale date.
The other dolls in the line will be released later this fall in a similar manner.

My favorite is rare_form_21 Rarity™ Inspired Dressed Fashion Figure
I like everything about him! 

IT designs the best male dolls and has been producing winners for years IMO.

This guy is pretty cool, too. The outfit rocks but the hat is too small. It should sit further down on his hair.

appleofmyeye: Applejack™ Inspired Dressed Fashion Figure

The issue for me as a collector of fashion dolls is that these <3MLP have an aura of Hello Kitty-ness if that's a thing.
I think these dolls will appeal to a rather slim portion of the population - like the Jem collection; however,  I hope it succeeds because these dolls are interesting to look at.

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ITBE 16 (Integrity Toys Boring Edition)

Two  16" dolls were offered, each @ $99.,  produced as an LE of 200.

Left :
"Higher"  Head Sculpt: AvantGuard (Closed Mouth)

Right:
"Glitterazi "   Head Sculpt: Anais 1.0
What a horrid, trashy looking dress. Ugh.

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The Event Doll 

"Love, Life and Lace" Agnes Von Weiss™ Dressed Doll
Special W Club Price: $140.00
Head Sculpt: Agnes Von Weiss™
Body Type: FR2013 

Agnes seems to have been tamed. Her face doesn't look like she's angry anymore. What happened? 

She's a nice doll. Nothing exciting here. 

 __________________________________________

Did you order something? 
Were you closed out of any particular doll? 
What is your opinion overall of the release?
Favorite, least favorite? 

Fabulous Facets BBQ 2016

Are you ready for another fabulous Facets BBQ??

I'm inviting area doll collectors (and any traveling ones) to come to my house in Matawan, NJ for a BBQ and doll party on Sunday, September 11th starting at noon.

Matawan is in central NJ, near exit 117a of the Garden State Parkway. It is easily accessible by NJ Transit trains from NYC or Newark.

It will be like the previous BBQs with lots of people, food, dolls, sales, and more, but there are a few changes, so please read on...

I'll provide all of the food, and there is a cover charge of $17 per person and it must be paid in advance by PayPal (to applefrien@aol.com) or you can send me a check or give me cash if you see me beforehand.  Payment is required no later than Wednesday, September 7th in order to get an accurate head counting for food shopping.

I'll have a sales area set up in my basement - space is on a first-come basis and is limited. If you are planning to bring things to sell, please let me know so I can estimate how much space is needed per person and try to get enough shelving/tables to accommodate. If you've been here before, you know the set-up. If you haven't been here before and want to sell, email me for more info. Of course, Facets will be set up for shopping, too :-)

In addition to shopping, we'll have door prizes, the infamous "free table", and lots of dolls to look at.

The "free table" is a table of doll related items that are extras, slightly used, unwanted, etc... It's a good way to get rid of those items that you think someone might want and you don't feel like putting on eBay. If you have some things you'd like to put in, bring them. However, if no one takes them, you have to take them back or throw them out - they can't stay here! If you want to mail donations, LMK and I'll give you the address. I've already gotten some amazing things mailed to me!

If you want to see what the Free Table is like, check out pictures and Paul's video from last year:
http://facetsbymarcia.com/BBQ2015.htm

Feel free to bring a doll for display. I don't have a theme - bring a favorite, a new acquisition, something you want to show off, whatever.

Contributions to the door prizes are appreciated.

If you need a place to stay in this area, I recommend the Woodbridge Hilton. It's about 20 minutes north of here and is more reasonably priced and nicer than the few hotels in the immediate area. If you are looking for travel mates or roommates, LMK and I'll try to help.

I hope you can make it to the party - it's a day of great fun, great dolls and great people :-) Email me to RSVP or ask questions. When you email me, I would appreciate it if you could put "BBQ" somewhere in the subject so I can sort out those emails.

Marcia
www.facetsbymarcia.com

P.S. If you know someone who might like to come to the BBQ and that hasn't gotten an invitation, please let me know and I'll invite them.

The above invitation is from Marcia except for the bunny cartoon which is my addition, :-)

Arnamentia: Kingdom Doll's 2nd Atelier de Royume Doll

Introducing the second of Kingdom Doll’s Atelier de Royume collection.
Named after the ancient British Goddess of flowing water, spiritual healing and purification, it is said that in times of despondency or peril Arnamentia offers renewal of the mind, body and soul.

Featuring the limited edition head sculpt Brigantes, this highly anticipated doll is dressed in a stunning hand crafted piece of miniature couture created exclusively for Kingdom Doll by our bead atelier extraordinaire, the talented Priya Desu Bohra. Ever fashion forward, our goddess has paired her exquisite jacket with wet look black leggings and gladiator style sandals.

Arnamentia’s raven hair is cut in a sharp bob framing her pale water sapphire eyes which are accented with intense shadows of aqua, turquoise and darkest peacock blue. Her makeup palette was designed to echo the goddess’s key element, water, from shallow streams to the deepest oceans.

Also accompanying the doll is a stand, pair of hands on the hip pose hands, single bag pose hand and pale pink dressing hands/balls.

Arnamentia is priced at $895 plus shipping and will be sold at 6 p.m. BST (British Summer Time) on Saturday 20th August. Ltd Edition 25 worldwide.

As with our previous Atelier de Royume doll, Arnamentia will be sold via email to kingdomdoll@yahoo.co.uk . The opportunity to purchase her will be offered to every 5th email until she is sold out, i.e. email 5, 10, 15, 20 etc.  Please only send your emails at the allotted time and date as those sent before will unfortunately not be counted.

Please only send one email per person, multiples will not be counted and merely make the process of identifying those able to purchase so much slower! Unfortunately we will only be able to send replies to those lucky customers.

Please do note that Arnamentia's resin does photograph lighter than her actual resin colour in hand. The resin is our NEW casting of Celtic Oak the original resin used on Brigantia.

KINGDOM DOLL STORE


We would like to thank you for your continued support.
Sending you all our love from the British Isles

Alexandra, Amanda and Sarannah
Kingdom Doll
 

The above is printed in its entirety from Kingdom Doll's announcement.

6:00 P.M. British Summer Time (BST) is  1:00 P.M.  Eastern Daylight Time in Pennsylvania.  See the time zone converter in the right-hand column on the blog.

Sybarite GenX Dalston

I'm pleased to report that Dalston does not have the serious knee joint overlap issue that several other of my GenX dolls have had.  I am awaiting a replacement for Bethnal who arrived back in London the other day.

It looks like one has to get lucky when it comes to getting a properly made doll.

Dalston's outfit is adorable. The mix of colors is very pleasing to me. In order to get her bra to stay up, I put a few stitches across the two straps in the back. I urge extreme caution putting her shoes on as they are not the easiest fit and I did, in spite of being very careful, pull the end of one strap off. Happily, it just sets there without being noticeable.

SISTER MOGULS AGNES VON WEISS and GISELLE DIEFENDORF™ DUO-DOLLS GIFT SET

The Second W Club Exclusive of 2016 was revealed to members yesterday. 

Here are the [simplified] specs from the email announcement:

Sister Moguls: Agnes Von Weiss™ and Giselle Diefendorf™ Duo-Doll Gift Set

The Fashion Royalty Collection 2016 W Club Exclusive

Limited Edition Size: TBA

Estimated Ship Date: Late 2016

Special W Club Price: $199.00 + Shipping, Handling and Applicable Sales Tax*. 

Head Sculpt: Agnes Von Weiss™ and Giselle Diefendorf™

Body Type: FR2013 (Agnes) and NU. Face 2.0 (Giselle)

Skin Tone: Cream (Agnes) and Japan (Giselle)

Hair Color: Pale Blond (Both Dolls)

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand Applied

Baroness Agnes Von Weiss™ and her younger sister Giselle Diefendorf™ are 12.5-inch fully articulated vinyl fashion dolls with long, matching pale blond ponytails and hand-applied eyelashes... Agnes takes the lead in a perfectly form fitting, see-through lace gown designed by her talented sister Giselle, who assembled her own look from pieces of Von Weiss' latest runway looks! ... comes in an exclusively designed carry case package for safekeeping! A new double-doll stand and a numbered certificate of authenticity is also included. For adult collectors ages 15 and up.

**Pictures of prototypes shown below; final production colors and textures may vary slightly. Any staging props are not included. Case and doll stand pictures are digitally rendered; final production may vary slightly.**

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I cannot tell who is who. Agnes should have a very sour look on her face and yet they look the same.  The dolls do have different body types and different vinyl tones.

The dual stand is interesting but not a reason to buy.

My favorite thing about this set is their hair style.  

Least favorite - everything else.