Summer Project Part VII - The End

This project wraps up with 3 gorgeous dolls.

July 6, 2019

Adele "Frosted Glamour" 2017
Dressed in her original fashion. 

It was difficult for me to get a really good photo of her outside so here is an indoor one that shows the shadows and highlights the way they should be.

Agnes Von Weiss "Devotion" W Club Exclusive 2018

Wearing original fashion.

I'm not a fan of the Agnes sculpt. I've had many and always wound up selling them and I wasn't sure if I'd keep this doll when she arrived. Well, she is staying! The jewelry and the henna are beautiful. The black dress doesn't do anything for me but it makes a decent backdrop for the rest. 

Isha "Divinity" 2018

Wearing original fashion.

The line of dolls called "Sacred Lotus Collection" by Integrity Toys is inspired and beautiful. I'm still expecting the Elise "Divinely Luminous,"  which is a W Club exclusive.

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That does it for my 12" Integrity Toys collection. I have managed to halve it in the last three years. The process of photographing each doll this season has pointed out to me that I can still eliminate a few here and there but there are still many that I just love. They bring me joy. 

Summer Project Part VI - The Triple Crown of Vanessa Dolls

July 4, 2019

The Triple Crown of Vanessa Dolls

This post varies from the format of my other Summer Project posts as I've gone into a bit more detail about these three dolls.

I've always considered these three Vanessa dolls as my favorite of the sculpt.

Vanessa "A Fashionable Life" Raven 2005 FAO Schwarz Giftset Exclusive
Wearing Dominique Makeda "Grand Gesture"

The lighting in this photo is messed up. Sometimes I just can't get it right.

Here's a FAUX outdoor photo to try and make up for it.

Promo Photos

Vanessa "A Fashionable Life" Platinum 2005. W Club Exclusive
Wearing Elise Jolie "Midnight Star"

This version of AFL was produced in a more limited amount than raven and therefore was much harder to get. She came with the same exact outfits in the same beautiful case, one of which I still keep to store my original story cards.

Vanessa "Flame Bleu" 2010. W Club.
Wearing her original fashion. I have never redressed her. She did come with gloves.

The style of her gown and her name pay homage to Veronique "Flame Rouge" 2003 as can be seen in these promotional photos.

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July 3, 2019

Vanessa "In Bloom" Hair re-styled. 2007

Wearing Tatyana Alexandrova "Perfect Reign"

Vanessa "Evermore"  2011. Hair re-styled.

Wearing Dasha Amboise  "Always Polished"

Actual Fashion Color

Summer Project Continued Part V

July 1, 2019

Vanessa "True Royalty" 2006.  Rerooted
Wearing Antonio Realli dress. I don't recall the origin of her hat.

I've always thought True Royalty was one of the least attractive of all the 1.0 Vanessa dolls. There is something weird about her face - it's as if it is pushed in at the upper part of the nose.
But her clothing was beautiful and so different that she was irresistible.
There was a big controversy before her actual release. First of all, one had to buy a Magma Heritage calendar. It was filled with beautiful FR photography. If you bought a calendar, you became eligible to be in a lottery to be able to purchase her. There were a few pissed off collectors. Then she was listed at one price and shortly after, Integrity tried to raise the price. Collectors rebelled and IT backed down. Magma Heritage, who owned the exclusive, stopped being an IT dealer after that.
I had a lot of fun photographing her in her original form. Some of those photos are located in posts on this blog.

Here is her original presentation.  This was a very large padded box and it was fabulous. It was one of three "Atelier" products ever offered by IT. They did not call it a gift set if I remember correctly.

Vanessa "Aerodynamic" 2009.  Repainted by Vin Trapani
Wearing "Illustrious Luxury Wear Costume" Available at Gloss Convention 2014  as an outfit only. I've always thought it was unattractive to show the under-bust joint on a doll wearing a low cut gown. In this photo, I have edited the joint out.

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June 30, 2019

Vanessa "High Tide" 2007
Wearing Elise Jolie "Flawless"

Vanessa "Sheer Sensuality" 2014
Wearing a OOAK by unknown (at this stage) artist.

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Monarch La Scala Steals Silkstone's Dress and Looks Better than the Victim

Blush & Gold Cocktail Dress Barbie is cringing in her showcase. She had to give up her pretty dress to La Scala. I keep telling her it's only temporary but she's not having it.

LaScala doesn't care. She's pondering which Silkstone outfit she will snatch next. This spoiled little (12") girl will never know the feeling of having nothing to wear.

Summer Project Continued Part 4

June 28, 2019

Vanessa "Obsidian Society" 2006
Wearing Gown from Thai doll couturier.

Vanessa "Shock Bonbon" 2004
This Vanessa was the first ever produced by IT.
Wearing "Lana Turner" gown 'Just Brilliant'

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June 27, 2019

Vanessa "High Tide" 2007 
Repainted by Vin Trapani.
Gown by Ovaz.

Vanessa "Cruise Control" Re-rooted 2005
Dress by Antonio Realli, Bag by Lovetones, FR shoes.

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June 26, 2019

Vanessa "Runway Right Away" 2005
Wearing Adaline King "Never Predictable" gown.

Vanessa "Dress Code" 2011
Wearing a OOAK Huckleberry Jackson dress. (hjcouture)

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June 25, 2019

Vanessa "Going Places" 2007
Never redressed.
This was the convention souvenir doll that year.

Vanessa "Night Warrior" 2009
Dolly Style Convention (Japan) Souvenir Doll
Wearing dress from Tatyana Alexandrova "Nouveau Regime."

The original doll was highly sought after. Back in 2009 $245. (¥26250.00) plus postage from Japan was a goodly sum and there were only 300.
I was lucky in those days and got pretty much every doll I wanted either through lotteries or my dealer.

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June 24, 2019


Vanessa "Aerodynamic" 2009
I have two of these dolls. This one has been rerooted. She is wearing a gown by Antonio Realli.

Vanessa "Aerodynamic" 2009  II
She is wearing an RnD fashion.  I crimped her hair and had her repainted by Vin Trapani. I love both of them!

This is the original Aerodynamic Vanessa.

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June 23, 2019

Vanessa "Metal Maven" 2008
Wearing an RND Design gown.

Vanessa Reroot. May have been "Shirred Not Shaken" 2008
Wearing fashion from Jasper "Malicious" 2011 (Nu-Fantasy)

Here is the original Shirred Not Shaken:

Here, I was already getting fed up with her odd hairstyle:

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June 22, 2019

Vanessa "Luxe Life" 2009

She is one of the very few dolls I own who has never been redressed.

The unwelcomed, surprise sculpt change for Vanessa began my detachment from collecting Integrity Toys. I no longer collected my treasured Vanessa dolls and virtually stopped buying any Fashion Royalty dolls for a while. Many of us called the new sculpt "Fauxnessa."

Fauxnessa aka "High Point?" Vanessa 2012

Wearing an artist's design (I forget who.)

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Great Photo by Mel Parker-Reeves

Mel posted this wonderful photo in the Pink Lounge yesterday.  Her caption read:

Diversity delivered....When you ask your doll company to represent all walks of life, and they give you skintones from Porcelain White to Midnight Black....yeah I'm about that doll life.