7/26/2016

Decal Eyes or Halftone Printing? What is going on with FR dolls?

One of the topics of concern on with W Club members is the appearance of the eyes on Anika Luxottica and on one of the upgrade dolls, Vanessa Take Me On.

See JennFL2's close-up photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jennfl/28314491605/in/photostream/

This collector actually found an 'extra' decal stuck in Anika's hair!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/barbie_my_scene_fashion_royalty/28441023882/in/photostream/

Integrity has been sent inquiries and their response is????


7/23/2016

Breathe New Life into Your Dolls with New Bodies!

When Integrity Toys recently offered AA FR3 bodies for sale, I purchased two although I didn't have an AA doll who needed a new body. Since then I've been hunting. Yesterday I received one of Jason Wu's first Adeles. She is Perfect Skin Adele from the 2004 Fashion Royalty line.
She came in a gift set with 5 (!) pieces of beautiful luggage, dressed in a faux leather outfit.
I had her back then, sold her and now I have her again with the latest body. It's just like having a brand new doll!
She is modeling Veronique's "Full Spectrum" dress, a La Boutique bag and jewelry by Joy Jarred.




The original body had arms that did not bend, a large bust, tiny waist, little feet and lots of problems with longevity. Silkstone clothes are perfect for the old body, BTW. And if you have fashions from the early FR days, you can conversely use them for your Silkstone dolls. Very useful.

Below image of the original gift set was found on a database with no attribution. Thank you to whomever took the photo.

7/11/2016

2016 IFDC Dolls

In addition to the sequined spy with a gun, there are two more dolls. 
The convention souvenir is a unique combination of fashion doll and transformer toy. Dasha is the sculpt with an edition size of 500. Retail $175.
Here's her description directly from the promotional:


When Dasha™ was offered the role of super villain Anika Luxoticca in the latest Agent 355 movie, she just couldn't resist. How can anyone pass up the chance to become a half-woman, half-machine cyborg looking for a potion that will allow her to feel love again? With her exotic accent, Dasha immediately became a hit with fans of the spy genre!

Anika Luxottica is ready to fight for her right to love and has captured Professor Young, a hip and happening scientist who has invented a love potion so potent that no human on Earth, both male and female, can resist once it's been ingested! Transformed into a cyborg following a freak lab accident that left her "transformed" for life (as she sees it), Luxottica can hide her mechanical limbs by switching them for solid colored ones at will. Dressed in a futuristic lab gown and techno heels, Anika comes complete with two full sets of limbs that can be switched at will and her half of the mysterious love potion. Will she be able to pry the other half out of Professor Young's grasp? What will she do to get it and feel again? You decide!

 She is intriguing and sexy in her long, slim "lab gown." The cyborg arms and legs are pretty funny. I don't know why they remind me of Monster High dolls. Did they also have dolls with clear limbs?  In any case, if I were collecting FR, I'd probably want this one because she's so different. 
IT hasn't used the Dasha sculpt much and it's never been received warmly but it remains to be seen if this oddity will be liked.



The companion doll is "Marius Lancaster" as Professor  Young. He is a new sculpt.

When Hollywood pretty boy Marius Lancaster's agent called to tell him that he had landed a major role in Agent 355, he thought to himself: "Sweet, I've got it made, I'm a spy!"
He wasn't as thrilled though, when he found out that he would essentially be "the damsel in distress" and not the spy of this new epic adventure- he wasn't too sure what that would do for his macho "ladies' man" image. To his surprise, the experience on set was one of the best that he ever had and the chemistry with the movie's two lead actresses was pretty hot on film to say the least, especially in that famous scene when Agent 355 comes down from the ceiling to rescue him from Anika's laser cutting table at the last possible second, before the laser cuts him in half! His performance as a fashionably geeky professor in desperate need of rescuing did not go unnoticed by the movie-going public and since his appearance in Mission Lovejoy, the casting offers have been pouring in left and right! So, being a "mister in distress" is not that bad after all it seems, especially when you have two of the most beautiful leading ladies fighting over you... We'll definitely be seeing this guy again in the near future!

Marius Lancaster as Professor Young is a brand new character making his debut in the family of Integrity Toys male figures and comes dressed in a classical, slightly geeky look, complete with red silk tie, handkerchief, super cute argyle socks and oxford shoes, black reading glasses and a watch. Our leading man comes with his half of the formula of the love potion that he invented and a super fun set of colored test tubes in a rack, a never seen before accessory created just for this set! Marius Lancaster is a fully articulated 12.5-inch fashion figure with fully rooted hair.



Apparently "Anja" as Agent 355 has more tools than just a gun which is a good sign. 


Parisian top model Anja was noticed in some of W Cosmetics' most notorious campaigns and was ready for new challenges, when her agent came up with the idea that she should give acting a shot. Soon after her very first audition, Anja immediately landed the role of Agent 355, a new kind of ultra-glamorous female spy set to save the world in the latest designer garb! Inspired by current runway looks (and OK, a lot of Las Vegas glitz!), Integrity Toys' Alain Tremblay styled Anja for the title role in Mission Lovejoy, a story he invented just for this year's IFDC convention!
Anja™ as Agent 355 is ready to solve the mystery of Professor Young's disappearance, as she travels abroad and uses every tool in her arsenal to rip him and his secret formula away from the clutches of the evil Anika Luxottica, a cyborg incapable of love and kindness.  In her own uniquely glamorous way, Anja jumps into action wearing her designer inspired sequined tuxedo and killer high-heels like every spy should, gun and camera in-hand! "M" and "Q" gave Anja a detailed mission pack that includes a map, a picture of the mysterious Professor Young and a mission brief. Now, it's up to her to prevent the cyborg from unleashing Young's lethal love potion on the world! Anja™ is a fully articulated 12.5-inch doll with fully rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes.
These dolls are being offered via lottery to W Club members. Marius and Anja are $150. each. Anika is $175. 

7/10/2016

Bethnal, Liberty and Chaucer

Bethnal is a bit strange. She's got the most difficult to control legs of any Syb I've ever had. She's also got a bad case of the joint flap. So far, every vinyl Syb I've undressed has the problem.
See: http://terrigoldphoto.blogspot.com/2015/12/disappointing-sybarite-gen-x-body.html
I'm not surprised this one has it but I expected a bit more from the legs.
Still, I like her face and I'll probably keep her.


I've redressed her in "Glitter Tit" as I did not care for her original outfit except for the shoes and the bag.
The photo on the right was shot with my iPhone in natural light. The one on the left was shot with a digital SLR in my studio with a mix of natural and strobe.  I did adjust the color balance in the photo on the left using Photoshop.
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Kingdom Doll Liberty ranks near the top of my list of loved dolls. She is beautiful.


In these photos, she is wearing a dress by Nigel Chia. Shoes are KD. Wig by Ilaria. I darkened the background in the photo on the right.

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I dressed KD Chaucer in "Enclosure Royal" a Sybarite fashion. I had to pin the top to make it smaller. Otherwise, everything fit including the shoes.  Black wig is Chaucers. Brown wig is by Cheryl Wood.




7/08/2016

Dolls With Guns

As if things weren't bad enough in the world as far as shootings and other violence, Integrity Toys has put out an IFDC doll shown aiming a gun. She is called "Anja as Agent 355."

I'm shaking my head at the stupidity and inappropriate actions of this with regards to a doll pointing a gun. Maybe the next one will have an AK-47.


Now you can recreate your favorite shooting scenes. Oh the joy.

There's nothing glamorous about a doll with a gun.

7/02/2016

Elise Jolie "J'Adore La Fete" Gift Set

This gift set proves that IT can still deliver a beautiful doll with well-made clothing in a gift set. Not that I thought they couldn't but there hasn't been a fabulous Fashion Royalty gift set in a very long time. So much attention has been paid to Poppy Parker, ITBE and Jem, it feels as if FR has fallen along the wayside.  While it's true that most of my dolly dollars go toward my 16" BJD collection, I still belong to the W Club and will not turn away from a gorgeous 12" doll.

Elise is my favorite sculpt which made this gift set even more special. I used three of my Elise dolls to model the fashions.

The suit jacket is constructed with full length princess seams front and back. There is almost no bulk in the underarm area which is uncommon in 12" doll clothing and a sign of good design. The hem of the jacket is finished with a black fringe which repeats near the skirt's hem. However, the skirt has a nice flounce as a hem. There is a metallic silver thread running through the red and black fabric. One amazing detail is that the collar is covered with a semi-sheer chiffon-like fabric. Really nice!
I added the jewelry and the shoes.
My model for the suit is "Midnight Star."




I rarely dress my dolls in lingerie but I might have if it were the same red as the suit. I did not put her hosiery on.  The shoes came with the set. Jewelry is my addition. My model is the Hair Workshop Elise from the Jason Wu "X" Event.


The gown is not a ground-breaking design but it is well made and fits nicely. The multiple finishes at the hem are repeated with the addition of a lace covered 3rd layer at the bottom. Her jewelry consists of earrings, necklace, bracelet and ring. Matchy, matchy. She is wearing a 2nd pair of shoes which are not visible in this photo...also black.
The model is the doll that came with the set...J'Adore La Fete herself. Her vinyl is what I'd call Caucasian. I believe IT calls it FR White. The above dolls are have a lighter vinyl tone. J'Adore also looks darker because the other dolls were photographed out-of-doors and this one was shot in my living room.


Overall, this is a nicely coordinated, useful gift set. It was $175 plus postage.