2/21/2019

Pretty Pictures

Tyler in "Swept Away" by Robert Tonner from his Theatre de la Mode line.



This silk gown is possibly the most sought after TDLM fashion ever produced. It's a work of art. In essence, it reminds me of some of Charles James' sculpted gowns. One main difference is that Swept Away does not have any the understructure found in many of CJ's fashions.
Below are two of my photos of doll-sized James' fashions developed by Sandra Stillwell for the Taste of Manhattan Convention.






The very beautiful Kingdom Doll, Logan:









2/10/2019

La Scala Georgiana Reviewed

This week, the first release of Monarch Dolls was sent out to collectors. The response has been tremendously positive judging by what I've seen on the boards and on Facebook.
There were two versions, each in an edition of 50 pieces. I picked La Scala. The other one is called Covent Garden Georgiana.

It's only four days from when people began to receive their dolls and I've already seen five people with both versions. (We were supposed to choose one or the other.) That's five who are either posting photos or just talking about getting both. There's nothing wrong with that but I wonder about the people who made such a fast decision and turn-around to sell theirs. Some of them are saying that they didn't bond or that the doll is too small for them. There are some who bought the doll to trade it for something else. OK, whatever.


I used to wonder about the same thing on the W Club board. There were always two or three people who posted a brand new doll for sale immediately at a jacked-up price. There's something missing with the thought process of someone who has the balls to do that. The potential buyer, willing to pay a premium for a doll, may be happy, but the one that dearly wanted a chance to have one is not and becomes resentful. I feel bad for a long time doll friend who has never been able, in five years, to get a 16" Kingdom Doll and now was also not able to get a Monarch Doll either.

That's the doll world and I suppose it goes on in every collectible milieu.

Back to La Scala. She is 12" tall and has a size 4 head. If you put a 4-5 on her, it will be too full. I have a dozen or more 4/5 wigs that look ridiculous on La Scala. Wigs made for Integrity's Monogram dolls fit quite well. Barbie has a size 4 head but I have no wigs made for her to test.
Her joints are perfectly strung and her posing ability is excellent. The resin feels like velvet and has a matte finish. It is recommended that the doll is handled only with gloves to avoid transferring natural body oils to the resin which will eventually cause the matte to go shiny.

The red silk dress with its gold insert is reminiscent of a 16" Kingdom Doll gown.



Her purse is a faux gold metal envelope with a rhinestone letter M and dangles on a long gold chain. It opens.


Her right hand is a "pocketbook holding" hand. Monarchs do not have extra hands. 


Her shoes were cast in resin to fit their ultra-arched shape.


I have them shown below with tiny rubber bands as one kept falling off while I was dressing and photographing her. I didn't want them to disappear as no other shoes in my huge collection of 1/6 scale dolls shoes will fit. They are a clear resin with shiny red sparkles.
You can also see the lovely new stand with the Monarch symbol in gold on a white acrylic base. 


Another alteration I made was to the saddle of the stand. I cut a strip of moleskin and adhered it to the surface of the saddle. It's protection against thigh rub marks and also provides a bit of resistance to the doll slipping.


My comparison photo shows (left to right) La Scala, a frankendollied articulated Barbie body, an original Silkstone body, the newer articulated Silkstone body, an FR2 body and a Dominion Doll body. The four in the middle are not resin dolls, of course. 
La Scala has a beautifully sculpted, proportioned body. 




She makes a lovely addition to my collection.


Georgiana Devonshire cost $650 plus postage.

1/30/2019

The Kingdom Doll Monarchs' Debut

The long-awaited release of The Monarchs is scheduled for January 31, 2019. I posted previously about these gems as I saw them in Scotland at the Kingdom Doll convention last October.
https://terrigoldphoto.blogspot.com/search?q=Monarch



This 12" resin beauty called Georgiana Devonshire has been created in two versions. La Scala Georgiana has raven hair and a beautiful red gown that is a miniature version of the Kingdom Doll Elgin's.
Kingdom Doll Elgin 16"

La Scala
The other Monarch, Covent Garden, will have blonde hair and a black gown with a golden insert. The gowns' fabric is silk satin. Their shoes have been hand carved and cast in resin. Each carries a golden evening bag and wears dangling beaded earrings.

Covent Garden
The edition size of each version is 50 dolls.
The price is $650. plus shipping.

1. In order to submit a request to purchase one of the Monarchs, send ONE email to info@kingdomdoll.co.uk
2. In the email subject line write either La Scala or Covent Garden. You must pick one or the other.
3. Only one email is to be submitted per person.
4. Time to send emails is 6:00 PM UK Time (18:00 hours.) Check your time zone and make sure it corresponds to London Time. https://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_GB.aspx
5. Only winners will be notified.

More information about KD Monarchs: https://kdmonarchs.com/

1/24/2019

The Final W Club Exclusive Doll of 2018

The final W Club Doll of 2018 has been announced. She is called "Secret Garden" Eugenia Perrin-Frost and is a mini gift set.
The edition size will be determined by the number of member pre-orders IT receives.
___________________
From the Promotional:
"Visiting her favorite fashion hot-spot for Couture Week, Eugenia Perrin-Frost has been invited to be the star model of an ultra-edgy secret photo session set in a long forgotten English garden. While the setting may seem gloomy to some, everyone from the stylist to the artistic director involved with the project agreed that this would be THE best spot to create the perfect mood for the gown being featured in the glossy magazine spread!Eugenia couldn't wait and as usual, she showed up for the shoot on time, looking as fresh faced and fantastic as ever!!
Included:
  • 12.5" fully articulated doll with fully rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;
  • Two pairs of hands (one with long nails and one with the regular manicure);
  • Frothy, ruffled black tulle gown with a crinkle texture bodice, cinched at the waist by a narrow black ribbon belt;
  • Tan trench coat dress with drape and belt detail on sides;
  • Chocolate brown flocked hat with black grosgrain ribbon trim;
  • Black tulle neck scarf;
  • "Silver" cuff bracelet, chandelier earrings and statement ring with "diamond" and "pearl" accents;
  • "Silver" necklace with nature-inspired "diamond" and "pearl" stone charms;
  • Alternate pair of asymmetrical small charm earrings;
  • "Metal" clutch with sculpted leaf detail and skull clasp;
  • Pale nude "pearlized" faux-leather purse with quilted detail and "silver"/"diamond" flower charm;
  • Black and tan faux "patent leather" boots with "silver" zipper closure;
  • Black holographic glitter high heels with clear bead detail;
  • Doll stand;
  • Certificate of authenticity.
The doll pictured is a prototype. Final fabrics, colors and textures may vary slightly. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only."

_____________________





The text mentions that one extra pair of hands has long nails. That made me think of the dragon lady nails that several Kingdom Dolls come with. 

I love Eugenia's face and hair. She is a gorgeous doll. I like the hat, the shoes and the silver accessories. As far as the gown, it's a "been-there-done-that" style and another black tulle gown. In my crowded collection, there's only room for uniquely beautiful and/or different. This doll is beautiful but not so unique.