Hollywood Dolls

(re-post from Style.com - photos courtesy of Style.com by Brian Fee)

I love the outfits and the dolls, just one minor complaint: couldn't they have hired a better photographer? Sorry Brian but your doll photography sucks big time.

Slender Threads is the only extra convention doll that I bought at "The Girls From Dream City" convention in Orlando last year. That was my first convention, and I had a great time.

The main reason I bought her was because I loved her hair and make-up. She is beautiful and I stared dreaming of all the late 50's and early 60's outfits I wanted to make her. I have yet to make any, but I do have plans.

Here she is wearing some Ashton Drake outfits.

This is a Star Wardrobe dress. I don't remember the name of it.

































Here she is modeling an outfit I made a couple of years ago. It was inspired by a Fashion Royalty outfit. I'm not too crazy about the lighting in the pictures, but I love the outfit on her.





I also made this Channel inspired suit years. She is perfect in it.

When I saw the pictures of "Gilty Girl" for the first time I knew I had to have her. I really NEEEEDED a brunette! I was very happy with her beautiful up do and she has been one of my favorite models since she arrived.

"She was so beautiful she need not be so talented, and so talented she need not be so beautiful." (a quote from Vivien's Scarlett and Beyond documentary).

BUT..."Scarlett O' Hara was not beautiful" -- as Margaret Mitchell mentioned in her book. But in all her reader's eyes, she was. For how could a Southern Belle keep the richest man in the South (Rhett Butler) and make him her husband? I believed she did get him back with her beauty and charm. After Vivien played the role, she made it her own, and it was hard to imagine anyone of that time -- and in my opinion, even today capable of playing the role as good as she did.

It is said that against the fiery background of the Burning of Atlanta shoot that David Selznick first caught glimpse of Vivien Leigh. His brother, an agent, introduced Vivien to David. She was on a trip with her beau Lawrence (who was doing Wuthering Heights). Having read Gone with the Wind, Vivien believed she could play Scarlett. So on a ship from England to California, she re-read the book, memorized some of Scarlett's monologues and practiced different facial expressions to bring out Scarlett's changes in character. Selznick was bowled over (as legend says) and immediately Vivien was escorted to do her first readings. "She's the Scarlett dark horse and looks damn good!" David said to his wife Irene.

I had to practice. So, another doll had to be re-repainted. This time with a change of hairstyle faithful to Vivien Leigh (I think).
Here she is wearing Alana Bennett's blue gown inspired by the TV series sequel to Gone with the Wind: Scarlett.
I love doing portraits of my dolls. Only the new Scarlett dolls by Tonner are very expensive. Plus none of the sellers accept Western Union. I used only one brush to repaint this doll. I still have to retouch a little more. The hairline has been lowered by repainting some "hair-like" strands there. My eyesight is not as good so bear with me on this =). Hope you like her.

Cocoa Crisp was my first Wu Gene. I have always loved her. I love her green eyes and her hair.

I have to redo her hair though, a lot of the curl fell out. I have a hard time making it look smooth.
She is one of my favorite models, I have kept her very busy.

Here she is modeling Ashton Drake and Wu outfits.