Hollywood Dolls

DRESSMAKER DETAILS
On Saturday, before the doors were open to the public, I was chatting with Steven Fraser of Dressmaker Details. As you may know, DD now has two lines of fashions. The new line is called Pink Label Paks. They are simply designed and less expensive than the regular fashions. Take a look at this and tell me which line you think it belongs in.
Believe it or not, it's a Pink Label Pak. I want one. The style is a timeless sheath with a matching swing coat. The fabric looks like silk but isn't. I do want to see how the coat fits over the dress collar. That could be a problem but the sheath by itself with the gold lining and gold shoes are winners! The sheath is available in mauve without a coat for $25.

Here is a fashion from the regular fashion line.
A doll can never have too many red dresses or too many sparkly rhinestone bracelets!
Steven showed me his wonderful sketchbook. What a treat it was to chat with him about his work.
How about this fabulous black evening coat? Perfect for the opera, isn't it?
Two poorly behaved gals are seen here fighting over dresses.
For more information about Dressmaker Details, check out their website.

MADAME ALEXANDER CISSY
My Cissy collection consists of five dolls and a few extra outfits. They're all modern Cissy dolls. I mention this because I don't have a connection to the look of vintage Cissy dolls that so many do. I've been a lurking member of the most active Cissy group, however, and from what I've read, 90% of the collectors are very disappointed in the face paint of the new Cissy dolls. The beautifully designed Jason Wu fashions on these dolls were well received but the eye makeup was not. The combination of babyish body and face shape does not do well with runway makeup. I sure would love the clothes!

I'm going to reward myself for quitting Farmville by posting some of my own pictures in place of the usual Picture of the Week Award. The truth is that I didn't spend much time on the doll boards this week and I don't have a nominee.
This doll was Cruise Control Vanessa. She was reviewed by me several months ago. She had terrible hair. This photo was taken after I tried to carefully comb out her disaster of a do.

She was re-rooted by Susan Korba who did her usual fantastic job using mixed blonde shades.
Shortly after that I saw a Cruise Control doll whose eyes had been re-done. I had to have mine done as well. When I received her yesterday I couldn't believe how gorgeous she was. Vin Trapani worked his magic and made her more beautiful than the one I saw to begin with.

I have wanted it since it was first released months ago but my experience with DD fashions has not been a good one as far as fit and quality of accessories. Originally priced at $79.00, when it went on sale for $35. directly from DD, (plus another $20. for shipping!) I ordered it. I hoped for the best with the skirt and sweater and left the rest to chance.
This time I give DD an A for effort as far as design goes. They have kept it simple except for the silly little bow on the back of the sweater which was easy to remove. The skirt fits nicely and has a tiny zipper closure with a hook at the top. The sweater has real buttons and button holes that are adorable and made very well. One needs a light weight pliers to help close the buttons but it's do-able.
The problem with the sweater is that the seams under the arms keep the doll from lowering her arms close to her body. There's got to be another way to construct a tiny knit sweater so the doll can lower her arms properly. Wu did it with several sweaters. Even Mattel has made a few sweaters that work.
I added the chains. The pearl studs and pearl bracelet come with the fashion.
DD plastic shoes are very good. They fit fairly well and come in lots of good colors. I knew that the tall gold boots weren't going to work; I could tell from their profile. They fit but they are Barbie-ish in look. The red shoes and the gold stretch cord shoes fit but look awkward because the foot bed is too large or off-center. At $79. I would have been very disappointed. At $55., I'm not that unhappy because I didn't expect much. I'm glad I got the skirt and sweater no matter what.
DD does great skirts. Construction techniques can be improved and I will jump for joy when Steven Fraser decides to eliminate the low quality frills and put all the manufacturing effort into the main pieces. Perhaps Steven can learn a few tricks by studying the construction and design of Randall Craig's doll sweaters. Take a look at this beauty. (LE 100 MSRP $58)This gorgeous and beautifully made/fitted fashion from Randall Craig is called The Gold Standard. It is part of his latest line. The skirt has inverted pleats and the sweater fits perfectly. RC still has a long way to go with their shoe fitting problems. These shoes, just like last year's, do not fit properly.
All of Randall's fashions this season come with cigarettes. Perhaps next year they will come with coke and I don't mean in a bottle.

Some time ago, back in 2007, Dressmaker Details Couture released a lovely giftset exclusively through Mary T's Dollhouse on-line shop. It was called Twinkle Tweed and was comprised of three different outfits made up of interchangable seperates. I have already photographed two of them on Kyori and Vanessa, so here is the third outfit on High Gloss Agnes Von Weiss.

The outfit is made of two pieces, a halter neck blouse and a tulle skirt. The blouse is black knit with silver thread ("twinkle"), has a cowl neck and looks lovel accesorized with the black thread and pearls long necklace included in the outfit's accessories. It will also look great with the other skirts of the giftset (it comes actually threaded through the decolletage, but you can pick it off easily).The full skirt is made of synthetic black satin with tiers of black tulle sewn on it. The tulle has many silver paillettes sewn on it, making the skirt sparkle. It looks very fifties, especially with the black simple clutch bag and pumps that come in the giftset. The elegant gloves complete the chic image of Agnes. Black and white earrings set off her pale complexion to perfection.


The outfit is not lined, so I would advise you to be carefull with it for staining, although my Agnes did not have any problems with it as long as she had it on. The quality of the work is excellent with lots of attention to details, although it would have been perfect if it was lined and if the skirt fabric did not feel so much plastic as it does.

And of course Agnes could not be long without a Vogue cover, I think she really deserves this!

Vanessa Perrin is one of the hottest faces in the Fashion Royalty roster. Each and every one of the dolls with her face become instant collectibles, dolls not to be missed by Jason Wu fans. The basic Vanessa doll from this year's Glamorous collection is not an exception.


Vanessa comes dressed in golden toned faux leather corset and shorts, much like Kyori and the other basic dolls of this collection. The already familiar from Kyori boots with laces complete the ensemble. Her rust blonde coloured hair match the outfit and make her look even more glamorous. Gathered in a high ponytail and cascading down her back in big curls, they look sensuous and sexy.


Her make up too is excellent. Based on golden and brown hues, with a pale pink lip colour, it gives her a look that can match many outfits. Her light blue eyes are enhanced by real eyelashes. The jewellery set, basic stud "diamond" earrings (golden) and a matching gold square cuff, look great and can work well with other ensembles. Matching coloured fingernails complete the picture.


So how does Vanessa look in another outfit? From the same Dressmaker Details Couture gift set that Kyori took her exquisite suit, I picked the black satin corset trimmed with tulle and the matching long skirt with train to put on her. Boy, does she look awesome! Topping the ensemble off with a long necklace of transparent beads, her own earrings and cuff and black mules, she is the embodiment of timeless glamour and sophistication. It is if it was made for her.


Metal Maven Vanessa is another great version of the Perrin younger sister to grace the Fashion Royalty catwalk. Her perfect face paint and hair colour with ideal colouring make her an excellent basic doll, ready to offer hours of enjoyment while she goes into outfit after outfit, mesmerising fashion doll collectors everywhere.

This year, the main collection of the Fashion Royalty dolls is named The Glamorous Collection. The four 2008 basic Fashion Royalty dolls from this collection are inspired by minerals! Wearing metallic bodysuits with coordinating shoes, they were launched with the slogan "Mineral Matters!". The four dolls are Kyori, Adele, Vanessa and Luchia. Here I present to you Kyori Sato - Quicksilver!


Kyori is a knock-out in this incarnation. The dolls have not changed from the past year in shape or size, but are getting definitely better hair and better face paint with each new collection. This time she has platinum hair, gathered in a long ponytail with lovely curls at the ends. There are no bangs (thankfully) and the platinum hair makes her pale complexion shine even more.


She is wearing a silver corset, in faux leather, with a ruffle trim on top and snaps at the back. A matching belt fastens around the waist. Under that she has shorts made from the same material. They could work well as separates, the corset surely having more of a life than the silver shorts (except if she is cast in a re-make of Kylie's "Spinning Around" video).


The rest of the accessories include nude panty-hose and silver leather laced platform sole short boots. The platforms give these dolls a terrific height, making them tower even in front of last year's dolls. A nice pair of stud "diamond" earrings and an amazing square metallic cuff bracelet are the jewellery included with the doll.


Her face paint is delicate, much more than I had expected, given that these dolls are inspired by minerals. So instead of glitter and glam, Kyori gets slightly shiny brown/grey eye shadow and deep pink lips combined with slightly blushed cheeks, a very good colouring that can accommodate many different styles and go with a number of outfits from day wear to evening. The only allusion to the metallic theme are the silver painted nails.


Basic doll means, what else, getting to wear lots of different stuff. Lucky for Kyori then that a very elegant suit was waiting for her upon arrival. Mary T's Dollhouse had released in 2007 with Dressmaker Details a great exclusive set of three outfits called Twinkle Tweed Giftset that could be combined between them to get many more different looks. So I photographed Kyori with the suit from that set. The results are stunning.


The tweed fabric is woven with metallic thread so that it catches the light in each move. The short boxy jacket is trimmed in black tulle ruffles at the hem and the cuffs of the elbow-length sleeves, while sequins adorn the lapels. The pencil skirt elegantly finishes off the silhouette. Accessories include a quilted bag (looking a lot like Chanel) with chain and black ribbon strap, a lovely pearl and black bead necklace and black stockings and black closed toe slingbacks (these are the ones shown here, the set included many more accessories, to be seen in later posts).


The silver bracelet and the stud diamond earrings that came with Kyori were of course perfect for this outfit, proving their versatility. No wonder Kyori dances with joy!!!


In conclusion, another great doll from Integrity's Fashion Royalty line. Her versatility means that there are lots of options for posing and re-dressing her. If you noticed in the photographs here, with a bit of re-arranging her long ponytail, you can get some different looks from her and that is before you even try un-doing it.