Hollywood Dolls

After a long hiatus another repaint (while studying Oliva de Havilland's face, my attention was drawn to another doll). I was curious about this doll. Not only did it allow for one to practice repainting (as the faceless Antoinette was meant to be for), it also had a very feminine sculpt and body that was model-like, soft and reminiscent of models one sees in fashion magazines. Personally, I really go for soft looks, very feminine simply because they look like women. "Beautiful" always is a classic and reigns beyond time.
In repainting this one, I was inspired by Louis Malle's Pretty Baby of Brooke Shields (in her gentler, softer younger years). But I didn't want to make too much of a Brooke -- although I think the brows here are a giveaway. They are iconic and her personal trademark. I think they set her apart too.

What other things are beautiful about the Tonner Antoinette?
Pose-ability: she poses much better than the Tyler mold although the elbow knob screws outward when moved and you end up with a decapitated arm. Easy to put back though, but I wonder how long it will last.
The face sculpt even without factory paint is classic. The basic oval shape is somehow universal when it comes to models and actresses.
There is a generous length of hair that reaches the hip area or even beyond that. You have a nymph-in-the-making there.

What gives?
She can't borrow clothes from the tyler mold. So, if you've been collecting Tyler clothing, you'll have to collect new ones for her size. I haven't checked if she fits Franklin Mint. I don't have much in my collection.

So here she is now debuting in her first magazine cover. Years in the creative department in a publishing company made me somehow some basic rules: Eyes facing camera, strong blurbs and a bigtime cover shot. I hope I got this one right ; ) This Antoinette has no clothes so I had to borrow from Bella Swan. SPECIAL, SPECIAL THANKS to ERIC CARON whose generosity allowed me to have the right brushes. They really, really make a difference. = ) Merci Eric! If you notice (the pictures do not show them closely), I've repainted the edges where hair meets head. With point 5/0 brushes, one can simulate the little fringes of hair found on the forehead and temples. It frames the head well (very therapeautic too if you're listening to your itunes faves).




Meantime a new Scarlett is on the shelves -- Tonner's version of the Barbeque dress which looks much better than the Press Release photos. I'm still saving up for that. I have to work on Melanie. That girl has been patiently waiting for months for a repaint, so help me heaven. Celebrity repaints on dolls are the hardest if one has had no training in portraiture. I truly admire the work of Noel Cruz, Laurie Leigh, Isabelle, Joo and Yu, and many more, I can't seem to remember them all. Their passion and determination are always an inspiration to me. More of Antoinette in weeks to come.

 It was pretty cool getting a Silkstone doll box that looked like this:
 


 Inside was Roger Sterling. I knew from the promo pictures that Mattel still has not figured out how to make a man's suit that fits and sits properly on a doll but I wanted this doll anyway.

He's staying in the box. I have no other male Silkstones as Ken does not appeal to me. Honestly, this one doesn't either but it's unique so it's here.

A nice sized box arrived the other day. It looked exactly like an Avantguard doll box. Opening it and peering inside at the two dolls was a really satisfying feeling. You know how it is when your expectations of a doll are met. It just makes you feel happy.
It is amazing that these two, who sport the Monogram sculpt, looked just like their bigger sisters. Actually, this mini Androgyny is prettier than the larger version. The outfits are almost exactly the same as well. I had heard that there was an issue with Andro being stained but mine did not have a mark on her. The pant suit is very, very tight and the fabric looked a little shaggy. The wigs, which are not shown, fit very well.  Each wig came packaged in its own teeny hatbox. The stands have the AG symbol on them - again exactly the same as the maxi AGs.

The new packaging sports little green rectangles here and there which are the moisture protectors being used now instead of the silica packets. Although there are a few packets amongst the accessories.


I decided that I didn't need to duplicate the outfits in miniature so I have redressed these dolls.
Androgyny is wearing a Kio wig, the outfit from Incandescent Monogram and carrying a Purse of the Month pink leather bag. Her diamond pin is from a Gene Marshall fashion. I have removed the hooks from the jacket as I like it better open and the hooks didn't look good.



I thought Aphrodisiac's exaggerated makeup would work with the outfit from Mina, Bride of Dracula. She is wearing a wig made for Puki Puki dolls. The pin on her lapel is from Facets. It attaches by means of a small magnetic disc.


I love these two dolls redressed. Because they are wigged gals, there are so many play possibilities. The giftset earns a 9 out of 10.  It's a winner.

Members of the W Club received the announcement and photos of the first W Club Exclusive doll on July 29. My first reaction was to the photography. I thought, "This is how I would photograph a doll I wanted to sell."
They are absolutely beautiful shots which showed the doll clearly and in several poses. I was truly impressed.

The doll is called "Lady in Waiting" and it uses the Dania Zarr sculpt on a Nu.Face body. According to the marketing email, "Dania has been working out and now is able to wear this tight fitted number over her smaller bust." Perhaps Dania has become bulimic as well? Time will tell.  Real life models get skinnier and skinnier and IT's dolls shrink down in size, too.





I'm not a big fan of the Dania sculpt but I love her dress and jewelry. She does look classic and beautiful and that's what most collectors have been wanting. I have sent in a query about the hem of the dress to find out if it's wired for shaping purposes. If it isn't, and it needs it, that would be a simple project.


The doll is available only to W Club members for $110. and must be ordered no later than August 13, 2010.

In a piece written by Stephanie Finnegan in Dolls Magazine, the author tells us that many men who identify with the era of anti-feminism and steno pools are collecting these dolls and adore the show. But...the real life Jayne Mansfield hips, thighs and chest of several of the actresses are not appreciated. These "men" want the good old days of women in shirtwaists pushing a carpet cleaner around the living room in the Levittown ranch home. However they are fixated on the current trend of skinny girls being the idealized figure for a woman.

Don Draper et al. remind me of my father, his brother and their 5th Avenue office. The hairstyles, the skinny ties, the suits, the drinking and the smoking are over-the-top accurate. It's painful to watch.  I do, however, appreciate how well the show is done and the look of it is amazing. I guess that's why it is able to tap into the memories for me.

"“Mad Men” takes place back in the days when “men were men,” and a combo of chauvinism and arrogance were the necessary ingredients for a young executive’s rise at the workplace. (Women on the show, by and large, are left to languish in the stenographer pool, hoping that a well-turned leg and a nice neckline will land them a hubby and a happy home in the suburbs.)"



 Here is the link to the rest of the article.  It's a great read as she ties the dolls in with social issues of the past and current. I recommend it.

 Meg in Oregon (aka Stray Cat), along with her husband, has found the ultimate solution to doll organization. They've taken an extra closet in their home and outfitted it with scale appropriate hanging racks and organizers.



I don't have that many outfits and you can be sure my closets aren't anywhere near as organized!

She said, "I was sick of the ziplock bags in plastic bins. Never could find anything and it didn't encourage play. it just made it a big hassle. This makes it so easy to look and pick your dolly and the outfit."

 Meg described her set-up: "Here's how I keep all my Gene and friends and outfits. As you can see they are outgrowning the closet...I have added a rolling circular rack (found at a thrift store) for some additional outfits. Last pic is the shelf I just bought to display some dolls. 15 years of collecting and I just now have some on display. Go figure?! I made this closet out of stuff I had around the house....thus the odd different materials used for the shelves. But it works for me! The document bags used for garment bags are available at office supply stores. The are called "document bags" and come in a lot of sizes."

Meg replied to another collector, "It makes me happy to keep it organized."  It would make me happy, too!

Pretty amazing, isn't it?

If you would like to send Meg a message, you can post it on the Studio Commissary Board. 

Fellow blogger and collector, Cliff Chan, has posted tons of pictures from an event he attended in Hong Kong called Dollism Plus. It's fabulous! Click Here: Dollism Plus