The final two Magia 2000 dolls for their collaboration with Integrity Toys are revealed!

I do not thing anyone was expecting that the remaining two dolls from the Magia 2000/ Integrity Toys collaboration would appear together, but here they are. W Club members received the corresponding email which revealed the two dolls, with characters from NU Face. The fact that the designers picked these particular sculpts sparked a flurry of comments and conversations in forums, groups and social media. One of the two specifically, Colette, drew a lot of ire, not only for being the 2.0 version (which had so far been used only in the first release of the new Colette sculpt), but also for its appearance. More on that later on. Here is what the designers, Gianni and Mario, said about the dolls:

For the final two dolls of our capsule collection, we wanted to continue with the concept of “day-to-night” fun!

We know how much IT collectors love to play with their dolls, undress them and switch accessories and clothing pieces, therefore, we opted to embrace this facet of collecting as much as possible. We were given the chance to design for two NU. Face characters and we couldn’t be more excited at the opportunity to challenge ourselves by creating extravagant looks for this highly prized, modern, and younger doll collection.

We also jumped at the chance to have Colette and Karolin appear in never-used-before skin tones/hair color combos and incorporate details inspired by the last two cities of the Italian tour, Milan and Rome!"

-Mario & Gianni, Magia 2000

Let’s check out both dolls, whose majority were available through a lottery for the W Club (which I am happy to say have been picked to buy in the lottery), and a small percentage of their edition will be available to the public when they arrive at the IT warehouse sometime in late spring/early summer of 2023.

Magia_2000_dolls_Integrity_Toys_Colette_Karolin

Item #15108

Runway In Milan

Colette Duranger™ Doll

The Integrity Toys X Magia 2000 Collaboration

Edition Size: 1500

Expected Ship Date: Spring-Summer 2023

Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll
Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll
Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll
Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll

Head Sculpt: Colette 2.0

Body Type: NF 3.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Nubian

Hair Color: Platinum

Eyelashes: Yes, hand-applied

MSRP: $225 + S & H

Special W Club Price*: $199 + S & H

Sales method: This is being sold with a portion to W Club members via a W Club right-to-buy lottery offer, and a portion set aside for the public. Should you not secure any doll(s) in the lottery or want more than your memberships allow, you will be able to try to secure a doll from the set aside portion. 

*Special W Club pricing is limited to one per membership

Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll
Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll

The Story:

Third in a series of dolls created especially for Integrity Toys, each figure and doll in this series will take fans on an ultra-creative tour of some of Italy's most iconic venues and festivals, as seen through the eyes of fabulous design duo Magia 2000!

Milan is recognised as a tour-de-force in fashion, being one of the world's four fashion capitals and leveraging its strengths in the fields of art, design, entertainment, commerce and tourism.

Fashion fans get ready! Magia 2000's tour of Italy continues and today we stop by one of Milan's most sought after runway shows to celebrate the best that Italian fashion has to offer! NU. Face top model Colette Duranger makes a flash appearance on the catwalk, modeling gorgeous fashion pieces that combined, create a mini "day-to-night" wardrobe! She is the perfect muse for designers and drives all the influencers crazy with her posh looks!

Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll
Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll
Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll

Included:

  • 12.5-inch articulated doll with rooted hair;

  • Black gabardine high-rise culotte pants;

  • White satin sleeveless cropped top with rhinestone neckline;

  • Over-the-top jacket with feathery "lashes";

  • Mesh sleeveless cropped top with applied rhinestone deco (can be worn alone or as an overlay with the satin top above);

  • Glittery micro-sequined mermaid skirt;

  • Golden belt with matching, detachable purse;

  • Golden chrome ruched "leather" high-heeled boots;

  • Pair of golden chrome chunky heel shoes;

  • Oversized sunglasses with Magia 2000 carry case;

  • Magia 2000 black mesh tote;

  • Drop faux-diamond earrings;

  • Chunky cuff bracelet with matching faux-diamond accent;

  • Golden signet ring;

  • Pair of manicured hands;

  • Alternate pair of golden chrome "gloved" hands;

  • Doll stand;

  • Certificate of authenticity.

Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll

I was not a fan of the original version of the Colette new sculpt when it came out during the Supermodel convention (check link in the introduction). The revamped 2.5 version is the best Colette sculpt and I have one. So this doll had me in a conundrum: I really wanted to have all the dolls from this collaboration in my collection, but not liking a sculpt poses a serious problem. The golden make up tones she is sporting did not help the situation either. The make up also drew a lot of hate from people online, many being people of colour protesting that it is always the dark skinned dolls that get the garish, bold or metallic make up, while the lighter skinned ones get the softer tones to look more natural and lovely. Exhibit A is of course Dominique from the 2021 convention (which is a doll I love, in major part because of her make up). My humble opinion is that the truth is somewhere in the middle: yes, it is not fair that darker skinned dolls get this treatment, but on the other hand, bold and metallic colours do look better on them (and pigments have to be stronger to show properly on darker skin). A counter argument of course could be that her golden make up could have been applied more delicately, like the one on 24K Erin Salston from the Fairytale convention. It would have probably looked more appealing - at least to my eyes. The way it is designed in the prototype reminds me of the ancient Egyptian funerary masks found on mummies, which you could either say could be an inspiration or a bad look. Further more, combined with platinum white hair, instead of say a black afro or a more natural hair look, compounds the problem. I love the outfits (two!) she comes in, and the many possibilities in combining the various bits and pieces (despite the clash of gold and silver/white of some of them), but the doll is somewhat problematic - even more so considering it was designed by white cis gay male people. The doll was shown in an accompanying video with the designers being interviewed by Carol Roth and looked quite better in real life. Which of course does not negate the inherent problem it seemingly has.

Runway_In_Milan_Colette_Duranger_doll accessories

Item #15109

Grand Gala In Rome

Karolin Stone™ Doll

The Integrity Toys X Magia 2000 Collaboration

Edition Size: 1500

Expected Ship Date: Spring-Summer 2023

Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll
Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll
Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll
Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll

Head Sculpt: Karolin

Body Type: NF 3.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Cream

Hair Color: Platinum

Eyelashes: Yes, hand-applied

MSRP: $225 + S & H

Special W Club Price*: $199 + S & H

Sales method: This is being sold with a portion to W Club members via a W Club right-to-buy lottery offer, and a portion set aside for the public. Should you not secure any doll(s) in the lottery or want more than your memberships allow, you will be able to try to secure a doll from the set aside portion. 

*Special W Club pricing is limited to one per membership

Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll
Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll

The Story:

Fourth and final in a series of dolls created especially for Integrity Toys, each figure and doll in this series will take fans on an ultra-creative tour of some of Italy's most iconic venues and festivals, as seen through the eyes of fabulous design duo Magia 2000!

With a long history that spans more than 28 centuries, Magia 2000's tour of Italy concludes with a thrilling final stop at the center of it all, the "Eternal City"; Rome! Also called "Caput Mundi" (Capital of the World), Rome is generally considered to be the cradle of Western civilization. Famous artists, painters, sculptors, and architects made Rome the center of their activity, creating masterpieces throughout the city. In 2019, Rome was the 14th most visited city in the world, with 8.6 million tourists, the third most visited in the European Union, and the most popular tourist destination in Italy.

For this final stop, NU. Face top model Karolin Stone makes a most memorable appearance in Rome just in time for the Rome Film Festival, a yearly affair that is attended by hottest actors and directors in the film industry! Wearing a look inspired by some of the architectural details of one of the city's most famous landmarks, the Trevi fountain, Karolin's look can transform from an extravagant cocktail look to a show stopping Grand Gala "entrance" moment! With such over-the-top, glamorous looks at her command, Karolin is sure to leave an undeniable mark in the history of Italian fashion!

Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll
Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll

Included:

  • 12.5-inch articulated doll with intricately styled, rooted hair*;

  • Pink, long sleeved off-shoulder "bonbon" mini-dress with embroidered and beaded embellishments on the skirt;

  • Seafoam green tulle petticoat/underskirt (not shown);

  • Floor length, show-stopping overskirt finished with ruffled details;

  • Floor length, seafoam green lace veil with ruffle accents;

  • Matching clutch purse with rhinestone accents;

  • Pink stockings;

  • Pair of thigh-high pink boots;

  • Pair of pink chunky platform heels;

  • Intricate choker necklace with three rows of "pearl" and rhinestone accents;

  • Over-the-top, ultra-intricate chandelier earrings with rhinestone accents;

  • Alternate, delicate earrings with "pearl" drop;

  • Tiara/comb accessory with rhinestone accents;

  • Chrome "silver" powder compact accessory;

  • Matching chunky signet ring with rhinestone accents;

  • Pair of manicured hands;

  • Doll stand;

  • Certificate of authenticity.

*NOTE ABOUT KAROLIN'S HAIRSTYLE: Please note that Karolin's hair has been rooted to specifically create her elaborate hairstyle. If you opt to undo this hairstyle and take it down, we cannot guarantee that the full head will be rooted and some bald spots may be present. Undoing this hair style will void the warranty.

Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll

If it wasn’t for her grand baroque madonna style, with a bit of Moschino by Jeremy Scott Fall 2020 RTW inspiration, Karolin would have been left in the shadow of Colette. I love what the guys did with her, managing to make me actually want to by a Karolin doll (I really do not like her sculpt). Maybe Mario and Gianni should have made Karolin a dark skinned lady in her crinoline gown (Bridgerton anyone?) instead, she would have looked awesome with the pinks. She is a direct connection to their usual work, with all the pomp and decoration she has (including the madonna veil), while still remaining a production doll instead of an OOAK offering. I love both versions of the outfit (long and short) and the accessories are gorgeous - the Valentino boots and pumps alone are amazing (but would have been perfect if she had something more impressive on her head, like the ship True Royalty Vanessa had). Pure winner.

Grand_Gala_In_Rome_Karolin_Stone_doll accessories

PUBLIC PURCHASING

More information on public purchasing will be sent after the dolls' arrival, approximately later in Summer 2023.


IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, final product may vary. This collectible is meant for adult collectors ages 15 and up only. 

All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2022 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. NU. FACE and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved. 

Magia 2000 is a trademark of Magia 2000. Used under permission.

The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Photography by Bill and Shaunessey Peck. Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing.

The second Integrity Toys / Magia 2000 collaboration doll is Summer in Taormina Vanessa !

As we wait impatiently for the first doll resulting from the collaboration of Integrity Toys and the incredibly talented duo of Magia 2000. Mario and Gianni, here is the second one: Summer in Taormina Vanessa Perrin. As before, this will be mostly for the club, who got dibs through a lottery for most of the edition, while a very small portion will be available for the general public. Read on for more details.

Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

Gianni and Mario, who are the people behind Magia 2000, said this about their inspiration:

“As we love to play, this time around we designed an exciting “day-to-night” look for Vanessa, which brings many display possibilities for collectors to enjoy! The imagery on her dress has been artfully crafted to pay homage to some of the most iconic elements of Sicily, such as the delicious lemons growing on the island, or the strong devotion to the “sacred heart” that the residents all share. We want Vanessa to enjoy a wonderful day through the little streets of Taormina, looking fantastic in the “daytime” version of the dress, and then with a few transformations, look like a vision of perfection, ready for a triumphant appearance at the ancient Greek-Roman theatre later that evening!” - Magia 2000

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Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

Item #15107

Summer in Taormina

Vanessa Perrin® Doll

The Integrity Toys X Magia 2000 Collaboration

Edition Size: 1500

Expected Ship Date: Winter 2022 - Spring 2023

Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000
Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000
Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

Head Sculpt: Vanessa 3.0

Body Type: FR 6.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Hungarian

Hair Color: Raven/Black

Eyelashes: Yes, hand-applied

MSRP: $225 + S & H

Special W Club Price*: $199 + S & H

*Special W Club pricing is limited to one per membership

Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

The Story:

Second in a series of dolls created especially for Integrity Toys, each figure and doll in this series will take fans on an ultra-creative tour of some of Italy's most iconic venues and festivals, as seen through the eyes of fabulous design duo Magia 2000!

Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea on the East Coast of Sicily, with a rich history that pre-dates the arrival of the ancient Greeks, Taormina is well known as a welcoming haven for artists and is one of the top tourist destinations of Italy, attracting visitors from all over the world! Magia 2000’s exciting, fashionable journey through Italy continues as famed Fashion Royalty® top model Vanessa Perrin® visits the gorgeous seaside town, dressed in a glamorous ultra-detailed gown that is filled with symbolism, ready to make a most anticipated appearance at one of the many festivals that happen in town throughout the summer. 

Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

Included:

  • 12.5-inch articulated doll with intricately styled, fully rooted hair;

  • Custom printed cocktail gown with extravagant detachable train and ruffle detail at the shoulders;

  • Black velvet bow belt with jeweled heart charm;

  • Black satin bra and panties with lace trim details;

  • Fitted, sheer black petticoat with ruffle detail at the hem;

  • Elaborate "sacred heart" tiara with black lace ruffle accent;

  • Matching "sacred heart" earrings;

  • Red "ruby" ring;

  • "Gold" chain bracelet with tiny lemon charms;

  • Elaborate oversized sunglasses with sculpted heart and flower accents;

  • Pair of black pleather strappy high-heels;

  • Pair of custom printed platform sandals;

  • Custom embroidered purse;

  • Pair of manicured hands;

  • Alternate pair of "grip" hands;

  • Doll stand;

  • Certificate of authenticity.

Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000
Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

After Venice in the north, we travel, with the help of Magia 2000. to the south of Italy: Sicily. The doll is gorgeous and I was really sorry to not being selected through the lottery. Hopefully a take over could emerge - fingers crossed. The inspiration is of course very close to what Dolce and Gabbana are doing in their collections, which mars the beauty of the doll a bit. But they surely do not have an exclusive on being inspired by Sicily.

The doll really succeeds in capturing the ideal beauty image of the island, with her sunny colours, her dark hair and tanned skin, her sultry make up and sexy silhouette, the baroque embellishments and accessories. The idea of making the outfit so versatile is another testament to the genius of Mario and Gianni. You get so many variations with all these pieces, it is perfection. The accessories are of course really glamorous and baroque, channelling the ornamentation and decoration of the Sicilian churches and palaces, and the Sacred Heart head ornament is the cherry on top. The only accessory that looks a bit poor compared to the rest is the pair of black close toed shoes, they look like they could use a bow or two.

A last observation: the doll reminds me a bit if that infamous upgrade Take Me On Vanessa(becaise of the sticker eyes debacle), with her severe hairstyle. She is of course darker skinned and has green instead of blue eyes.

Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

PUBLIC PURCHASING

More information on public purchasing will be sent after the dolls' arrival, approximately later in Winter 2022 - Spring 2023.

Summer_In_Taormina_Vanessa_Perrin_doll_Magia_2000

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, final product may vary. Acrylic blocks in the accessory pictures are display props only and are not included with the figure. This collectible is meant for adult collectors ages 15 and up only. 
All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2022 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. Fashion Royalty and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved.  Magia 2000 is a trademark of Magia 2000. Used under permission. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Photography by Bill Peck and Shaunessey Smith. Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing.

Integrity Toys collaborates with Magia 2000 for their next capsule collection!

As I mentioned in my previous post, the W Club event presentation was double barrelled: after we saw the last doll of the Coven Couture collection, we were presented with the first one from the new collection of dolls - this one being the first of four dolls in the Integrity Toys X Magia 2000 Collaboration, designed by the talented duo behind Magia 2000, Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi! I was lucky enough to meet the incredibly talented duo of Magia 2000 back in 2018, at the Italian Fashion Doll Convention, which they organise in Milan. They are amazing creators and awesome human beings and I am so happy that Integrity Toys is collaborating with them for an entire collection!

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll

Celebrating 23 years in the doll world, Magia 2000, the artistic duo formed by fashion designer, Mario Paglino and graphic art director, Gianni Grossi, playfully began in 1999. After a few months, playing became collecting, which was soon followed by artistic passion. Their elegant, rich, fully detailed style, which takes a lot of inspiration from Italian couture, has been their distinguishing mark from the start.

Through the years, they attended almost 100 doll conventions around the world, traveling everywhere from Japan, the US, and all over Europe, promoting their brand and passion for doll customization, while generously donating several of their unique creations, which helped raise over $200,000.00 for various charities!

Magia 2000 was the first international design team to attend an Integrity Toys convention back in 2004 and won Judge’s and People’s choice awards at several design competitions afterward. In 2018, they were the first and only to host a Poppy Parker event outside of the US, welcoming designer David Buttry for the unveiling of the “Ciao!” Poppy Parker convention exclusive doll. Today, Mario and Gianni collaborate with various celebrities and brands and have been featured in multiple media outlets.


About Integrity Toys X Magia 2000

"We've always admired the stories and unique personality behind Integrity Toys' brands and characters. For this special collaboration, we envisioned a journey through our incredible country; ITALY! With the largest amount of cultural and artistic artifacts in the world and a long history that spans multiple millenniums, Italy is the ultimate tourist destination. Italians are also leaders of the fashion industry and creativity is simply in our blood. We would love to invite fellow collectors on a fantastic journey through our land, to discover all that its famous venues and iconic events have to offer! For our first offering in the series, as Gianni is a fan of IT's male fashion figures, we wanted to launch with something new and unexpected from Magia 2000 and we are thrilled to bring you our vision of what Lukas Maverick would wear if he attended the world-famous Venice Carnival!" -Magia 2000

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll

Item #15106

Carnival Gala in Venice

Lukas Maverick™ Dressed Fashion Figure

The Integrity Toys X Magia 2000 Collaboration

Edition Size: 1500

Expected Ship Date: Early Spring 2023

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll
Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll
Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll

Head Sculpt: Lukas

Body Type: FR Homme 1.5

Foot Sculpt: Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Ginger

Eyelashes: No

MSRP: $225 + S & H

Special W Club Price*: $199 + S & H

Sales method:

This is being sold with a portion to W Club members via a W Club right-to-buy lottery offer, and a portion set aside for the public. Should you not secure any figure(s) in the lottery or want more than your memberships allow, you will be able to try to secure a figure from the set aside portion.

*Special W Club pricing is limited to one per membership

PUBLIC PURCHASING

More information on public purchasing will be sent closer to the figures' arrival, approximately later in Spring 2023.

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll
Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll

The Story:

First in a series of dolls created especially for Integrity Toys, each figure and doll in this series will take fans on an ultra-creative tour of some of Italy's most iconic venues and festivals, as seen through the eyes of fabulous design duo Magia 2000!

This fantastic journey starts in the most unique place in the world: Venice! Entirely built over water, Venice becomes a symbol of eccentricity and glamour during its world-famous annual Carnival!

Lukas Maverick is putting his own modern, gender-fluid twist on carnival by wearing a flamboyant, elaborate costume inspired by the rare imported velvets and other exotic fabrics used over the centuries by Venetian costume designers to create the extravagant, lavish costumes worn by members of the Italian high society and aristocracy when attending the Carnival!

Mysterious and charming, foggy and sunny, the pure essence of Carnival and abundance. Lukas navigates the canals with his black mask on and only reveals himself in the middle of the party, flirting and seducing women and men alike with his fluid beauty and his charming dress, paying tribute to many iconic Italian fashion brands!

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll
Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll

Included:

12.5-inch articulated fashion figure with partially rooted hair and flocked hair;

Floor-length green velvet hooded cape with lavish, contrasting custom-designed embroidery, designed to be reminiscent of the tint of the Venetian laguna colors;

Matching high-waist velvet pants;

Pink chiffon shirt with bouffant sleeves gathered at the wrist, built-in jabot and delicate black lace detail trim;

Sheer, black-ribbon neck tie;

Lion ring, paying tribute to the Flying Lion (the symbol of the city), which dominates the San Marco Square;

Pair of faux-diamond stud earrings;

Faux-pearl and faux-diamond brooch, a nod to the rich Venetian architecture and churches;

Italian designer-inspired logo clutch;

Pair of black velvet slipper loafers with intricate golden filigree design and "stone" accent;

Pink socks;

Venetian masquerade mask with black ribbon ties;

Pair of hands featuring black nail polish;

Figure stand;

Certificate of authenticity.

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll
Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll

Such an incredible collaboration can only produce incredible dolls and Lukas does not disappoint! I love what Gianni and Mario have done with him, dressing him up in all that finery inspired by the venerable Venice Carnival! It also draws on current fashion trends - from Gucci to Arturo Obegero and others, channelling Harry Styles and Jared Leto but also all dandies who rocked similar looks in the past. Love the mask too and that it fastens on the doll, instead of being held with a handle in front of the face (it would never work on a doll). The second red headed Lukas (first one was Beauty, which has a similar vibe, albeit in a minimal, northern European style), he has a smouldering look with that eyeliner. Some club members said he reminded them of Red Johnny Mac from Jem.

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll
Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll

Two complaints about the cape: 1. The fabric is like a terry cloth and ruins the luxury feel. Why not velvet There are thin velvets that can work in doll scale, we have seen them used by Integrity before. 2. The embroidery (inspired by the ceiling fresco decorations in the city’s mansions) should have continued along the bottom back of it. I know it was done for cost reasons but still. Love the black nails and also the awesome embroidered shoes. The details are so well taken care of - the ring is a lion because it is the symbol of Venice!

Carnival_Gala_In_Venice_Lukas_Maverick_doll accessories

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, final product may vary. Acrylic blocks in the accessory pictures are display props only and are not included with the figure. This collectible is meant for adult collectors ages 15 and up only.

All text and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2022 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. NU. FACE and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved.

Magia 2000 is a trademark of Magia 2000. Used under permission.

The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Photography by Bill Peck and Shaunessey Smith. Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing.

Italian Doll Convention 2018 - Day II: the Gala night

Saturday is the busiest day of IDC: seminars, presentations, the fashion show and the gala dinner! For most of us It begun early in the morning, as we had to go and get the extra blond version of the convention doll, Ciao Poppy! She’s gorgeous but I do prefer the pink haired one. This one will go to my friend Maria of Habilis Dolls, who could not attend. And that is why you see her in the box.

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Then it was time for a great presentation. My dear friend (we finally met!) Ada of Papusile Mele was giving us a lecture about Manga in Doll Culture! She showed us all the famous manga characters that got made into dolls, like Astro Boy, Lady Oscar, Sailor Moon and Candy Candy, giving us many details about manga history in between. Lots of rare and OOAK dolls were shown in the accompanying slideshow. 

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We stayed in Japan with the next presentation: the story of the doll Licca, by the lovely Kazuko Hosokawa. Not only she told us the amazing tale of how Licca came to be, with lots of details and how she developed throughout the years until now, but also brought with her part of her incredible Licca collection, with the complete original Licca family a stand out. Both this and the previous presentation had the awesome Antonio Russo helping out with the translation, from English to Italian. Some dolls and gifts were raffled to attendees, ending the presentation in a most ideal way.

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Third presentation of the day was called PoppyParkerly, this time dedicated of course to last night’s star, the lovely Poppy Parker: Daniela Ferrando talked about how the 60s are perceived aesthetically nowadays through our modern sensibilities compared to how it was back then, by using the 60s contemporary Barbies and today’s Poppies.  

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The last presentation was a much anticipated interview: dear Ada got the chance to ask the talented Linda Kyaw, Mattel designer and stylist of @barbiestyle, lots and lots of questions about her career, Barbie in the past, now and the future. The questions were send by Ada’s readers and, strangely enough, Mattel did not censor them! The interview was very informative even for people who are not even doll collectors. Linda is very intelligent, gracious and kind. She answered all questions, avoiding pitfalls and confidential information of course, and, with Ada being a wonderful interviewer, the session was a blast. It was accompanied by lots of Linda designed Barbies in displays and ended with lots of dolls and other gifts being raffled to attendees.

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Linda’s OOAK contribution to the IDC auction  

Linda’s OOAK contribution to the IDC auction  

Me with Linda Kyaw  

Me with Linda Kyaw  

After a brief interval (and a change of clothes), it was back at IDC for the Cartoonia parade fashion show! Anyone interested had registered for participating in this show, dressing up as a cartoon or doll character of his choice. The catwalk was set up in one of the hotel ballrooms. The show was a hoot: participants had incredible outfits, that had taken them countless days to make, complimented by styling, make up and hairstyles matching their characters, not to mention the choreography each one had prepared for their presentation. Lots of compliments, applause and bravos to all participants for the show that everyone thoroughly enjoyed! The photos of the show below (as a slideshow) are by another Greek collector that was there, Makis (thank you so much dearest!), as my seat was not ideal for catwalk photos.

Everyone attending the runway show could vote for his favourite costume, which was quite difficult as they were all amazing! You just had to give your favourite the corresponding coupon that was given with the rest of the registration stuff.  All participants were assembled at the hotel’s stairs for a last photo op and then it was time for the welcome drink before dinner, or, as Italians call it, l’aperitivo. An hour later, we were ushered into the ballroom for the gala dinner.

Athena was the winner of the runway show

Athena was the winner of the runway show

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Me with Antonio Russo and Oriele  

Me with Antonio Russo and Oriele  

The welcome drink space

The welcome drink space

The whole room was decorated with lots of cartoon elements. Each chair around the big rotunda tables had a transparent balloon tied to its back, lit up with a string of colourful led lights. The centerpiece was a Barbie doll made up as a comics/cartoon hero by doll design duo Lantis Kelly and Catia Destro. Each seat also has a pair of sketches made by Living Plastic Doll for the gala.

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The centerpiece doll

The centerpiece doll

I had been assigned to one of the Spanish tables, table no.20, with the lovely Lionel as our wonderful and amazing host. The table gifts were all amazing and I added mine to the bunch: cute mini polka dot dresses in various colours, with matching headband bows and earrings, all made to order by my dearest friend Maria from Habilis Dolls. I already knew Lionel and José from Facebook and got to meet the rest of the table mates there for the first time, all amazing and some of the best I could have: Christelle, Fito, Francisco, Gloria, Maria, Nuria and Pepita! My warmest thank yous and best wishes, you were all amazing!

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From left: Lionel, me, Gloria and Fito

From left: Lionel, me, Gloria and Fito

Table gifts! You can see one of the Habilis Doll polka dot dresses I gifted on the top left of this photo.

Table gifts! You can see one of the Habilis Doll polka dot dresses I gifted on the top left of this photo.

After a beautiful ballet introduction, with the dancers dressed in Disney prince and princess outfits, Mario Paglino took the stage, welcoming everyone. He talked about the recipient of this year’s charity auction profits, Dynamo Camp and introduced their team. Then it was time for a speech from Linda Kyaw about Barbie, its history and its future, as next year is the doll’s 60th birthday. There was no preview of anything regarding that front, but we got to see lots of gorgeous Barbie photos, some of which were shown for the first time in public. Then Gianni surprised everyone by announcing that there was a gift for everyone, a special limited edition book (300 copies) dedicated to Linda Kyaw and filled with photos of her Barbie dolls, exclusive to the convention and Mattel approved: The World Of Linda Kyaw. A gorgeous book, printed in quality paper, with lots of doll photos! 

The dancers  

The dancers  

Mario welcomes everyone  

Mario welcomes everyone  

Linda Kyaw speaking  

Linda Kyaw speaking  

Karl Lagerfeld OOAK doll  

Karl Lagerfeld OOAK doll  

Ralph Lauren OOAK doll  

Ralph Lauren OOAK doll  

60th anniversary logo

60th anniversary logo

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Lots of gifts were raffled off to attendees during the night, including many dolls. Our table won two of them! After dessert it was time for the convention doll. No surprises here, it was the same doll that was presented in the Paris and Tokyo conventions, Striking In Stripes Barbie. She is Gold label, has the Karl sculpt and a model muse body. Designed by Bill Greening, she wears an asymmetrical striped evening dress, with black strappy sandals, silver clutch bag and matching jewellery. It’s my first official convention doll (that I get while attending I mean), so I’m keeping her.  

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Then it was time for the extra convention Barbie, the one designed by Magia 2000, Mario and Gianni. This one was based on the Totally Hair Barbie, remade by Magia 2000, with new hairstyle, make up, freckles and a spectacular dress with an overskirt in custom printed fabric (with comic related print) and a black body hugging Lycra dress encrusted with colourful rhinestones. She wears black stockings, pink shoes embellished with crystals and star crystal earrings. Miniatures of her own special box and the official convention booklet created by Roger Corbeau were included. 

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One could see the OOAK benefit auction dolls in display in a corner of the ballroom. The talented creators really outdid themselves, as you can see in the photos below. How lucky are the people that bought them! The centerpiece dolls were raffled to each table, ours was won by Christelle - contrary to IT conventions, here you win both centerpiece doll and base for free.

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After lots of fun, laughs, raffles and doll fun, we were ready to wrap things up and call it a day - there was a disco set up in another hotel hall for people that wanted to continue but it was already late and I had to catch the last metro train back to my hotel. The next post will be about the third and final day of IDC. 

Milano Centrale station  

Milano Centrale station  

The Italian Fashion Doll convention is coming - are you ready?

​One of the best things about collecting fashion dolls is meeting extraordinary people with the same passion and exchanging ideas, making friendships and get creative with them. Best place to do that in real life is attending a fashion doll convention. For years I have been yearning to go to one of them, especially the grand events that get organised in the US. Budget of course gets always in the way for far away trips like that. Europe is closer, the conventions might be smaller but there are many of them and the costs are significantly lower.

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​So I took the plunge and finally decided to attend a European convention, especially after discovering it would be the first one featuring a specially made exclusive Poppy Parker for it. The Italian Fashion Doll Convention, held annually in Milan, begins on the 18th Of May and I am happy to announce it will be my first convention. I cannot wait to finally meet all those wonderful fellow fashion doll collectors that are, for now, online friends and acquaintances and enjoy three days full of fashion dolls.

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Not only that, two very talented people will be attending as well, making the event even more special: David Buttry will be in Milan to present the very first exclusive european Poppy Parker on Friday, 18th of May. And then, Linda Kyaw, the well known Mattel designer, will be attending the Barbie gala dinner on Saturday, 19th of May. Both designers will be signing dolls on Sunday, 20th of May. The theme of the event is Cartoonia, so the whole convention is inspired by cartoons, comics and animation. And apart from the exclusive Poppy Parker and the Barbie convention doll, there is an extra doll, for those who chose the corresponding package, made by the very talented duo Magia 2000.

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What happens on Sunday you ask? Well, apart from the signing events with David and Linda, there will be a huge doll bazaar, filled with every kind of fashion doll, available both to attendees and the general public. Lots of dealers, doll creators and doll fashion designers will be selling their wares. See them below.

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But that’s not all. There was also an auction of specially made OOAK dolls, to benefit a very special cause. Because fashion doll people are people who care for others. This year the recipient of the proceeds from the auction is the Dynamo Camp. Dynamo Camp is the first camp of Therapeutic Recreation in Italy, specially designed to accommodate - for free - children suffering from serious and chronic diseases, from 6 to 17 years in therapy and in the period after hospitalization. These are mainly children affected by haematological cancers, neurological issues and diabetes. Dynamo Camp will offer these sick children the opportunity to go back to being "just children" spending a week of fun in a safe and secure environment. The auction was online here, ended on Monday afternoon.

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Check out more details about the various events throughout the duration of the convention below.

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There will also be some great presentations on Saturday.

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The results of the photo competition shown below will also be announced!

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And here is the schedule for all days. See you in Milan!

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