Vanessa Perrin is one of the most coveted characters in the Fashion Royalty universe of Integrity Toys. A couple of years ago, the change of her face sculpt caused many tantrums and ignited heated discussions in fashion doll collector forums and blogs. Last year, in their annual convention, Integrity released her third incarnation: a new sculpt that looks a bit like the first one, only slightly modified. Again, some collectors loved her, some did not. But getting that sculpt on a W Club exclusive doll was something that surely pleased many happy fans of this character. Me too, as it was a way to get the new sculpt and see up close how she fares compared to her older versions.
Her multi-coloured outfit was also much talked about. The use of green, purple and plum, combined with her fiery red hair surely caught many by surprise. She is wearing a plum skirt, topped with a tailored olive jacket and wrapped by an extravagant tonal purple faux-fur stole. Completing the look, she sports a pair of purple and fuchsia bracelets, a matching ring and drop earrings, a designer "leather" purse with two straps (short and medium length) and matching boots over a pair of olive (yes, olive!) fishnet stockings. Topping it all off is her retro-chic couture hat in a dark brown/plum colour, which is fixed on her head with a couple of pins (included).
First impressions out of the box: absolutely mesmerising! The bright colouring hits you right away but it is so well combined that I loved it immediately. It reminds me of French fashion, of YSL in the 70's and 80's. The fur stole can be fastened as seen on the photo above, but in that case it has to stay on top of her shoulders. The hat looks a bit mismatched (it looks more suited to a 50s Dior outfit) but not totally out of place on her head. The jacket and skirt are coming from a Zac Posen 2013 Resort design (raberry from W Club identified this):
This jacket though has a slim belt fastened at the waist, in purple, which looks amazing. And the olive green goes so well with her red hair. Her hairstyle is glamorous and sexy, and can also be altered without much trouble to change her look. The hair did feel slightly sticky though. She is my fifth red-haired Vanessa.
Her face looks really good in this new incarnation of the character. She regained the open mouth of the first sculpt while getting a more defined nose and jaw line. This one looks better than the doll revealed in the 2012 convention and I think will become a classic FR doll. Her face paint is amazing - smoky eyes and pale rose lips are always a winning combination. The eyelashes at the bottom lids look much better in real life than they did in her promo photos. Her eyes and look remind me a lot of Lana Del Rey.
The earrings, ring and bracelets are matched perfectly, in fuchsia and purple. Although not the first colours one would think to put on a red head, they fit her look and outfit to a T.
Her skirt arrived a bit crumbled but this should go away with steaming. I was so eager to photograph her I could not bother to do that. But what is under that gorgeous jacket?
She sports a lovely lace top in plum and dark brown, which is another piece that could easily be used as a great separate to mix and match - like all the other pieces of this outfit. The top and skirt colour combination reminded me of the Bottega Veneta S/S 2013 ad below. And look at that amazing "patent leather" bag with its two straps and buckle. Another amazing piece is the huge ring.
Let's take a closer look at the ankle boots - they have ties and also a mini zip at the back, to make them slide on easily. Amazing detail and look.
So yes, this is for me one of the best dolls IT released last year (she was the second FR W Club doll for 2012, we pre-ordered her back in November but only arrived in April 2013). If she is any indication of the dolls coming this year for the club, brace yourselves.
