Every year since 2007 I am part of a countdown that takes place in December: Greek music lover bloggers post their favourite 20 albums for the year in their blogs, beginning at December 1st and going up to December 20th with their number one. In the end, there's a tally and the best albums of the year are announced. Each participant usually makes a special presentation for the albums, using photos, videos or whatever they think best represents their relationship to the music they love. This year I decided to unite my love for fashion dolls with my love for music and use my doll collection in my presentation. At first I thought I'd do photos with the dolls holding the albums. Then I saw there were some albums that their covers could be reproduced using the dolls. So I decided that each album would be a different animal to confront, depending on its cover and the music inspiration, as well as the artist's image. So here are the photos I made as a slideshow. If you want to see them in all their glory, you can visit my music blog here. Enjoy!
Can Barbie ever have too many bags?
Doing my daily round of dolly blogs, I came across this post by Rebecca at Inside The Fashion Doll Studio about an article in the Dec/Jan 2012 issue of Interview magazine featuring Barbies as models in a clutch bag photo shoot. I knew I had to post them here as well. I am really wondering how on earth did I miss that when it first came out.
Happy Birthday®, Ken® Barbie® Doll models a Stella McCartney clutch.
Vera Wang™ Bride: The Traditionalist Barbie® Doll posing with an Alexander McQueen bag.
Anemone Barbie® by Christian Louboutin models a Bottega Veneta clutch.
2011 Holiday Barbie™ Doll with a Chanel bag.
Dolly Forever Barbie® Doll by Christian Louboutin with a Christian Dior clutch.
Elvis® Barbie® Doll models a gorgeous Lanvin bag.
Barbie® by Christian Louboutin Doll with a Gucci bag
The celebrity of the bunch: 80's Cher Bob Mackie Doll (I own this one!) with Emilio Pucci bag.
This is the magazne layout.
And this is the cover of the issue, featurinf Scarlett Johansson.
Photographs courtesy of Interview magazine. Photographer of dolls: Robbie Fimmano
Stylist: Miguel Enamorado
Interview cover photography by Sølve Sundsbø
This is the magazne layout.
And this is the cover of the issue, featurinf Scarlett Johansson.
Photographs courtesy of Interview magazine. Photographer of dolls: Robbie Fimmano
Stylist: Miguel Enamorado
Interview cover photography by Sølve Sundsbø
Mad Men dolls: here come the guys for the season finale
In my previous post you read about and saw the gorgeous dolls that Michael Williams made for the female characters of the 5th season of Mad Men, the incredible series of AMC. Now, as the season's finale is upon us, he presents the men of the series. Again, he accessorizes them with all the necessary props they used in this season.
Don Draper is of course the star of Mad Men. For him, Michael used a Silkstone Ken, the unfortunate victim ex-flame Andrea is a Barbie Basics leg wearing a Silkstone Red MaryJane pump, and the car is a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen car that only cost $10 at a dollar store 10 years ago. He photoshopped it from turquoise to red.
Roger Sterling, the wise-cracking partner of SCDP: Again he is a Silkstone Ken, he is holding a Barbie baby and the accessories include a My Scene phone, a Re-Ment repainted table, a VITRA miniature chair and custom-printed paper paraphernalia.
The man everyone loves to hate: Pete Campbell. To make him. Michael put a vintage Allan head on a VOLKS Neo-Go Guy Color articulated body. He wears a vintage Ken Special Date navy suit and his accessories include a repainted pencil sharpener film projector, a pair of generic fashion doll skis purchased at a doll show, a custom-printed lobster bib and book jacket.
Michael Ginsberg is the new guy on the show. Actually he is a Wedding Day Sparkle Ken groom, with a Misaki Destination Milan necktie and Barbie Loves Frank Sinatra jacket. His accessories include a College Student vintage Ken typewriter, a RE-MENT Hotel Buffet warming tray with RE-MENT French Restaurant and Fun Meals Lobsters, a Barbie Generation Girl Lara artist easel with custom-printed story boards and a One Modern Circle Ken portfolio.
Once again Michael has done an incredible job of bringing the Mad Men characters to life in a most iconic and ironic way through his dolls.
All photos ©Michael Williams/MyLifeInPlastic.com
My dolls in Haute Couture: a photoshoot for Grazia India magazine!
A while ago the editor of Grazia India, Nadnini Bhalla contacted me about doing a photoshoot with my fashion dolls for the magazine, with them wearing miniature outfits created by Indian fashion designers. She said she loved my Vogue mock up covers and wanted to make something in that context for the photoshoot. Of course I agreed and started planning the whole thing. After a while, the outfists arrived. Opening the garment bag of each one was a surprise: the worksmanship was incredible. The designers, with only a basic pattern to help them had made miniature miracles. Some of the outfits had miniscule accessories with them, which made them even more incredible.
Turmeric sequin ball gown and gloves, Lecoanet Hemant
Not all the outfits were made in the exact doll sizes I had provided. Some were too big or too small to fit on either 12" dolls or 16" dolls. But with the help of pins and proper posing, all of them were finally photographed by me with my dolls wearing them. From a huge number of photos, I picked soem and sent them over to have the magazine editors finalize the selection and layout. When this was done, it was ready for printing. The issue was out in May and it was a huge 12-page spread exclusive. I am publishing the results here and hope you like them! In future posts, I will feature each and every dress seperately, with facts about the designer, the specific dress and also photos of the original outfit on the runway. Enjoy!
Jumpsuit, Raakesh Agarvwal; Bubble-hem dress, Sitara By Manjaree; Bambino-print maxi, Kallol Dutta
Bubble-hem dress, Sitara By Manjaree
Ombre pleated gown, Nachiket Barve
Ruched Dress with circuitry sleeve, Prashant Verma
I would also like to thanks Nandini Bhalla (senior editor), Nidhi Jacob (editor) and Rajni Phatak (accounts) for their incredible help and collaboration and coordination of this dream project! Grazia India is in great hands!
Lame origami gown, Varun Sardana; Lime one-shouldered maxi, Gauri and Nainika
Ball gown with rosette train, Preeti Chandra
Sheer knotted dresses, Anuj Sharma
Tie-dye sleeveless jacket and top over satin pants, Savio Jon
Sequin strapless dress, Namrata Joshipura
Textured prom dress, Alpana and Neeraj
The shoot was also published in an indian blog about fashion, High Heel Confidential. The photos below of the magazine pages scanned are from that blog as I still have not received the magazine to scan them myself.
All photographs for Grazia are not to be published in any other form, in print or electronically without permission from the magazine and me. Photos published by special permission of Grazia Magazine.