The London Fashion Doll Festival 2019 was amazing - and I was there to experience it!

My second ever fashion doll convention, the London Fashion Doll Festival 2019, was held on the weekend of 8-9 June in London, at the lovely V&A Museum Of Childhood in Bethnal Green, London. I had promised the organisers that I’d join them in this second time of the convention being held, so there I was! The event took place over two days in the Summerly Room Of The museum, plus an adjoining smaller room for the workshop. 

The V&A Museum of Childhood in London

The Summerly Room

A banner at the convention area

Everyone registered upon entry, with an easy scan of our ticket. We were given our goody bags according to our registration level (with or without the exclusive Superdoll convention doll). As I found out, the bag had loads of lovely gifts!  Check them out below.

The tables were set for eight persons and mine was named Carnaby Girl. I had the honour of being in the same table with Desmond Lingard (from Superdoll), Izzy Parker with her husband Ian, Christina Paul (who runs the Doll Club Of Great Britain website) and of course, from the organisers, Simon Farnworth, his husband Carl and Kim London. What an amazing company to be with! The tables had a folder with two lovely sketches inside by Navdeep Sikand, creator of the lovely Anouk dolls...

...who also offered ten of them for centerpieces on each table! They were raffled off to the attendees near the end of the day, Izzy won ours. The dress and bags are made by Ineke Hintz. The gorgeous base was given along with the doll. If enough requests are made, LFDF will be able to have some for sale. 

Our centerpiece doll! There were blonde and raven versions of the doll.

Everyone else at the table got a small gift as well - i won the miniature chess you see below in the round box. I was lucky enough to receive some lovely gifts from my table mates too - Kim gave me the tea set (donated by her), Carl the amazing jewellery set (by Alla Dolgaleva Rapoport), Sofia the miniature Barbies and the wonderful Thomas Bartholomew Maffei, who came all the way from the USA, gave me the Sparkle Girl outfits!

Izzy had a gorgeous doll with her, the fantastic Glory resin Sybarite from the Los Angeles Convention earlier this year (above) , while Desmond had with him the 12” House Of Zenith Avenue, introduced earlier this year. She’s not wearing her original fashion and looked better IRL than in photos I had seen (below).

Soon enough, it was time for the workshops to begin. I had registered for both, so my schedule was full! First one was the Face Up workshop by Claudio Coronado, who was introduced by Simon Farnworth. 

Claudio was very thorough in showing us the steps in how to begin painting a doll’s face. A slideshow helped him show the detailed work he does. 

We got a great list of all the steps to follow when painting a doll face and helped us understand it is no easy task. Which is why you see the “before” photo of the doll head I had to paint, but not the “after”! 

The artist at work. This magnifying glass type is perfect for detailed work, I must get one.

After the end of the workshop, I had the chance to photograph the dolls on display. The Carnaby themed set up was beautiful.

The items that were going to be raffled off the next day, to support a great cause, the Children With Cancer UK charity, we’re also on display. See the slideshow below. I should also mention that there is an ebay auction with exclusive OOAK creations (dolls or outfits) for LFDF 2019, to benefit the same charity, that ends on the 22nd of June 2019, so go to this link to check the offerings and bid!

If you love Sybarites, you know Desmond is an incredibly talented photographer as well. Some of his magnificent prints were on display and for sale.

There was a small exhibition of 60s dolls as well, check them out below in the slideshow.

Emperis Dolls had a beautiful display as well and I got to meet the lovely Marcus and William who make them. They had both their new 12” dolls and their 16” ones on display and for sale. Some amazing OOAK dolls were there too, check out Cher in the slideshow below. The guys told me they almost sold out during the day.

Then it was time for the second workshop of the day: Sofia Kalaitzidi from Microsonik London showed us how to make a flower wig. These were very popular during the 60s in editorials and covers of fashion magazines. Elizabeth Taylor and members of the British Royal family were sporting them often in events.

Here are the materials Sofia gave us for the wig plus a prepared base for us to work on.

I managed to go as far as you can see below during the workshop (I’m hopeless with a needle). Some just threaded the larger flowers through the base as they had long wire stems, so no sewing needed, but I wanted a more delicate effect. Will try and finish it home!

And here I am next to the lovely Francesco from Fred-Dolls at the workshop - we had so much fun!

After the workshop ended, it was time for afternoon tea! A proper British tea, with everything necessary - tea, scones, clotted cream, jam, milk, sandwiches, sugar, macaroons and other treats! It was delectable.

During tea time, members of the organising team (l to r: dear Ismail, Simon and Claudio) presented the people dressed in sixties or sixties inspired clothes.

The t-shirts worn by the organisers ate the official convention shirt and all attendees got one!

there were eight of them, all lovely and dapper in mod outfits…

…and the winner was Olga, who was the most popular - people voted for their favourite contestant by giving them their raffle ticket!

Near the end of the day, it was time for the most anticipated reveal: Desmond unveiled the exclusive convention Sybarite doll!

Her name is Dejah and she is the last Generation X Sybarite doll to be released! The edition is 30 dolls and there are two more available at the LFDF site - hurry up!

You can see my doll below, as I opened the box right after the presentation. The last photo is the official one from Superdoll. She’s like a Motown singer from a girl group the 60s or a Northern Soul singer on a tour in Britain in the late 60s..

And here I am with dear Desmond - this one is for you Shazam Paname! Charles was in China, supervising doll production in the factory.

This was the first day of the London Fashion Doll Festival, full of wonderful people sharing our doll passion, making beautiful memories and seeing so many gorgeous dolls. Next up, the Salesroom day.

The 2nd London Fashion Doll Festival is being held this weekend at the V&A Museum Of Childhood!

The second edition of the London Fashion Doll Festival will be taking place this coming weekend at the Victoria & Albert Museum Of Childhood, in Bethnal Green, London. After the success of last year’s first edition, the organisers are making this one even better and enriched with lots of activities. And guess what? I’m attending this year! So those of you not being able to attend will get to see lots of photos and read all the juicy stuff after I return.

This year, the theme is Carnaby: the Swinging London fashion era, with Twiggy, Mary Quant, Jean Shrimpton, Carnaby Street fashions, mods  and so much more as inspiration! You can see the program for the two-day event below. Access on Saturday is only for registered attendees, while the Sunday salesroom can be accessed by the public via tickets bought either online or on site. 

As you can see in the program, there are two workshops, one for making a flower wig and a second for doll face enhancement, which is already sold out. 

Just like last year, the incredible Superdoll Collectables London people are making an event exclusive doll, a LE of 30, which will be revealed at the event. It will probably be one of the last vinyl Sybarites. I have already reserved mine and can’t wait to see her!

The salesroom is full of amazing dolls and doll stuff:

There are some competitions and even non-attendees can join! Take a look here: 

The V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, London is once again serving as the venue for the second convention.  The MOC is the UK’s National Museum of Childhood. It is the largest institution of its kind in the world. Its mission is to hold in trust the nation’s childhood collections and to be an international leader in engaging audiences in the material culture and experiences of childhood.

This year LFDF decided to support the Children With Cancer UK charity. They are doing this via an eBay OOAK doll auction and a raffle which will take place during the Sunday Salesroom. Last year LFDF raised almost £14,000 for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Charity.

See you in London! 

First W Club doll for 2015 is here - and it is Poppy Parker

Just a couple of nights ago, W Club members received news of the very first doll to be offered to them for 2015. And it is none other than Poppy Parker, making it a sneak peak into this year's line of Poppy dolls that will be inspired by the top models of the 60s, Model Scene. The surprise was that she is not just a doll - she is a gift set with three different outfits and three different heads. Yes, the quick-switch system is alive and well and makes an appearance again this year, despite the problems with last year's Loni/Poppy doll, Sabina Havoc, that had her heads wobbly on the switch neck; Integrity Toys had to replace many bodies (including my doll's). The set is called Mood Changers (fitting) and two of the three fashions are mod-inspired (with a space-age hint) while the third is more early 60s. Let's see what's in-store:

Item # PP079
Mood Changers
Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll Gift Set
The Model Scene Collection
2015 W Club Exclusive
Limited Edition Size: TBA 
Estimated Ship Date: Approximately 
Special W Club Price: $160.00 + Shipping, Handling and Applicable Sales Tax*.

*Deposit of $30.00 due immediately at pre-order, balance of $130.00 + shipping and handling (and tax for Maryland residents) due approximately Fall 2015.

Doll Tech Specs:

Head Sculpts: Poppy
Body Type: Poppy Parker™ 
Quick Switch Feature: Yes
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Colors: Auburn (Head # 1), Raven (Head # 2), Lilac (Head # 3)
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand Applied

Poppy's first look is an elegant party dress in black satin with silver and black organza overlay. Glittering jewellery, a matching bolero jacket and black hose and shoes complete this "Jazzy" ensemble. Her hair is in a side swept low bun in a shade of auburn and her make-up is in smoky shades of grey. I think this is the best version of this gift-set, she's the winner hands down. I'd get her even if she was just this one single doll. Pure perfection.

The second look is a delicate lace pant-suit in a vision of sea foam. Satin trim details finish off this look on Poppy. Her side parted raven wavy hair accentuates her make-up in complementary shades of sea foam. This one looks great - it would look even better if the outfit was in white or black. This is straight from Courrèges in 1964, as you can see below (photo by Ronald Falloon):

It is also very similar to what Diane Kruger wore to the Met Gala on Monday, by Chanel. Her face looks gorgeous, even with this particular eye-shadow. She could be Meghan Draper from Mad Men on a night out.

The last look is a pale pink mini dress with silver sequin trim.Completing the look is a smashing hairstyle in a subtle shade of lilac and pink make-up making for an over the top, space age look. A Poppy with lilac hair!

She looks a bit weird in this hair colour and make up - if she was not in the gift set, I do not think I would buy her as a stand-alone doll. Which is precisely why she's offered like this.

This outfit is a Pierre Cardin original from 1969, a pink silk-crèpe mini-dress with puffed metallic trim around the hem and collar, as we can see in the photo from L'Officiel below (photo by Roland Bianchini):

Poppy Parker is a 12-inch vinyl/plastic articulated fashion doll with three fully rooted, interchangeable heads. Comes complete with accessories and a doll stand. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only. Pictures of prototype shown; final production colors and textures may vary slightly. All photos (unless otherwise mentioned) and doll information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2015 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission

Bus Stop Darla Daley - swinging sixties!

As mentioned before in this blog, the 2012 Poppy Parker collection was mod themed. Darla Daley was no exception. One of the two Darlas released was added to my collection - she has already made a guest appearance in a previous post. Here she is in all her glory.

She is wearing a striped chemisier mini dress with white piping, taken directly from one Twiggy wore in the '60s:

As you can see in the sketch above, it is a down-pat reproduction even to the shoes and accessories. The gloves are substituted by a pair of painted hands which work nicely.

The outfit is completed with a gorgeous orange bag - one of the best in this line.

The white "eyelet" tights and "spectator" strappy shoes are pure perfection. 

She has very neutral colouring which suits her skin tone well, adding to the doll's versatility.

Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail which curls at the end. Cute spit curls are framing her face, a very nice touch that compliments her immensely! White hoop earrings finish the look.

In my opinion she is the best Darla released up until now and should be in everyone's collection.

Below she is wearing Poppy's She's Not There Avengers dress while Poppy gets to wear hers - a match made in heaven:

The Twiggy clone: She's Not There Poppy Parker

When, back in spring 2012, Integrity Toys announced their line up for the year, one of the most talked about dolls was She's Not There Poppy Parker. The dominant theme of the Poppy collection was swinging 60's and London back in the days of Mary Quant and Vidal Sassoon but this one stood out as she channelled uncannily the model that defined the image of an era: Twiggy. Her short, boyishly cropped hair, her mod outfit and accessories, her bold make up, all reminded us of her. Anticipation ran high, until collectors started receiving the doll. Many complaints were written on boards and blogs about how different she was from the prototype, how washed out she looked and many people felt disappointed. I was one of the people who got the doll so let's see how she measures up to expectations.

First impressions: she is a very beautiful doll. Even inside the box she looks lovely and cute and does remind me of Twiggy a lot. People complaining she looks nothing like the promotional photos should remember that photos can be retouched/overexposed etc.  to make them look a certain way. Even Twiggy did not look like her photos did. The trick would be to see how she looked in photos taken of her and how close she would come to the prototype (which for me was not that different to begin with). 

A major problem was immediately apparent: the hood of her coat could not be fastened under her chin. Not only was the strap a bit smaller than it should have been, the hood itself could have been cut a tiny bit bigger. And the design of the hood is completely different than the one shown in the promo photos. This was indeed disappointing.

On a previous post I had written about the inspiration for this outfit and how it came from an identical (minus hood and boots) one that Diana Rigg as Emma Peel was wearing in the Avengers series. The same dress and coat were also photographed for British Vogue on Jean Shrimpton (who is another Poppy Parker look alike) and was designed by Jean Varon for the Avengers Collection.  I love the outfit. If you can forget the hood mishap, it is pure mod sixties in it's best. It consists of the white coat over the black dress with contrasting stripes, red fishnet stockings (which stain terribly, remove them immediately from your doll), boots, handbag, ball striped earrings (Twiggy was wearing many pairs in this style in editorials) and red Jackie O sunglasses like the white ones that Sweet Confection Poppy is wearing.

The bag is one of the prettiest I have seen on this line so far. And she comes with a second set of white painted glove hands to maximize the mod effect. The boots are nice but I would have preferred them without the open toe. The original outfit had shoes that looked more like a negative version of the ones Bus Stop Darla is wearing.

Her make up is, to my eyes. just like the promos - neither washed out nor pronounced. I forgot to set her eyelashes properly for most of the photo-shoot but she still looks great. Her hair is nicely cropped and I have seen many people who washed and re-set them with even better results but I still have not tried this.

When I got Bus Stop Darla, I had to re-dress Poppy with that outfit: it is one that the real Twiggy was wearing in many photos and is very iconic. The results are breathtaking.

She looks even better with this outfit than with the mod one (which looks great on Darla, but that's another photo shoot). It inspired me to have a series of photos tampered with to make them look vintage, like they were lifted off magazines of the 60's. I hope you like them.

The set was made by using Karim Rashid's chess - the colours and design matched mod-Poppy very well!