Dolly Days are back again - and the fourth W Club doll for 2021 is revealed!

Due to the convention being held late in 2021, the unofficial Dolly Days tradition was moved to January 2022., to the joy of all W Club members. The first day gave us members the opportunity to: a. order replacement bodies from a variety of types and skin tones offered (unfortunately FR bodies had only Hungarian ver. 5.0 and sun-kissed ver. 6.0, so I got one of each that I needed and there were no FR white available NU Face ones that I needed). and b. pre-order a small variety of FR and NU Face bodies (here we could pre-order FR white ones for Fashion Royalty but not for NU Face - why was that?). All lines were pretty much represented, with The Industry, East 59th and Meteor having the most variety. There was a small selection of FR Homme ones (no dark A tone one unfortunately) and Monarch ones too.

The second day gave us the 4th W Club exclusive doll - and it is Poppy Parker, another Palm Springs Collection entry! Let’s check her out!

Item # 77210

Desert Dazzler

Poppy Parker® Dressed Doll

Poppy Parker® In Palm Springs Collection

2021 W Club Exclusive Doll

Edition Size: TBD

Expected Ship Date: Late Summer 2022

Retail Price: $160

(Only $30.00 Due Now to Pre-order!)

Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled & Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: Sunkissed

Hair Color: Brown/Dark Brown Mix

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Included:

12-inch articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;

Glamorous matching two-piece multi-color micro sequined bell-bottom ensemble;

Dazzling, fully lined, hot pink faux-fur coat;

Matching hot pink high-heeled pumps;

Strappy pink and gold colored kitten heels;

Pink and orange bangle bracelets with golden cuff bracelet;

Golden dangling square design earrings;

Two rings;

Metallic golden handbag with buckle detail;

Pair of regular Poppy Parker hands;

Alternate pair of long manicured hands;

Alternate pair of lower legs with articulated ankle feet;

Doll stand;

Certificate of authenticity.

Offer Type: W Club Exclusive pre-order;

Pre-order Deadline: January 26th, 2022 at 12 PM/Noon Eastern Time;

Pricing (FOR W CLUB MEMBERS ONLY): $160.00 USD + S&H

($30.00 NRD deposit due now, $130.00 + S & H due in approx. late Summer 2022);

Approximate Shipping Timing: Late Summer 2022;

Availability: 2021 W Club members only;

Pre-order Limit: Up to one (1) doll per each 2021 membership only.

She is a beauty! The doll has lovely colouring - the earthy tones make her quite special. I must say I am happy she does not have pink lipstick, that would have been a deal breaker for me. The hairstyle is more Ariana Grande than Palm Springs and here I wonder why we do not get any of the more elaborate, blown -up, overly decorated hairstyles we saw in the late sixties - the addition of a hairpiece would have been awesome as well. We have seen plenty of ponytails, it is time to move on. The sequinned top and pants are dazzling and match perfectly with the fur coat, which is a colour variation of the one we saw in the convention style lab - I do not mind! Love the accessories too, especially the earrings - and we get two pairs of shoes and both high-heels and articulated ankle feet!

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

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. POPPY PARKER and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

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

Barbie collaboration with Balmain: no dolls, plenty of NFT brouhaha

The latest designer collaboration for Barbie, and the first for 2022, is with Balmain. But it is not like previous efforts, where one usually could get a doll dressed by the collaborating fashion brand or that plus some real human clothes to suit. This time Mattel and Balmain decided to move their collaboration to a new level. It seems that the constant race on today’s social media fuelled digital landscape to come up with the most outrageous, jaw-dropping and previously unthinkable partnership has no end in sight. Balmain of course is a storied French haute couture house that has ventured into ready-to wear and, for the last ten years, enjoys a renaissance helmed by the genius Olivier Rousteing. Barbie is the prominent fashion doll, the very definition of the term, so it almost a given that fashion designers and brands are eager to collaborate with it.

This time, in a shocking (at least for fashion doll collectors) move, there is no doll involved: what we (ehm, those of us that can afford it) get instead is a 50-piece Barbie-inspired collection of real people clothing. Three of these are cgi modeled by miniature racially diverse doll avatars and become NFTs to be auctioned online. Each NFT auctioned will come with the doll-sized clothing it depicts, which is another way for NFts to show authentication - it also makes the auction a bit more attractive for traditional collectors. Notice how they have digitally altered the dolls used for the photos to make them look like dollified humans - or are they humans made to look like Barbies?

If you have no idea of that NFTs are, you can read this article here, which is very enlightening in a non-technical way and has lots of relative links for even more explanations and details. The majority of reactions I have seen from fashion doll collectors online so fat amounts to a collective NO to the notion of NFTs entering the fashion doll world and lots of pearl clutching. I am not attracted to NFTs but the reactions and exasperation seems to be a bit hyperbolic (which is not unusual for the fashion doll world indeed). Collectors seem to think that everything Mattel does with Barbie should have them in mind first and foremost.

Well, I am sorry to break the news to many, but this will never happen. Brands, especially multi-million dollar empires like Mattel, always look for ways to make more money, and if they can be unique and creative, its even more attractive to them. When collaborating with a major fashion brand, that comes from an industry also looking for new ways to become more commercial and move in the digital landscape of our era, it is only natural that they would release NFTs - Marvel has done it already.

I understand the disappointment of not getting an Olivier Rousteing Balmain collectible Barbie, but one may come in the future - there was talk about continuing the collaboration between the two brands at the conclusion of the live presentation held by Mattel, Balmain and Mint NFT on the 11th of January. By the way the three corporate honchos talked, it seemed that they worked well together (it took two years for this to come to fruition) and that the response is overwhelmingly positive (and no, despite what you think, their world does not revolve around the very small fashion doll collecting community).

Olivier was not part of the presentation but they showed a video clip of him answering questions about the collaboration and being very enthusiastic and happy about it. he even got an OOAK mini Olivier done from Mattel. which he posted on his instagram account days before the collaboration became known. He said:

“Having Barbie in my Balmain army, making a collection inspired by her where there are no boy clothes or girl clothes, is my small revenge,” said Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain. “I think Barbie represents a joyful dream world. There’s nothing wrong with a dream. But let’s push the dream and not dream of the 1950s or 1960s, but 2022. For me, it’s a lot more than just a commercial project. It’s very emotional.”

He also said that he got derided when he was playing with Barbie as a kid, a very familiar feeling to most male fashion doll collectors, and that was one of the reasons he was interested in taking the collaboration with Mattel beyond dressing the doll.

Richard Dickson, the president and chief operating officer of Mattel, said:

“When you combine the seriousness of high fashion with the fun of toys, it’s very powerful”

and it is actually true. It is one of the reasons fashion brands collaborate, not only with Barbie, but with other toy brands as well, or even sell limited editions of their own toys. It is one more branded/logo thing to display/brag about. Or maybe even feel sentimental about. “People are looking for optimism and joy, especially now when life is very heavy,” Dickson said. “Toys are that by definition.” That applies to fashion as well.

Talking about fashion, what about the clothes? The pricing for the Barbie x Balmain collection ranges from $295 for a T-shirt to $42,494 for a gown, definitely more expensive than usual Barbie prices, but also less than classic Balmain, where a basic logo t-shirt retails for $495. This is not H&M stuff. There are giant puffer bags logoed with Balmain Paris in curving Barbie script under the 1970s Balmain logo and clear plastic shoppers that remind me of Barbie doll boxes. There are pink silk satin suits with wrap jackets and striped pyjama sets, sequinned mini dresses and a strapless mermaid gown. Overalls, sweatshirts and sharp-shouldered bouclé jackets with gold buttons complete the collection.

And what about the digital art? The auction started yesterday and will end on January 14. If you had registered for the online presentation, limited to the first 5,000 was a simple NFT video of the invitation for the event. And of course you can see the NFT videos and even download them. The prices have reached somewhere around $1600 for each at the time of writing. Let’s check them out. And yes. I’d love to have the dolls as collectibles, properly released. Maybe some other time. I include the blurb for each NFT from their website.

NFT1

“This stylish avatar is wearing a striped sweater dress with a shoulder cut out and carrying a pink maxi pillow bag featuring Balmain’s signature monogram and Balmain x Barbie logo”

Below you can see the actual doll clothes made by Balmain and Barbie - we must mention here that the talented Linda Kyaw and her team supervised the project for Mattel. It is a knit dress with a leather and chain belt that matches the handle of the puffer bag that comes with it. Pink mules complete the look. I love it, even though my favourite dress from the collection is the one with the Balmain logo as a print (which Olivier had already done in other colours for his main collection).

NFT2

“Barbie avatar makes a huge statement in a short voluminous dress with maxi bow detail in a pink silk satin. (if needed: the background of the NFT features a white lacquered Balmain signature monogram with a Balmain x Barbie logo frame) Fashions and accessories on the Barbie avatar are from the Balmain x Barbie collection; NFT comes with bespoke set of Barbie size Balmain pieces.”

This one is a more couture style dress, with the puffed sleeves and bow front. It does bring to mind a certain pink dress that Zac Posen did for Iman a while ago. Event though it should not have translated in doll size, it actually looks great, like a peony blossom. Feathered mules, a gorgeous bag, disc earrings and a necklace complete the look.

NFT3

“Ken avatar looks chic in a white cotton t-shirt with pink trim topped with a double-breasted blazer and a long peak collared coat paired with loose pleated trousers- all in pink back satin crepe. A Balmain ball cap finished the stylish look. (if needed: the background of the NFT features a white lacquered Balmain signature monogram with a Balmain x Barbie logo frame) Fashions and accessories on the Ken avatar are from the Balmain x Barbie collection; NFT comes with bespoke set of Barbie size Balmain pieces.”

This piece looks amazing, the doll clothes are very well made and the tailoring is so sharp. Tailored jackets never look so well made in doll size. Gorgeous. The pieces comprising it are an overcoat, a jacket, a t-shirt, pants, a cap, a pair of disc earrings and a pair of sneakers. Can we also have a Ken with this handsome face? No plastic hair please.

This collaboration is not and never was about fashion doll collectors. It was conceived and made to be a major fashion and tech event to show that both companies have their hearts and minds firmly set in the now and the future, and it succeeds. And it is of course always about the money, no matter how many sugary words you hear and read in the presentations. The collection will go live on the Balmain website on January 13 and some of the items will be available from other online retailers as well.

Integrity Toys Obsession Convention 2021, Day 2: Poppy Parker Style Lab

The morning of the second (and final) convention day was reserved for Poppy Parker - the Style Lab collection centred on her was unveiled, as well as the Poppy Parker Event dolls (these two are on the next post). David Buttry single-handedly reversed the negative feelings from the previous evening and delivered a highly praised collection, both for dolls and outfits presented. Each doll, each outfit, and each accessory pack in the Style lab collection was sold separately. The theme for this collection was an obsession with Parisian fashion, while David placed the time period for it in the early 70s, which was also reflected in the packaging, reminiscent of 70s YSL make up and perfume boxes. Apart from Poppy, Ginger was the only other character that made an appearance. Main convention package holders are able to pick from an assortment of five totally glam dolls, five fabulously curated looks, and two accessory packs. While the dolls pictured are dressed, Style Lab dolls and outfits were sold separately. I will be presenting each doll along with the corresponding outfit to avoid photo repeats.

Item # 77215

Beautiful

Ginger Gilroy™ Nude Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker® Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $70.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Ginger Gilroy

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: FR White

Hair Color: Dark Auburn

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Ginger is always a welcome surprise and this one is no exception. She is a redhead again (third time in a row and, while in varying shades, the only hair colour she has had so far) and has a lip colour that fits only the outfit she’s shown wearing but not her hair colour or eye palette.

Item # 77222

Le Chic Fashion

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $80.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Body Type: Fits Poppy Parker

Shoes designed to fit Poppy High-heeled feet.

**OUTFIT ONLY, NUDE DOLL SOLD SEPARATELY**

The fashion is very 70s and very Yves Saint-Laurent too. The inspiration might have been from the infamous Spring/Summer 1971 Haute Couture collection by the late designer, particularly this dress echoing a 40s silhouette, but with the flounced hemm placed under the knee. Midi lengths and knee-high boots are vey typical of the 70s. The print of the dress, while not similar, echoes the prints of that collection too. Fabulous.

Item # 77216

Glamorous

Poppy Parker® Nude Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker® Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $70.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: FR White

Hair Color: Golden Blonde

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Glamorous is a beautiful Poppy Parker doll but looks like so many previously released ones that she’s not standing out that much - at least not as her moniker suggests.

Item # 77221

Pink Vamp Fashion

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $80.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Body Type: Fits Poppy Parker

Shoes designed to fit Poppy High-heeled feet.

**OUTFIT ONLY, NUDE DOLL SOLD SEPARATELY**

The outfit is straddling the line between late sixties and early 70s - the length and print is from the earlier decade, while the overall styling and the jacket is more from the latter.

Item # 77217

Gorgeous

Poppy Parker® Nude Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker® Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $70.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: Dark A-Tone

Hair Color: Golden Brown/Dark Brown Two-Tone Hair

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Gorgeous indeed - here we have a dark skin Poppy and these are always popular - but always remind me that we do not have a proper Darla doll in ages and how Darla has always been unpopular compared to the dark skinned Poppy dolls. The lipstick also looks weird for me.

Item # 77224

French Disco Fashion

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $80.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Body Type: Fits Poppy Parker

Shoes designed to fit Poppy High-heeled feet.

**OUTFIT ONLY, NUDE DOLL SOLD SEPARATELY**

This one is again lifted from the 1971 Spring/Summer Yves Saint-Laurent Haute Couture collection - it is its most enduring silhouette:: the chubby short brightly coloured fur over a short dress.

Item # 77219

Darling

Poppy Parker® Nude Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker® Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $70.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Purple

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Purple hair for this one, not the first Poppy with them but the first with this shade, very close to the colour of the year for 2022. They are definitely nylon fibers, as the lack of variety on the saran colour chart has led Integrity Toys to use nylon for many of their dolls now. She’s beautiful.

Item # 77223

Gothique Fashion

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $80.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Body Type: Fits Poppy Parker

Shoes designed to fit Poppy High-heeled feet.

**OUTFIT ONLY, NUDE DOLL SOLD SEPARATELY**

The dress is probably the best of this collection. The style is again Yves Saint-Laurent, first seen on a dress he designed, among others, for Catherine Deneuve in Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour film . YSL later incorporated the style in his Rive Gauche line. Someone in the W CLub forum found a photo of an outfit exactly like the doll's (with the sequins, which were not part of the original design), but I have not been able to establish a provenance or a connection to the designer.

Item # 77218

Alluring

Poppy Parker® Nude Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker® Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $70.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: Hungarian

Hair Color: Light Auburn Red

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

This is again a lovely Poppy, but the almost identical hairstyles are a bit boring - especially considering the variety of them used in the previous PP Style Lab in 2019. I know that long straight hair were the rage in the early 70s but it was definitely not the only style that was popular, especially in fashion. But I guess there’s always the cost factor. From the real life photos of this doll I have seen, the skintone looks quite a bit lighter in them than what we see in the promos.

Item # 77220

American in Paris Fashion

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $80.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Body Type: Fits Poppy Parker

Shoes designed to fit Poppy High-heeled feet.

**OUTFIT ONLY, NUDE DOLL SOLD SEPARATELY**

I love this look, with the leopard cape (that reminds me the Poppy in Milan one) over the turtleneck, jeans and boots plus the cap - so very seventies! I could not find the exact same outfit but there were many variations of this one during that era. YSL definitely used the print and fur a lot ( he did a trench-coat in 1969) and his muse and friend Mme Deneuve favoured it a lot.

Item # 77225

Accessory Pack A

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $75.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Body Type: Fits Poppy Parker

Shoes designed to fit Poppy Parker dolls with high-heeled feet only.

**ACCESSORY SETS ONLY, NUDE DOLL AND OTHER FASHION SOLD SEPARATELY**

*Note: Bandeau top and doll not included, accessories only!

Great set of accessories for Poppy - most of the pieces match the Pink Vamp outfit.

Item # 77226

Accessory Pack B

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker Collection Style Lab

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $75.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Body Type: Fits Poppy Parker

Shoes designed to fit Poppy Parker dolls with articulated ankles only.

ACCESSORY SETS ONLY, NUDE DOLL AND OTHER FASHION SOLD SEPARATELY**

It’s great to have separate sets for high heeled and articulated feet for Poppy, but I must say I like the B set a bit better (see what I did there?) because of the colour and pattern combinations. Reminds me of Gucci classic pieces.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, final production may vary. Acrylic blocks in the accessory pictures are display props only and are not included with the doll. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only.

All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2021 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. Poppy Parker and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

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

Integrity Toys Obsession Convention 2021, Day 1: The W Club Event

The first day of the Obsession 2021 convention ended with the W Club Event. This, as usual, was charged in addition to the main convention package and was available to all W Club members. The price was $155.00 and included one doll (souvenir), giving you also the right to purchase the centerpiece doll of the event. We already knew that the dolls would be part of the NU Face line, so after the previous reveal, these were going to be sports themed as well. Carol Roth hosted the live presentation, along with Alain Trembley. They also had all the Integrity Toys designers participate in a Q&A session, after each one presented himself. Which pretty much followed last years event.

What was new, was a condescending tone coming from both hosts against W Club members, about not reading their emails properly (sounded like a teacher scolding you about homework) and about not being understanding enough about the problems that plague doll manufacturing. Carol even prompted designers to tell what they felt collectors should know about doll manufacturing, but in a way that was more like “tell them what obstacles we face making these highly coveted collectable dolls so that they stop complaining about receiving them late or with faults or both”. And that left a sour taste in my mouth (and from what I have been seeing and reading in various forums and social media, to many other people as well). I would never dream of telling my clients off like this, ever, no matter what problems I face making their product (and trust me, I work in a design company making high end exhibit stands for companies so I’m familiar with the situation). You want people to read your emails? Maybe you should make them more condensed and make their layout better? Maybe Break down information about a variety of stuff in smaller emails instead of one big endless text email? Maybe use diagrams and pictures to convey part of the information? Don’t tell me you are doing this for the last 25 years, most of your collectors are doing similar things for as many if not more years as well. Don’t treat your customers like pre-schoolers. W Club has grown too much lately and growing pains are never easy, but people are paying you dearly for a high quality collectable doll. Their money is what give you your daily bread and also a job you love doing. Stop complaining about how your clients treat you and look into why they treat you the way they do. You are paid to give solutions to problems, not whine about it. And if that whole shebang was not enough, there came the dolls.

Item # 82153

MVP

Rayna Ahmadi™ Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

W Club Event Event Centerpiece

Edition Size: TBD

Special Convention Price: $175.00

*Only for W Club Event Ticket Holders*

Head Sculpt: Rayna

Body Type: NF 3.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Flat Foot

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Copper

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

The centerpiece was presented early on in the event, as it would be the doll attendees would see decorating their tables in an in-person event. Rayna is always a popular sculpt and was missing last year from the convention. She was a centerpiece in the Fairytale convention (and a gorgeous doll). We have already gotten two Rayna dolls since last year’s event though. The doll is beautiful - I love her make up and the hairstyle is new for this line, a bit of Sailor Moon inspiration there. She did give me a very very slight vibe of the first Rayna (the IFDC Dorothy from Oz one) which I coveted for quite a long time (not that much anymore).

The outfit is a mess. The obsession for Rayna is American Football. She is probably auditioning for a quarterback? The vest/sleeveless jacket is supposed to remind us of the padded jersey the players wear but it does not even come close. It also riffs on the recent trend of oversized clothing, which might look good on a few models and celebrities (very few if any) but it does not translate wall on doll scale. Having the end seams unfinished helps to further make the look problematic. The colour combination is a bit weird but Jacquemus has been doing it recently (although I doubt Jessy had seen his latest collection before designing this, the timing does not match) and he also did an oversized sleeveless jacket.I like the bodysuit and the rugby shorts, but combining them with kitten heel slingbacks? So not sporty. Maybe she should have had a pair of bright orange combat boots with chunky soles to go with extra pair of flat feet. For this price (and being a made to order doll. unlike the rest of the centerpieces), she’s seriously lacking. Just look at last year’s magnificent Eugenia.

Item # 82154

Adrenaline Rush

Dominique Makéda™ Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

W Club Event Event Souvenir

Edition Size: 2750

*Only for W Club Event Ticket Holders*

Head Sculpt: Dominique 2.0

Body Type: NF 3.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Nubian

Hair Color: Soft Black Flocking

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

I have wanted to get a Dominique for ever, she’s a sculpt missing from my collection. And I am probably one of the few people who jumped with joy at seeing her appear as the souvenir doll of the event. She give me more super hero vibes than a sports obsessed lady (she’s supposedly a MotoCross enthusiast). If her flocked hair were platinum, she’d be a perfect Storm doll. I honestly did not understand why people complained about the flocked hair - some of the most coveted IT dolls have them: the Muse Adele, one of the Faces of Adele heads (the 1.0 sculpt),, Out Of Sight Nadja (who was a convention souvenir too), Urban Outfitting Nadja. And as for the white eye shadow (not an eyeliner, that is black), it looks good on Nubian skin (for me at least) and reminds me of Bionica Jordan,

The outfit would have been better if it had come with soft, ankle-high boots like the ones motor-cross riders are wearing, instead of the pumps. Then she would have had the extra pair of flat feet all other NU Face convention dolls have - and I bet they are not worth $20.00 (that’s the difference between her price and the other NU Face doll prices). Love the earrings, they are original and beautiful. The stirrup pant detail could have been omitted too - maybe adding a cap would have been better.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, final product may vary. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only.

All text and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2021 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. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. Doll Photography by Bill Peck and Shaunessey Smith ; Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing.

Integrity Toys Obsession Convention 2021 Day 1: The Convention Collection and Salesroom exclusive dolls

The 2021 Convention Collection was presented to attendees on the first day. This year there were fewer dolls, mostly because of production delays but also because W Club member had asked to see more dolls outside the convention and less offered in it. There was only one Salesroom exclusive, which would be allocated by lottery. For the dolls shown below, the Poppy Parker doll is designed by David Buttry, the East 59th doll is designed by Chris Stoeckel, and the NU. Face and Fashion Royalty dolls are designed by Jessy Ayala. Each designer decided on a different obsession for his line, so we got a hodgepodge of styles, some hitting the mark, others leaving people dissatisfied. Let’s check out the offerings.

For Fashion Royalty, Jessy decided that the obsession would be military styling. This has been a constant influence with fashion designers since forever, some have even made it a constant in their offerings (see Ralph Lauren and Balmain). The concept was explained by IT as follows:

“Since the dawn of time, whether it is for a simple show of force or as a form of national pride, just about every blue-blooded "royal" and/or would-be leader of our world has been "obsessed" with their armed forces! With this collection, the ladies of Fashion Royalty are putting their own "fashionable might" on display by paying homage to military styling, as seen through their own unique fashion lens! Each dressed in military-inspired looks, featuring intricate construction details that you will immediately recognize, the unique personality of each of our favorite FR characters shines through and will make a definite impact on the ongoing story of Fashion Royalty! Designed by Jessy Ayala.”

Item # 91528

Chain of Command

Natalia Fatalé™ Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Fashion Royalty® Convention Collection

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $180.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Natalia 2.0

Body Type: FR 6.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Light Honey

Hair Color: Dark Brunette

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Natalia looks more like a police woman in this suit than a military officer. And that is not good, especially after all that has happened these last few years. Jessy took an Alexander McQueen staple (the two-tone tailored suit) and styled it in a way to make it look more military like. I’m not feeling it at all, even though the execution looks great - and the recreation of the small bag on the belt is perfect. What is that thing hanging from her handbag?

The doll has a gorgeous face: she is a beautiful Natalia and I might try to find her nude at some point. The straight long hair ruins all the military styling though - she needed an up do or a short crop to finish it off perfectly.

Item # 91530

Vendetta

Agnes Von Weiss® Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Fashion Royalty® Convention Collection

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $180.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Agnes

Body Type: FR 6.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Pale Blonde

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

This Agnes reminds me a lot of Dressing The Part Agnes, the doll styling and the silhouette of the dress is very close to that doll. Despite the Vendetta moniker, she looks very sweet and kind here, the veil and the ringlets framing her face giving her a renaissance Madonna feel. If you take away the hat, there’s nothing military about her. Her screening (not colouring) is like Malibu Agnes and Head For Glamour Agnes. She looks like the child of Taylor Swift and Grace Kelly.

The dress is actually a variation on the famous Dior Bar Suit, the iconic New Look outfit. One of the photos has the doll posed just like the model in the most famous photo depicting that outfit. With the styling though, it reminded me of this Giambattista Valli look. The shoes are transparent vinyl patterned to mimic lace. The bag is like a highly geometric version of the Lady Dior bag. Are the gloves united together by the red neck scarf?

The NU. Face obsession was sports. Completely unrelated to military except that both are mainly straight male obsessions (soldiers and athletes are male gay obsessions obviously). Many designers have translated sports uniforms on the catwalk, again with a variety of success. Integrity Toys summed it up like this:

“Since the only way to stay on top of the game is to win, the ultra-fashionable modeling team of the NU. Face agency is ready to put its competitive edge to the test by showing us just how obsessed they are in their own fashionable way! Each model in this series wears a look inspired by her favorite sport or fitness activity, re-imagined in a never seen before way, from the mind of IT designer, Jessy Ayala!”

Item # 82151

Varsity

Alejandra Luna™ Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

NU. Face™ Convention Collection

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $175.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Alejandra

Body Type: NF 3.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Flat Foot

Skin Tone: Hungarian

Hair Color: Dark Blonde

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Alejandra makes her second ever appearance as a baseball bunny, with a look inspired partly by the collaboration that Jeremy Scott did with Adidas back in 2014. While the overall impression is not imminently fashion, it is kind of attractive, mainly because of Alejandra - see how a good model saves the outfit?

The doll is a recoloured version of the OG Alejandra with a ponytail. The make up is a bit harsher here, in line with her being an obsessed baseball player I guess. But the overall impression is that she’s too basic for the price. She could have been a giveaway/souvenir doll but for a convention collection one, she’s seriously under-dressed. Jessy said that the number 82 on her cap is the item number for NU Face. Nice to see they have both sets of legs, high heel and flat articulated.

Item # 82152

En Pointe

Violaine Perrin™ Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

NU. Face™ Convention Collection

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $175.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Vanessa 2.0 / Violaine 1.0

Body Type: NF 3.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled and Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: FR White

Hair Color: Brunette

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Violaine looks more like Poppy Parker than a Perrin sister in this incarnation. Many people find a similarity to Bergdorf Goodman Poppy in particular, but her Princess Leia hairstyle makes this quite impossible for me. The sport she’s supposedly obsessed with is ballet, which is a bit weird as ballet is not what one would normally think of when considering sports. Ballet is an art form, not a sport (although there are plenty of straight male humans out there that consider sports as art). So I do not find this relevant, plus the doll is so different in style from the rest of the NU Face ladies that it speaks for itself.

The outfit reminds me of what Sarah Burton did in her Fall/Winter 2020 collection for Alexander McQueen, putting harnesses over asymmetrically hemmed dresses. But also the Spring/Summer 2017 collection of Gauri and Nainika from India, who did many different iterations of the concept. I would have preferred the harness over the top (which then would have to be more tailored) for a better look and also in a contrasting colour. This total beige look, while very ballet in feel, looks very bland.

Thankfully, Poppy Parker had a more fashion-related obsession: Parisian Couture. Unfortunately, there is only one Poppy in this year’s convention collection. Here’s the company description:

“Poppy Parker gives us a glimpse at her latest look, as she is seen attending a very special soirée in Paris, celebrating her favorite French Couturier, Louis Laurent! Designed by David Buttry!”

Item # 77212

Silver Soirée

Poppy Parker® Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

Poppy Parker® Convention Collection

Edition Size: 1300

Special Convention Price: $160.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Platinum

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

She is a lovely doll - echoing the Style Lab Get It Together doll from 2019’s convention. She has a screening seen before on Oh La La, Powder Puff and other Poppy dolls, with a different colouring. She is both soft and strong, which is nice and gives her a certain glow. People who saw the online presentation during the convention and the doll in David’s hands, said she looked even better.

The dress sort of reminds me of another 2019 convention Poppy, Young Romantic. They would look cool displayed next to each other. Since the French designer she’s obsessed with echoes Yves Saint Laurent a bit, I tried searching for a similar style in his early collections (both the Dior years and his first solo collections) but there is not much online to work with. The accessories are nothing that stands out but fit the style perfectly.

There was only on 2021 Convention Salesroom Exclusive, Victoire Roux, obsessed with Surrealist Art. that gave the opportunity to Chris Stoeckel to give her a Mugler outfit from his 1995 Fall Couture collection. Here’s Integrity Toys description:

“1950s top-model Victoire Roux channels her own personal Obsession for modern art and beauty, as she pays homage to her friend and fellow French citizen, famous surrealist visual artist Man Ray!"

Wearing an original creation by Integrity Toys designer Chris Stoeckel, this truly unique doll features a special "one-eyed" sculptural mask, which attaches to the doll's head using a special magnetized earring, which is included in the set! Fun and versatile, Victoire makes a statement wearing a long, flowing black lace floor-length evening coat, or a high-contrast, wearing her flamboyant pink jacket!”

Item # 73043

Black Ice

Victoire Roux® Dressed Doll

The 2021 Integrity Toys Convention: Obsession

The East 59th® Convention Salesroom

Edition Size: 700

Special Convention Price: $160.00

*Only for Main Convention Package Holders*

Head Sculpt: Victoire Roux 2.0

Body Type: East 59th 1.0

Foot Sculpt: High-heeled

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Silver

Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

She’s a winner! Easily the best doll of the convention so far, this unusual Victoire edition is a couture marvel! Her main outfit is a reversal of look 3 of the Fall/Winter Haute Couture Thierry Mugler collection (lace for the coat instead of patent leather, vinyl for the bodysuit instead of lace. There is also a magenta sculpted jacket that can be worn instead of the coat, taken from look 13 of the same Mugler collection. And there is that mask!

The doll is gorgeous too - with her silver hair and intense make up, she channels not only Simonetta Gianfelici who modelled the original outfit and was a muse to both Mugler and Claude Montana, but also the very regal and imposing Carmen Dell’ Orefice, the model that has the longest modelling career ever, from the 1950s till now. She’s totally different from any of her previous iterations.

I think it would have been better that they had her story be like she is the Carmen of her world - Victoire keeps modelling even in the modern era and she dons the outfit in a runway of our time, older but ageless. Just like Carmen. Surrealism was a hot thing in fashion a bit earlier than Victoire’s era (Elsa Schiaparelli collaborated with Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau to create some memorable and influential stuff, and the 50s was her last decade of work), but this is so distinctly Mugler that the story falls flat. And no, she’s not channelling 60’s Catwoman extraordinaire Julie Newmar - wrong era for Victoire.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototype shown, final product may vary. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only.

All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2021 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. FASHION ROYALTY, POPPY PARKER, NU. FACE, EAST 59TH, THE INDUSTRY, THE MONARCHS HOMME, METEOR, NU. FANTASY and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

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