The upgrade dolls for the LEGENDARY Integrity Toys 2020 convention have been revealed and look fab - as sketches at least

As you might have read or heard by now, this year’s Integrity Toys convention, named LEGENDARY, will be held online only, due to the pandemic. There was a huge kerfuffle with registering for it, as the website crashed under the onslaught of potential attendees and the whole situation was sorted out during the following week. An online convention certainly gives more people the chance to attend, as it is easier for people outside the US, so the amount of people trying to grab hold of a ticket must have been overwhelming (I tried and did not make it, reaching only the pay now button stage). But, W Club members have the opportunity to attend anyway, as they can register for the two (instead of the usual one) upgrade dolls available for the convention, plus they can register for the online W Club event as well, thus gaining access to the online events of the convention too. Sketches of the two dolls have been released and they look elegant, chic and very promising.

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Item # 91478

Petite Robe Classique (Jour)

Adèle Makéda® Dressed Doll

The Fashion Royalty® Collection

2020 Legendary Convention Upgrade

Edition Size: TBD

Expected Ship Date: November 2020

Special Members-Only Price: $145.00 + Shipping

*W Club Exclusive Pre-order*

Head Sculpt: Adèle 2.0 

Body Type: FR 6.0

Skin Tone: FR Black

Hair Color: Brunette

Eyelashes: Yes, hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Included:

12.5" fully articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;

Perfectly fitted cocktail dress, with criss-cross bow detail;

Purse (not illustrated);

Jewelry (bracelet and earrings);

Sunglasses;

High heel shoes;

Regular hands;

Alternate pair of "gloved" hands;

Doll stand;

Certificate of authenticity.

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I love everything about this doll! Elegant and very Parisian haute couture - a proper lady who lunches. Both dresses reference the Petite Robe dresses from 2004 - this is from the La Petite Robe Blanche outfit available at the MFD FR 2004 convention (see above).

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Item # 91505

Petite Robe Classique (Nuit)

Véronique Perrin® Dressed Doll

The Fashion Royalty® Collection

2020 Legendary Convention Upgrade

Edition Size: TBD

Expected Ship Date: November 2020

Special Members-Only Price: $145.00 + Shipping

*W Club Exclusive Pre-order*

Head Sculpt: Véronique 2.0 

Body Type: FR 6.0

Skin Tone: FR White

Hair Color: Pale blonde

Eyelashes: Yes, hand-applied

Quickswitch: No

Included:

12.5" fully articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;

Perfectly fitted cocktail dress, with criss-cross bow detail;

Purse (not illustrated);

Jewelry (bracelet and earrings);

Sunglasses;

High heel shoes;

Regular hands;

Alternate pair of long "gloved" hands;

Doll stand;

Certificate of authenticity.

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This one is of course based on La Petite Robe Noire outfit from 2004, which is still quite sought after by collectors as the dress comes with four different pairs of shoes, four bags plus the scarf and glasses, making it more versatile. I just wish they had used the original Veronique sculpt as it is the 25th IT anniversary convention and it would make a fitting tribute.

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Fashion sketchεσ by Jessy Ayala. Final product photography will be unveiled closer to convention time. Final product/details subject to change. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only. All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2020 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. All rights reserved. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing

W Club 2020 registration is now open!

Yes, it’s that time of the year again: the W Club registration period has just begun and will end by the end of February. W Club 2020 memberships are available now through 9 PM Eastern Time on February 28, 2020. After this time, that’s it. You will have to wait until next year to join again. Please note that the W Club is for people ages 18 years old and up only, unless they have a parent’s permission.

So what does one get for joining the W Club? A Base Membership ($50) includes the following Perks and more:

First-to-know information & sneak peeks.

5 guaranteed W Club exclusive dolls.

Members-only forum.

$25 coupon.

Special offers, right-to-buy lotteries and contests.

Club-only opportunities to purchase dolls & more.

Online videos and/or events.

Priority convention registration.

Private Q&A sessions.

VIP customer service.

 One of the most popular perks of registering for the W Club is the opportunity to upgrade your membership by getting one or more upgrade dolls. They are coveted by members and everyone is trying to guess which dolls will be presented as upgrades. So let’s check out this year’s roster:

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Item # 91474 
Le Tuxedo 
Eugenia Perrin-Frost™
The Fashion Royalty® Collection
2020 W Club Upgrade Doll
$135; (This doll will have a $25 non-refundable deposit due immediately, with a $110 + shipping/handling/taxes balance due at shipping time, approximately in Summer 2020).

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Edition Size: TBD 
Head Sculpt: Eugenia 
Body Type: FR 6.0 
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled 
Skin Tone: Sunkissed  
Hair Color: Dark Champagne Blonde 
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied 
Quickswitch: No

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Includes:

  • 12.5-inch articulated doll with luscious, fully rooted hair and hand applied eyelashes;

  • Eugenia wears the latest perfectly fitted tuxuedo pants with a sophisticated ivory white balloon sleeve organza shirt;

  • Corset with peplum and suiting details (removable);

  • Delicate sheer black chiffon bowtie;

  • Matching black satin high heels with contrasting soles and “golden” jewelry piece;

  • Period-inspired pillbox velvet flocked hat;

  • Magnetized brooch;

  • Earrings;

  • Oversized faux canary “diamond” ring;

  • Doll stand;

  • Certificate of authenticity.

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This Eugenia is a remake of Going Public Eugenia, which, despite her large edition number, has become a holy grail doll for many collectors. If you see them side be side, the similarity is uncanny. The biggest difference is in their brows.

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Her outfit is gorgeous. From her organza shirt to her tuxedo pants to her peplum corset, it looks brilliant. Her accessories are beautiful, but the hat maybe is a stretch. It makes her look like an usher. Am I getting her? You bet!

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Item # 82120B  
Mademoiselle Lilith  
Lilith Blair™ Dressed Doll
The NU. Face™ Collection
2020 W Club Upgrade

$135; (This doll will have a $25 non-refundable deposit due immediately, with a $110 + shipping/handling/taxes balance due at shipping time, approximately in Summer 2020).

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Edition Size: TBD 
Head Sculpt: Lilith/Eden 
Body Type: NF 3.0 
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled 
Skin Tone: FR White 
Hair Color: Periwinkle  
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied 
Quickswitch: No

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Includes:

  • 12.5-inch articulated doll with vibrant, fully rooted hair and hand applied eyelashes;

  • Micro-sequined mini-cocktail dress with detachable bow/train detail at the hip (note: the upper bow/draping detail is not detachable);

  • Delicate, opera length white tulle gloves;

  • Elaborately constructed strappy open-toe heels;

  • “Golden” clutch purse;

  • Faux pastel “gem” choker necklace;

  • Bow detail earrings;

  • Celestial ring;

  • Doll stand;

  • Certificate of authenticity.

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Everyone was waiting for the rococo version of Lilith, to match her sister Eden that was offered to W Club members last year, many speculating that she would be offered as an upgrade doll to entice people to join the club again this year. And they were right. Unfortunately she is no match for her sister. She looks more plain both doll and dress, and while the accessories are nice, they can’t save the day. So it’s a no from me.

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Item # PP178
Pretty Bird
Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll
Poppy Parker™: The Model Traveler Collection
2020 W Club Upgrade Doll
$135; (This doll will have a $25 non-refundable deposit due immediately, with a $110 + shipping/handling/taxes balance due at shipping time, approximately in Summer 2020).

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Edition Size: TBD
Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker
Body Type: PP 1.5
Foot Sculpt: Articulated Ankle
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Warm Dark Brown
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No

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Includes:

  • 12-inch articulated doll with luscious, fully rooted hair and hand applied eyelashes;

  • Black and white houndstooth mini-jumper dress;

  • White Peter Pan collar blouse with oversized, detachable bowtie;

  • Red knee socks;

  • Black saucer hat;

  • Bright red patent "leather" micro-belt;

  • Bright red patent "leather" backpack;

  • Spectator loafers with molded metal details;

  • Flower ring and matching earrings;

  • Bangle bracelets;

  • Alternate pair of "gloved" hands;

  • Doll stand;

  • Certificate of authenticity.

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Beautiful Poppy? Check. Interesting outfit? Check. Seen before accessories? Double check. She has the Coney Island screening, but with lashes, so she looks more like Ciao! Poppy. I’m on the fence with this one,

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I’m posting the FAQ section from the registration page below, to help you find out everything you need to know about the W Club registration. I’m joining again this year, are you?

How do I become part of the W Club?
From now until February 28th, 2020, you can qualify for the 2020 W Club by submitting a registration form and completing your payment. You can start your registration by clicking the “Agree/Join” button at the bottom of this page. 

No registrations will be accepted after February 28th, 2020 at 9 PM Eastern time (New
York time). No exceptions.

For how long is my 2020 W Club membership valid?
Memberships are valid until the latter of January 1, 2021 or when the 2021 W Club membership registration period begins.

As a member, will I be guaranteed every exclusive item from the W Club?
Every member in good standing will be guaranteed the right to purchase at least 5 exclusive dolls, which will be offered at various times throughout the Club year, including the 2 Fashion Royalty exclusive dolls (which may include NU. Face), 2 exclusive Poppy Parker dolls, and 1 additional exclusive doll during 2020.

Members that added upgrade dolls during registration are guaranteed those upgrade doll(s), as well. There will be other limited items which will be available by lottery or first-come, first served opportunities. Please note that membership in the W Club does not guarantee access to
Integrity Toys’ non-Club exclusive dolls and accessories. None of the dolls available through the Integrity Toys’ authorized dealers can be purchased through the W Club and are not W Club exclusive items.

How many 2020 Club memberships can I purchase?
We are not restricting the number of memberships by collector or household. However, memberships are non-transferable and cannot be shared.

I live outside of the US. May I still become a member?
Absolutely! Membership is available to residents of all countries worldwide. Please note that all news releases and information will be released in English only.

I would like the W Club information sent to me via regular mail; can you do that?
This is an online only Club and all members must have access to a valid email address.

What forms of payment do you accept?
All payments are processed through Integrity Toys’ online shopping cart system. We accept Credit Cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover). We also accept PayPal. If you don’t have a PayPal account or a credit card, we suggest that you get a prepaid credit card, as it makes it easier for you to take advantage of our many offers!

Can you tell me more about the purchasing of exclusive W Club dolls?
2020 W Club members are guaranteed the right to purchase the exclusive W Club doll(s) from 2020 only (these dolls are separate from and in addition to the 3 upgrade dolls that you can purchase at registration). The number of W Club exclusive doll(s) produced is based on the number of pre-orders paid. If you do not pre-order the W Club exclusive doll(s) by the designated cut-off date (there is usually about a week-long ordering window), you forfeit your right to purchase that Club doll through the W Club. Also, Club doll(s) from previous years are NOT available to 2020 members- Club dolls are only available during that specific membership year.

Can you explain more about the W Club coupon?
Each W Club membership that you purchase will automatically add a special $25 coupon to your IT Direct Coupon Wallet that can be used towards ANY IT Direct shopping cart purchase of $99 or more online only during the 2020 W Club year! As long as your order is above $99 before shipping and tax, you can apply your coupon towards any order of your choice! Full details and instructions for the $25 coupon will be sent to 2020 W Club Members at a later date, including that a one coupon limit will be allowed per order.

Important exclusion: Coupons cannot be used to purchase additional memberships.

When will I be able to log into the W Club forum?
Once your membership has been processed, you will be emailed the “Welcome to the 2020
W Club” notice. This notice includes information on how to register and be approved for the members-only forum, contact emails, email information and more. Due to the number of registrations that we expect to be receiving at this time, it can take up to a week or more for the welcome email to be sent out and we appreciate your patience until you are sent the notice.

For answers to any additional questions, please contact the W Club Liaisons at:
wclub@integritytoys.com

For the W Club Rules and Protocol page, please visit:
https://www.wclubforum.com/2020wclubrules.html

To register for the W Club 2020 year, follow this link: https://www.wclubforum.com/clubregsign2020.html

Prototypes shown, final production may vary slightly.

All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2020 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. FASHION ROYALTY, POPPY PARKER, NU. FACE, EAST 59TH, THE MONARCHS: HOMME 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 Jayme Thornton; Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing

Integrity Toys 2019 Convention: Live From Fashion Week - Day 1

The 2019 Integrity Toys Live From Fashion Week convention opened officially this week in Baltimore and once again, this blog will be bringing you all the new dolls and outfits, as products become available at the convention throughout the weekend. This year's theme is all about fashion, and with the exception of the Poppy Parker Style Lab (which celebrates the 10th anniversary of Poppy Parker), every exclusive doll offered at the event, whether in the convention collection, salesroom, centerpieces or giveaways, is inspired by either Spring, Resort, Summer, Fall or Winter fashion weeks as follows:

Poppy Parker is Fashion Week Spring/Summer 1967

Fashion Royalty is Fashion Spring/Summer 2020

Monarchs is Fashion Week Resort 2020

East 59th is Fashion Week Fall/Winter 1956

The Industry is Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020

NU. Face is Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2020

Dolls from the Fashion Royalty® Collection and the NU. Face™ Collection were designed by Jessy Ayala, the East 59th® Collection by Chris Stoeckel, The Monarchs Homme by Vaughn Sawyers and the Poppy Parker™ Collection by David Buttry.

The convention registration started on Wednesday for the attendees who arrived early and they all received "Fresh Perspective" Baroness Agnes Von Weiss in their welcome bag. The bag had Powder Puff Poppy Parker printed on it, celebrating Poppy’s 10th anniversary.

Note: All dolls pictured in these photos are prototypes; final colors and textures may vary slightly.

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Item # 91467 

Fresh Perspective

Baroness Agnes Von Weiss™

Welcome Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention:

Live From Fashion Week

Edition Size: 700

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Head Sculpt: Agnes Von Weiss

Body Type: FR

Foot Sculpt: High Heel

Skin Tone: Hungarian 

Hair Color: Caramel Blonde

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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I’m not crazy about this version of the Baroness. She’s beautiful but I find her make up too pronounced and candy coloured to like (it looks more prominent in real life photos). Her outfit and accessories remind me of Going Public Eugenia. And, as you will see below, most of the dolls in this convention so far, remind me of older releases. I don’t know if it is due to the production problems that troubled Integrity Toys this year or simple lack of inspiration, but I’m a bit underwhelmed by what I’m seeing in the first convention day, with a couple of notable exceptions.

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The Integrity Toys Souvenir Shop and The Style Lab opened for business on Thursday. Let’s see the offerings that can be found in the Souvenir Shop - that is, the Convention collection and the shop exclusives.

Convention Collection:

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Item # 91468

English Rose

Eugenia Perrin-Frost™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Convention Collection

Edition Size: 700

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Head Sculpt: Eugenia Perrin-Frost

Body Type: FR

Foot Sculpt: High Heel

Skin Tone: FR White

Hair Color: Raven

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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Cute but it’s like Vivacité with another skintone. The total would look completely washed out, save for the raven hair and brightly coloured shoes. The blouse looks beautiful but the skirt does not do it justice. Where is Ferré when you need him!

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Item # 91469

Spring Romance

Adèle Makéda™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Convention Collection

Edition Size: 700

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Head Sculpt: Adèle 1.0

Body Type: FR

Foot Sculpt: High Heel

Skin Tone: Dark A-Tone

Hair Color: Raven (Flocked)

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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She look a lot like her sister from the Faces of Adéle giftset. From the waist up she gives me Adut Akech vibes in Valentino. The pants are not to my liking, they needed a more fluid fabric to work properly. Love the bag and hat, her accessories in general are superb.

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Item # 82121

London Show

Nadja Rhymes™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Convention Collection

Edition Size: 700

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Head Sculpt: Nadja 2.0

Body Type: NU. Face

Foot Sculpt: High Heel

Skin Tone: Japan

Hair Color: Pale Honey Blonde

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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She’s fantastic! People have been clamouring for ages for a light coloured version of the Afroamerican Integrity Toys sculpts and the result is breathtaking. Her outfit is gorgeous too, reminding me of the OOAK Bow Down Nadja from the 2017 convention.

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Item # PP153

Young Romantic

Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Convention Collection

Edition Size: 700

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Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: High Heel and Articulated Ankle (Comes With Both)

Skin Tone: Hungarian

Hair Color: Warm Dark Brown

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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I’m not against romantically styled dolls, but they have to be styled in a certain way. This is not it. Very renaissance looking, a little modern Juliet, looking for her Romeo. The extra flat feet and sandals only accentuate the effect.

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Item # PP154

Kimono Go Go

Poppy Parker™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Convention Collection

Edition Size: 700

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Head Sculpt: Poppy Parker

Body Type: Poppy Parker

Foot Sculpt: Articulated Ankle

Skin Tone: FR White

Hair Color: Platinum

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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What a beautiful face! The only thing bothering me are the orangey brows. Her hairstyle and earrings are straight from the fashion magazines of the sixties. Her kimono though is not up to par. The huge obi distorts her silhouette in an ungainly way.

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Item # 73012

Winter Shimmer

Lady Aurelia Grey™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Convention Collection

Edition Size: 400

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Head Sculpt: Lady Aurelia Grey

Body Type: E59

Foot Sculpt: High Heel

Skin Tone: Light Honey

Hair Color: Raven

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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The last doll of the convention collection is a new Aurelia. Blue seems to be a favourite colour for her. She looks regal and I love her jewellery. Not enough to want her for my collection though. The hairstyle is a bit off for her era though, it was popular in the next decade. Not many accessories but killer gloves.

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The convention salesroom had a few more dolls available for collectors, with a new sculpt and character of - gasp! - older age debuting in the Industry line.

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NEW CHARACTER!

Item # 88060

That's All

Plum Powers™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Salesroom Exclusive

Edition Size: 400

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Head Sculpt: Plum Powers

Body Type: The Industry

Foot Sculpt: High Heel

Skin Tone: Cream

Hair Color: Platinum/Silver Mix

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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She’s so obviously inspired by Iris Apfel but she also has a bit of the legendary fashion editor of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, Carrie Donovan, who had trademark huge glasses too. Want her! And her croc imitation Kelly style bag is to die for.

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Item # 88061

Devil Made Me Do It

Tulabelle True™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Salesroom Exclusive

Edition Size: 400

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Head Sculpt: Tulabelle True 2.0

Body Type: The Industry

Foot Sculpt: High Heel

Skin Tone: FR White

Hair Color: Warm Dark Brown

Eyelashes: Yes

Quickswitch: No

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We can see the new Tulabelle sculpt better now, I still cannot warm up to her. She looks so smug I want to punch her, LOL! Not sure about the asymmetrical jacket. I’d like it better if the asymmetry was also at her collar.

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Item # 21012

Art Of Manliness

Darius Reid™ Dressed Doll

The 2019 Integrity Toys Convention: Live From Fashion Week Salesroom Exclusive

Edition Size: 500

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Head Sculpt: Darius 2.0

Body Type: The Monarchs Homme

Foot Sculpt: The Monarchs Homme

Skin Tone: Nubian

Hair Color: None

Eyelashes: None

Quickswitch: No

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One of the oldest and most loved characters makes his appearance again! Darius has a new sculpt, not a gorgeous as the previous one though. He look more like Tyson Beckford now. The hot pink suit is lovely. He has nice accessories too, plus a hat and an earring. And yes, the ugly sneaker trend has hit the Monarchs too. Must add that titling your male doll The Art Of Manliness in 2019 and the era of #MeToo and LGTB+ rights is a bit weird.

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All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2019 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. FASHION ROYALTY, POPPY PARKER, NU. FACE, EAST 59TH, THE INDUSTRY, THE MONARCHS HOMME 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. Photography by Jaime Thornton Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing.

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 V&A Museum of Childhood in London

The Summerly Room

The Summerly Room

A banner at the convention area

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.

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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...

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...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.

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!

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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).

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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. 

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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. 

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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”! 

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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!

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

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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.

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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!

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…

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

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

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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!

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The salesroom is full of amazing dolls and doll stuff:

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

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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.

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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.

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See you in London! 

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