Happy New Year!

I wish to all of you a happy new year, with lots of health, love and happiness!

and are are the best wishes ever, from my favourite writer, Neil Gaiman:

...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.

Barbie gets heeled by Christian Louboutin!

For Barbie's 50th birthday (boy she looks good for her age!) shoe designer Christian Louboutin is designing pumps in iconic Barbie Pantone 219 Pink. The shoes will make their debut at the special runway show that Mattel Inc. is staging during New York fashion week next February.


Fifty as-yet-undisclosed designers will be producing Barbie-inspired outfits for the runway, and each of the 50 models showcasing them will be wearing the pink Louboutins at the show.

The designer himself, my favourite shoe guru alongside Manolo Blahnik, said "I guess I always had a little 'girlie side' who liked Barbie. She needs to wear great shoes because every girl needs to wear great shoes."

The Miss Lanvin Collection

Last year, Albert Elbaz, the designer of the veritable fashion house of Lanvin, had decorated the Faubourg St. Honore store's windows with mannequins wearing his designs. He then release six porcelain dolls (more like figurines really) with Lanvin fashions taken right out of his sketch book, reminding us of the Theatre De la Mode era, back after the 2nd WW, when French designers dressed miniature mannequins with their designs and travelled them around the world.

This year, Monsieur Elbaz releases the second wave of Lanvin porcelain dolls. It features six looks from the Spring/Summer 2008 collection plus one from the Bridal Capsule collection (the dress that Sarah Jessika Parker wore in the Sex & The City film). They are limited to 800 pieces, made by Chinese craftsman Franz. They look like they're around 10-11 inches tall, maybe smaller. Each one costs 250 Euros (ouch!) and they can be found in Lanvin stores and major department stores in fashion capitals around the world. I wish I had all these fashions for my dolls!

Fashion doll stories

From time to time, Integrity has contests about their dolls, which involve writing about particular situations involving one or more dolls from certain lines. I enter some of them (and have won a couple) but this time, I was a bit more inspired from the situations we were called upon to improvise. I find the two stories I wrote really interesting, so I thought I should post them here too for all to read (no, I did not win this time!).

Here is a story involving FR Veronique Perrin and searching for an outfit:

Hearing the door bell ring, as it did every time a customer entered the shop, I raised my head from the counter, where I had been folding a very expensive silk scarf, and looked at the woman that had just appeared. I almost gasped.
-Ms. Perrin, welcome to Velvet. What can I do for you? I immediately said, still not believing in my eyes. She walked towards me, with that famous feline walk, her sapphire blue eyes steady on mine, her lips almost smiling.
-A lot, if you please. I have a minor emergency in my hands and you can help me overcome it!
-Please let me know how, I smiled.
-I have an unexpected engagement tonight, a small cocktail party for a select few friends, thrown together by another, just because i'm in town. So I need something to wear, but not only that. I need the whole works: accessories, jewellery, the whole shebang!
I smiled. It was my lucky day: I could make her look like a million bucks and have a living advertisement of my boutique walking around a glamorous cocktail party. I tried not to show my excitement and lead her to the inner part of the shop: the lounge area. She sat down and I asked my assistant to serve her some refreshments. I immediately proceeded to pick a couple of elegant dresses I had received the day before: it looked like they were made for her.
-I think you should see these two first. I said, holding the dresses up for her to see. She left the china cup she was holding on the lacquered table and stood up. She approached me with a smile and picked the black one.
-Don't you think black would be too obvious?
-Not in this fabric, I replied. This is Balenciaga. It is wool crepe, but lined in neoprene. Look at the form.
She held it in front of her, while looking at the big mirrored wall opposite her. Framed with a gilded weathered huge wooden but simple frame, it reflected her image back at her.
-I must try this! she said excited! My assistant showed her into the dressing room and i stood waiting for her. When, after a few minutes, she appeared, I felt so good. I had chosen well. The slim elegant line of the dress, the list on her right thigh, the cut-out shoulders, all made her look like a super heroine ready to blast her enemies away. And God knows how many of these she has.
-I looooooooooove this! You're a genius! She winked at me and continued enjoying her look in the mirror. But we have to accessorize this!
-Not a problem, I said calmly. I went behind the counter and picked a small black pillbox hat, in a diameter much smaller than one would expect fitting on one's head. A huge black silk faille bow was tied on it, making it look like a bird ready to fly.
-Try this on!
To my surprise, she did just that. And loved it. My assistant helped her pin tha hat on her elegant and impeccable chignon: she looked amazing. But I already knew that. I handed her the Balenciaga strass necklace and bracelets that I had ordered for the dress. A match made in heaven. With the d'Orsay stilleto's in silver and black, with the thins straps crossing on her little elegant feet, she was ready to meet her friends and be the soul of the party. Any party!
-Thank you soooo much! she said as she air-kissed me, going out the door a while alter, with a smile. Send the things to my suite at the hotel... and please call me tomorrow! We simply MUST talk!
I waved her goodbye as she entered her limousine and was whisked away. As I closed the boutique door behind me, I knew another door had opened for me.
-Close the shop, I said to my assistant. We're going for lunch!

And of course here is the outfit in question (the hat I describe is less art, more fashion):


And here is the second story, this time about Gene Marshall and accessorizing her turquoise Colour Deal outfit:

As Gene Marshall entered the boutique, I rushed to assist her. It was not everyday she came here, but she was a regular customer and a very valued one at that. Having only been here a couple of months did not matter to her: she always asked for my opinion, frequently elaborating
on various fashion ideas. This time it was no different:
-I need you to help me pick some accessories for this turquoise dress, I think I have worn it with white a little bit too much! she said. It is an informal event but I do not want to look too casual.
The gleam in my eyes must have shown, cause she gave me one of those beaming lovely smiles only Gene Marshall could give.
-I might just have the thing for you, I replied. I went to the back of the shop and returned with a number of small elegant boxes. I placed them on the counter and started opening them one by one for her to see.
-See? First we have this elegant pair of the softest kid gloves you have ever seen, in black.
-Black? she asked. Isn't that a bit much?
-Of course not. It will make the whole dress look different, sharper, more glamorous. And you will also wear this matching belt with it.
The belt was made of patent black leather, shiny as jet, very thin, with a lovely silver buckle. The gloves had a similar miniature buckle on the wrist, matching them perfectly.
-Wow! I already see myself in this! And would you agree that I need something from the jewellery department to match these?
-Sure! I have just the thing, I replied, producing the most gorgeous jet brooch this side of the Grand Canyon. And we also have the earrings to match, I said, pointing to the smallest box on the counter. But you must pick a pair of fine pumps too.
-I think I see just what I need, she smiled. I followed her look and my eyes stopped on a gorgeous pair of high heeled slingbacks in patent leather. And guess what? They had buckles too.
-Must have ordered these with you in mind then, I said teasingly, going towards them to pick them up for her. And just look what else is in store too, I smiled.
I raised my arm and pointed to a shelf beside her. A lovely black raffia handbag with silver circular handles was resting on it, just waiting for her it seemed.
-I think I never was readier for my close up! she beamed at me. We had done it again! A perfect look for a perfect lady!

This is the photo that inspired me for the colour combination:


I hope you enjoyed the stories!

Fashion Royalty: Bewitching Hour Luchia

A few days ago, the Fashion Royalty W Club announced its second doll of the year. The W Club dolls are the ones sold only to club members, and made in numbers according to the orders placed. This year, they had two dolls announced, and Bewitching Hour Luchia is the second much anticipated doll. I must say that the Luchia sculpt is not one of my favourites of the Fashion Royalty line - it is the reason I only have one Isha (the original character with this face) so far in my collection. But with this doll, I might just change my mind after all.


Jason Wu had hinted at the FR convention that the new Club doll would be a familiar character done in a different way. Was he right! The revamped Luchia is done in a colour palette reminiscent of the Mademoiselle Jolie OOAK charity doll, a truly different and beautiful look for Ms. Luchia Z. She does indeed bring to mind Angelina Jolie (in her blonde days), which is the main reason I really like this doll. According to the Club description, the doll models a "super-villain" inspired look mixed with true haute style.


Luchia is dressed in a mini dress in the palest of pink hues, accented with micro-pleated detail at the bust. Her black knee-length trench coat stands out with a number of fabulous details including buckles that highlight the three-quarter sleeve and an oversized "leather" studded belt with lace-up closure. Black gloves, earrings and a black chrome cuff bracelet round out the ensemble. The look is completed with potentially the hottest footwear ever done for Fashion Royalty, a pair of mile-high strappy gladiator boots that would make even Carrie Bradshaw jealous! Luchia's golden blonde locks, blush skin tone (a first for Luchia) and vampy makeup palette add the perfect complement to her "haute" outfit! The clothes look very stylish and the leather belt stunning - not to mention the gladiator boots (please do not try them at home!). So this looks like a winner to me!