Joan Crawford: a formidable doll by Tonner

Tonner Dolls has been expanding their doll line rapidly over the last years, incorporating new face molds (and new bodies lately) into their wide range. So it was inevitable that, with the love Robert Tonner holds for Old Hollywood, that famous stars of the past would find their way amidst their other film lines. The first glamorous Hollywood star to receive the Tonner treatment is none other than the magnificent Joan Crawford. A natural choice, both for her star quotient, interesting face and promising original outfits, most of which were designed by the genius designer of Hollywood glamour Adrian.


Basic 2008 Joan Crawford (Ready for Wardrobe is the moniker of the doll) arrived promptly for her photo shoot, with all the airs and fuss a diva of this magnitude commands. The turquoise box reminded me of the Integrity Gene ones, to which of course this doll is in direct competition: they belong to the same era, would be antagonists in real - life Hollywood and will be vying to share the spotlight in doll collectors' shelves. But how does Joan look and feel?


The doll bears an uncanny resemblance to the real star: her face is exquisitely sculpted to match Joan's characteristics, looking very much like her younger self in her earlier career in the 30s and early 40s. This incarnation of the doll has brunette hair, gathered at the back and cascading in big curls. Her eye make up could have been a bit more pronounced in my opinion (as the stars of the era did wear it heavy-handed) but she still is pretty much Joan. One basic problem: one of her fiery red painted nails had colour bleeding from it onto the finger, a thing that I have never seen before in a Tonner doll.



She comes dressed in a lovely turquoise charmeuse slip trimmed with black lace, hosiery with attached panties, and lovely black Mary Janes (see below). I think they should have included a long flowing matching robe, giving her a more diva feel - being basic does not mean she is a lesser star. Also the slip is a bit too short for her to pose sitting without showing too much for that era. I am sure they were wearing longer slips back then. She does not have any jewellery either. She has the standard Tyler body, which means that her silhouette might look a bit more modern than it should, although that can be corrected with careful tailoring of the outfits. The overall feel though is very nice.


So what should she wear? I knew she would be itching to get out of her slip as soon as she came her, so a lovely gown was waiting for her to put on. The Jungle Red outfit from the Joan Crawford Tonner collection took my breath away from the publicity shots: the cut, colouring and tailoring seemed ideal for a Hollywood diva. So here she is, basking in it's beauty:


The gown is a full length, pleated chiffon dress with intricate shirred detail and striking red and white contrast, paired with a coordinated beaded bracelet and faux leather open-toe red strappy heels. She would want a pair of diamond earrings to go with it too, but more of that later. Fortunately the dress comes with an attached white slip under it so that the bright red fabric does not stain the doll. The bodice is also lined in white.




It was a treat photographing her in various poses in this particular outfit: the fabric and pleating offer many possibilities and make her look even more glamorous and breathtaking, the true diva she is. A great addition to the collection of any Hollywood fan doll collector.


"So, what about those diamonds?" I heard her say, becoming more impatient with every camera click. So I dug out the set Franklin Mint's Marilyn Monroe was wearing in "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds" with her red outfit and put them on her - the diamonds and rubies match the white and red gown perfectly (see below). Joan in satiated - for now... wait till she sees what the other ladies are wearing around here...


Michael Williams does it again with Jonathan Adler!

Remember the brilliant sets Michael Williams had done inspired by Jonathan Adler's designs? He has been at it again, this time for Haute Doll magazine's May/June 2009 issue. I am honoured to present his take on the cover of Adler's book "My Prescription for Anti-Depressant Living".



In his flickr albums, check the "Barbie Loves Jonathan Adler" album for more - Michael does amazing work! And check the news:

Jonathan Adler Loves Barbie – For Grownups: Barbie’s fabled Malibu Dream House becomes a reality, thanks to famed interior designer Jonathan Adler. Style and design décor enthusiasts who want a slice of Adler’s “happy chic” style and Barbie doll’s Malibu mystique will be able to get the look at home with a capsule collection of “Jonathan Adler Loves Barbie” décor pieces, including designer pottery, pillows, decorative objects and more – available at one of Adler’s nine stores or on his website. Additionally, Jonathan Adler and Barbie will partner on an ultra stylish Barbie Collector doll, which comes with coordinating doll-size furniture (of course!). These chic creations will hit retail shelves in the U.S. in September 2009.

Living a Sybaritic life: Venus part Two

After shooting Venus in her original outfit (her undies that is), I picked some Gene clothes for her to wear (all of them from the Ashton Drake years), for her first fashion photo shoot. She was a very eclectic lady, picking stuff that would make justice to her versatility and glamour. She fits into Gene clothes with a little extra effort in the hips, as she is a bit wide for them, but most of the stretchier staff she can get into. Not all outfits will button though, especially jackets.
First one, Unforgettable. The mermaid style gown makes her look gorgeous, although it was a bitch getting the stretch petticoat up the top skirt because of the tight fit. You can see her here with the full outfit minus the lace scarf. The wig is from Integrity's Avantguard Lush doll. It is not a perfect fit but with a little effort one can get it to look great. The colours of the gown and jewellery match her make up perfectly.


And a closer look of a star being born. Cover material, wouldn't you say?

Next up was Black Ribbon, which is a copy of a Marlene Dietrich outfit. The jacket was impossible to button up but everything fits, even the gloves. Careful if you put this outfit on a doll, it stains. The hat was difficult to pin on the wig but I finally did it. Wig by Monique.



Gene had an outfit called Little Black Dress. The idea was having a simple basic A-line black dress (40's style) and change looks by simply changing the accessories included. First try, the lace cuff and bib, with the matching hat - a mix of Morticia Adams and Amish style into one. The hat was again difficult to pin on the Lush wig. The different positioning of the hat makes for some very interesting photography.


Then a quick wig change and you have a completely different vibe. Wig by Monique.


Second set for the LBD: the Chanel approach. Multiple chains piled at neck and waist, with a matching hair band complete with white flower and black tulle. She looks like Madonna wearing Chanel.


The third set was the most surprising: the plaid hat and bustle match Venus's eccentric style and brought out her supermodel self in a way I had not anticipated - especially without any wig.

There was a fourth option (with a small forest green gilet) but the result were disappointing. So on we were to a gorgeous evening dress, Derby Eve. The fit is not perfect, especially at the hips, but the result is fantastic (the flowers in the Lush wig are from the ensemble):

A wig change (wig by Monique) was all it took to transform her to a sultry night club singer.


A suit was something I wanted to see Venus in very much - so she tried Perfect Gift: a green shantung suit with burgundy rose accents and matching tasselled bag. The short Monique wig was a perfect fit for this style, making the whole thing look much more modern. Shoes here are from Tonner's Vintage Shoes accessory pack from the GWTW collection.

The peplum style jacket fits her perfectly, enhancing her silhouette. If only she could stand better on her stand.


Looking for something more couture like, I put a Tonner outfit on her: Anniversary Gala from the 2004 Tyler Wentworth collection. The short embroidered jacket, trimmed with fur, combined with the brocade full skirt makes Venus look like a million bucks. I put the jacket onto her back side front to make it look like a bolero. You can see the results below (wig by Monique):




After all the outfit changes, Venus suddenly decided to relax. So what better way than to "slip into something more comfortable"? Gene's "The Kiss" , with its marabou trimmed satin peignoir lined with shimmering silver lame and a matching gown looked perfect, the light pink matching Venus's make up to a T. And she posed even without any wig, looking gorgeous.


Wig from the Lush Avantguard doll.

All Monique wigs bought from Facets by Marcia.

Living a Sybaritic life: Venus part one

Superfrock are two English doll creators, Charles and Desmond, who create what has come to be considered as the crème de la crème of fashion dolls: The Sybarites. A collection of resin 16" dolls released in small quantities that are so eagerly anticipated that almost every edition disappears from their online store minutes after it hits the website. The dolls have unique looks, and up until now, shared almost the same sculpt (the second generation, 2006 onwards dolls, called clone 0104). In the end of 2008, Superfrock released the three IT girls, dolls that were a kind of basic Sybarite, if that term can be applied to these dolls. One of them, Inque, a brand new sculpt, was released as an exclusive to a US doll shop, ANGELIC DREAMZ. Another, Raja, also a brand new sculpt, was an exclusive for Haute Doll magazine. The third one, Venus, was sold directly from Superfrock. I do not know if it was the timing, or the economic crisis, or the basic concept, but her price was almost half of what these dolls usually go for. And of course, I could not resist - it is now or never, I thought. And Venus arrived.


Let's see what the creators say about their dolls:

These 17 inch resin, ball jointed dolls are for the adult collector who wants a true haute-couture, contemporary, fashion doll with an exquisite up to the second wardrobe and plenty of attitude. They are not intended as toys for children.
The name "SYBARITE" means "a person devoted to luxury and pleasure" . The creators of THE SYBARITES are Charles Fegen and Desmond Lingard who began SUPERFROCK LTD. in London about ten years ago. At first the artists created beautiful one of a kind couture for Barbie, Tonner and Gene yet they longed for their own fashion doll to reflect their own aesthetics. Their dream became a reality in 2005 with the release of the first Sybarites.

Indeed. So let us see what's all the hoopla about. The box that Venus arrived in is a black nice one, bigger than your usual vinyl doll box (unless you get a Tonner Scarlet O' Hara dressed doll). That is because: a)Sybarites are 17 inches tall, slightly taller than the vinyl fashion dolls currently on the market, and b) due to the material they are made of, they have to travel into a protective casing, so the box is made to hold them firmly in place and all lined in satin, to minimize damage to the sensitive material. And what is this material? A resin which is strung with elastic. The joints are engineered to rotate (with 15 points of articulation) and this, along with the elastic, gives the doll a wonderful 'live' quality when you hold her. While the dolls will not stand without some help (such as a stand, or careful posing in the right pair of shoes), they can assume many lifelike poses, far more than the average vinyl fashion doll.

So you start getting the doll out of her trappings: wraps, stitches, rubber bands etc. The box included her lingerie (we are talking basic doll after all, so no elaborate gown the way a Sybarite usually is dressed), a box with her high heeled Sybarite logo-ed slippers and her stand and wig (excellent quality fiber and a lovely "dirty" blond colour, also has an elastic band to help keep it in place, at is is removable). Sybarites are all wigged dolls. Some of the Sybarites are designed so that their wigs may be removed. Others have more elaborate hairstyles and those wigs will be firmly glued on.

First impressions: Quality overall. Attention to detail. Even on this basic doll. And the doll? Her figure is gorgeous and very womanly . The dolls are anatomically suggestive (very suggestive, trust me). The hip joints are not meant to be on view and all Sybarites originally came with hose, but not Venus. The truth is those joints look very strange, but you get used to them. I really liked the feel of the resin when I touched it. It feels warm and soft, unlike vinyl. But, like fine porcelain, the resin can be breakable and some ordinary sensible care should be used when handling a Sybarite, such as dressing her on a padded surface and preventing falls.


There are three body types: the handmade early dolls made in England (such as Tattoo, Cosma and the Chalk Whites), marked on the small of the back SDMDR © 2004/5, the original factory body in a lighter resin, made in Asia, marked SYBARITE ©2004/5, and the revised factory made dolls which debuted in 2006 marked THE SYBARITES ©2006/7 . The later dolls are slightly larger in the bust and hip, but the difference is not very great. The body has articulation on the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, chest (under the breasts), waist (below the belly button), hips (those strange ball joints) knees and ankles. Since mid-2007 all Sybarites have felted joints: i.e. the joints are lined with a material which provides an improved handling quality and helps with posing. Her hands and feet are very nicely sculpted, with beautiful fingers that look very realistic (for a fashion model at least). Her breasts are amazingly sculpted too, looking very natural and feminine, unlike most fashion dolls in the market these days.



The doll's face is a dream: she has an airbrushed make up, in tones of pink, with matte painted eyeshadow over those gorgeous electric blue eyes and attached eyelashes (the eyes are painted). Her lips are a warm glossy pink, with matching hand and toe nails. Her sculpt is amazing and very photogenic, with high cheekbones, a nice clear jawline, a long small nose and beautifully arched brows. Venus has a make up that is not as extreme as Sybarites usually have: that results in a very versatile doll, that can have many incarnations in a variety of styles. And that is the definition of a basic doll, isn't it? Unfortunately, due to the material's nature, Sybarites do not have ear holes for earrings. Some collectors have corrected that with miniature drills but I know that most of the people that own one of these dolls would squirm in the thought of a drill coming anywhere near their resin goddess.

What about her clothing - ahem, lingerie? A basic set of bra and panties, in vibrant pink satin with black ribbon details and yes, lined in white. Exquisitely made and perfectly fitting, with the dainty high heeled slippers being the icing on the cake, they match her face paint. Unfortunately no hosiery is included, which makes posing Venus in her underwear a bit uncomfortable, as the big hip joints show in all their garishness. Her stand is well made but I would prefer the saddle to have a better grip on the doll, for stabilizing her through poses and also give the owner a sense of security - these are not vinyl dolls and will be damaged with a fall.



Her poseability is not easy to manage. Being a heavy doll, she need to either stand on her stand or sit on a chair. The stand thing is a bit tricky: new strung dolls are notoriously difficult to handle, as the strings are not loose enough and can be difficult to pose, especially in more demanding poses. The sitting options always works better, as the weight issue is eliminated, and the doll can take very sultry poses. Her face helps a lot - her overall face paint and style help give to photos an ethereal almost life like quality, so missing from most vinyl dolls. And of course, one has to be careful posing this doll - the nature of the material means always having clean hands (wash wash wash) and taking extra care handling her to avoid any cracks. Of course, after posing Venus in her lingerie, I decided it was time she stepped into some other clothing, to see how versatile she is as a model - and believe me, she's a regular clothes horse. But more about that in the next post.

Information about the dolls and their makers taken from the very helpful Idiot's Guide To The Sybarites by Lauri Guardi.