Integrity Toys 2010: The Monogram Collection

The Monogram Collection was created to showcase real Jason Wu fashions done in 1/6 scale. The first dolls, released sporadically since the first charity-connected doll, Lifeball, did wear originals by Jason. Made in miniature scale, with exquisite detail and stylish as only models can be, the Monograms, due to their limited editions too, sparked the collectors' imagination immediately. Now the dolls become part of the regular releases - with a début collection that generally evoked a lot of praise from collectors and made the dolls highly requested - rumour has it that most dealers sold out before the timeslot allowed by Integrity to take pre-orders!

So this is actually the collection that Jason himself oversees now. This is obvious from the design of the outfits the dolls are wearing - they are not closer to style to his actual fashion collections anymore but they look like the earlier Fashion Roylaty doll fashions did - timeless, elegant, couture-like. So I guess this line is poised as the Haute Couture Line of Integrity, Fashion Royalty is the Ready To Wear Deluxe and NuFace is the secondary but avant-guard line. There are five dolls in the collection - and we start with the basic, Disclosure.

This is supposedly an underwear doll, although, as she is wearing a frilly bodysuit, she looks like she went out without her skirt - ooops! I think they should have given her one and sell her as a basic doll - I do not think a simple pencil skirt in a nice fabric would break the budget. She is rooted.

Enigmatic is the big hit with collectors. And why not? She wears a very elegant version of the little black dress, with a silk rose at the back of her waist, under a faux ocelot fur coat. Black jewellery, gloves, hat and pumps complete the look. What she is missing? A bag. No elegant couture outfit is complete without one. And tights too. The doll is wigged and looks like the mini-clone Androgyny with bright lipstick on. 

I think she looks really elegant (minus the fur, I'm all against it) and must be the best face I have seen on the Monogram sculpt. I love the necklace and the red soles of the pumps - very Louboutin! The dress reminds me of Audrey Hepburn at Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Up next is Dreamscape. She is a gain a wigged doll, with a raven bobbed wig and a couture-like gown. The draping of the skirt and the bodice are very intricate but the overall effect is somewhere between a classic overblown old Dior gown and a more avant-guard John Galliano one - it just cannot decide which. I'm not thrilled about this one, I guess it needed a starting over. It seems she did get the best shoes of all the collection.

My favourite from this collection is Incandescent: a beautiful doll with rooted short hair, sleeveless cocktail bi-coloured dress (pink and white) and matching jacket with double collar and peplum, black straw hat and dark glasses and gloves. Very Audrey again but still missing a bag. Her short hair make her even more special.

The final doll is one that has already been revealed to the public almost a month before the presentation, due to a mix up at Integrity - the dealers had her and got their orders before the company had managed to actually do a proper presentation - collectors first saw her on-line at a Dolls Magazine ad! The result is that she is already sold out before the rest of the collection was presented. She is the only darker skinned doll of this series and looks better because of it - she could look like Sade if one found the proper outfit.

Brilliance's outfit looks very 50's Dior - but I think the darker middle part would have been better if smaller and looked actually more like a corset. The stitching is not A-grade and her weird hat does not improve things. She is wigged and I am told by collectors who got her that it fits perfectly. I must say this is a major improvement over the Modern Pompadour wigs which slipped of heads easily. She is missing her bag too which again looks weird on a couture doll. She is beautiful though.

Overall it is a very elegant collection - and promising for the future. My only objection are the dolls - the sculpt is too generic and bland, and even with the brilliant face-ups it is getting, it still looks a bit Stepford-wife to me. They lack personalities, like real models in a way, especially in the last few years. The Jeffery Kalinsky charity showed us that these dolls do have much more to give. Let's hope to see more of that soon.

Fashion Royalty 2010: The Dazzle Collection

Ok, so there were two Fashion Royalty collections: the second one was called Dazzle and it was explained to us (for those who follow the storyline of the doll's characters) that this was Vanessa Perrin's photoshoot ambience and inspiration for the new W Cosmetics campaign, while the Foundation collection is the characters outside the studio looking for Veronique Perrin. If Eugenia goes out with that outfit to look for her cousin, she may end up where she does noe want to go... hehehe.

On to the collection then. This one has the basic Close Up dolls we have come to expect from the FR line - the Dazzle here translates to the sequined outfits all the dolls have, each in a different colour. The sequined mini dress is really hot right now in dolly world, Heidi Klum Barbie did it earlier and it looked great (the dress, and the doll):

So how do the FR ladies face up to such competition? Let's see: first up is the culprit, Vanessa Perrin herself. Named Temptation, Vanessa is chanelling Duffy in this 60's beehive hair and short fitted pink sequinned mini dress. Her pale skin and pink/orangey (sound awful but I like it here) make -up looks great on her. Black open-toed platforms and silver small hoop earrings complete the look. I like her because she looks so different than any other incarnation of Vanessa. And is it me or does she sport the very pale skin?

Next up is Adele Makeda - she's back! With her huge afro and mini dress, Sould Deep Adele is ready for some black sexploitation film from the 70s - where is Isaak Hayes when you need him? She looks great - you can re-create the look if you have Adele's Modern Pompadour afro wig an any Adele you like!

What's up with the songbirds? Careless Love Dania Zarr is a dead ringer for B52's Kate Pierson or maybe a modern version of Mad Men's Joan Holloway. If I did not have an aversion to bangs I'd pick her instead of Vanessa! Too bad the bangs cannot be swept to the side.

The fourth doll turned out to be a giftset: Deceptively yours Kyori Sato has the sequinned dress and 60's beehive (in the worst possible incarnation) all the other ladies share, but she has also a gown to wear (supposedly for when the fashion shoot ends and the party begins - these girls probably do not have other assignments in one day). Her death-pale make up does not match her bright red sequinned mini dress. Her hair is trying to shout Maria Callas but it ends up looking cheap imitation. She looks more latina than Asian. The chequered suit looks as if it does not fit well (does she look a bit chubby under the jacket or not? Shhh, could Kyori be... pregnant? hehehehe). And the gown? A cascade of red ruffles tied in her waist with a beige/golden bow (at the front? Whose brilliant idea was that?), a predictable and boring dress - even Barbie can do that. The gowns this year just don't cut it as couture. Her jewellery looks nice but nice is not enough.

There is a separate fashion ensemble in this line as well. And, as in the Foundation Line, it is a gorgeous one. Modelling it is the most beautiful Dania I have ever seen (that was my question at the webinar - who's that girl?), but unfortunately she is just a prototype. She looks like Elizabeth Taylor! She is the best doll this year and she is not getting made! The outfit consists of a white tulip-shaped sleeveless cocktail dress worn with a miniscule black and white bolero/wrap, black skinny belt, silver and blue earrings, bracelet and ring and the most gorgeous shoes this year: black open-toe booties with micro "leather" flower appliqués - divine.

So let's see all the ladies in a group shot: I think Heidi Klum Barbie has a better dress (from what I can see in the photos) but the dolls are gorgeous and the solo fashion is great. And Barbie never had shoes like the ones above - not even Christian Louboutin made her a pair like this.

Next - The Monogram collection.

The Foundation Collection - first line of Fashion Royalty and Nu Face for 2010

This year we're in for some new and stange concepts in the Fashion Royalty related lines. There were two collections presented and one of them had every FR incarnation included: regular FR dolls, Nu Face (younger models) dolls and Homme (men line) dolls. Is there a reason for this? The concept as Integrity tells it, is that fashion elevated to dramatic heights has allways been the hallmark of Fashion Royalty. OK I say. But Foundation? Terri said something about undergarments - I could not agree more. And the big disappointment: no Veronique in this one. So let's see who was included in this collection:

Instead of  ladies first, let's do the guys for once: no new character (thank God), no one of the old guard (Pierre and Cisco apparently are where Veronique STILL is). Darius and Lucas are back again with us as last year. Both in suits (plaid for Lukas, pinstripe grey for Darius), leather shoes and leather handbags. Staying Power Darius has become a corporate honcho (last years suit was much better) and his skin-tone just does not sit well with me. His double removable collar shirt already spells T R O U B L E.

Model Citizen Lukas is pale as last year, longer hair again as his first time but brown now. A bow-tie? Lukas? The maverick model agent entrepreneur? His bag is to die for but I have them both already and frankly, I do not need another suit in my men's wardrobes. And the FR men suit jackets just do not fit well - their lapels are always a disaster. Someone needs to check their patterns.

So what about the Nu-Face girls? This time Colette returns as Perk, with a dramatic outfit - her ribbon skirt is almost Haute Couture, her face paint looks great too and the blouse has intricate draping that makes it special. Pity she decided to wear fur - I'm always against it and here it looks bad too - like a cat that fell in the lake. The necklace looks like Festive Decadence Agnes' one, only painted blue-not good. The boots are great too - but anyone who has a doll from the Pompadour collection will agree one knee-high pair of boots is more than enough. No bag - I suppose that helped keep the price a bit under US$100.

Second Nu Face model: one of the twins, Eden! No no, it is actually Lilith, appearing as her sister now, blonde and dangerous, hence named The Great Pretender. I love her total look, all in bright pink, a decadent Barbie if there ever was one. The bouclé jacket, the sheer top (this springs visible underwear trend exploited) and the fluffy and flirty skirt are perfectly combined. I wanted her lips a bit more subdued - she would be perfect then. 

And while I expected Ayumi to make a comeback too, who other than Gisel appeared to steal the limelight. Mais Oui! As a auburn haired beauty, with pale looks and bright coloured outfit, she makes quite an impression. Fans are divided over this one but I like the difference she has from the others - she looks more like a current real fashion model than any of the Nu Face girls. And I love the combination of purple and green and metal grey in her clothes. The big square black ring is also great!

So on to the Fashion Royalty ladies that make the final part of the Foundation Collection.  Jordan makes her third appearance in the FR lines, made-up and dressed like a sugary confection named Fire Within.  Too bubbly pink for my taste but I know others will love her. I like Jordan as a modern Amazon and this just does not cut it for me. And leather chain-mail shoes with pink fluffy skirt? Major faux pas - I thought only Paris Hilton could dress like this.

The second FR lady in this line is Tricks of the Trade Eugenia. She has a weird face paint which makes her quite a bit different than previous incarnations of the sculpt but her outfit is great - minus the fur capelet and the hideous hat. The shoes look like those from Wrapped In Decadence fashion in black and the cuff is gorgeous. i love the point d'esprit doubling of the dress, it makes it look very elegant - and it makes a world of difference from Jordan's. This is hallmark fashion indeed.

Finally, who else but Natalia could appear in this kitschy mess of a gown: it looks lie one of the major faux-pas Jennifer Lopez could make on the red carpet. Private Goddess? She'd better stay in private! The colour is weird, the draping is a mess, the top is half-baked. Just take a look at High Gloss Agnes or Pale Fire Vanessa to see how this should have been done. And Natalia looks exactly like 2008's Hot Property with straight lighter hair. Although this hair style promises lots of play.

There is a fashion outfit (no doll included) in the collection, modelled here by a very beautiful Vanessa doll: Winning Ensemble is indeed winning - the dark long military-type jacket over sequinned top and bright vertically draped skirt remind me so much of vintage YSL. Pity the hat is not like the ones he showed then, it would be so much better! And her bracelet is to die for.

So this concludes the Foundation collection of the 2010 Fashion Royalty line. Next up: Dazzle.

New Integrity Toys doll collections previewed!

Last Saturday, Integrity Toys organized a webinar for the unveiling of their 2010 collections. The on-line event was attended by approximately 400 persons and featured all the company's designers presenting their doll lines and commenting on their inspiration, while at the same time the attendees could vote on their favourites. After the presentation there was a short Q&A session: I was one of the on-line attendees and actually managed to ask a question! The experience was great and thrilling - it was so close to seeing the dolls live. And of course hearing all designers and especially Jason Wu commenting on their doll lines! So follow the posts after this to see all of them.

We will start here with the basic line, the "playline" dolls - ITBE. This year's line is called ROMA 2010.

The five new basic dolls are supposedly fresh transplants to the Eternal City, coming to live La Vita Bella!  The ones I liked from the bunch are Confident (below) with the red hair and the pink shirt-dress with 3/4 sleeves (both doll and dress are great)...

... but only  Luscious' dress and Romantic as a doll (not the oh-so-prim-and-proper dress):

Luscious - such a modern outfit!

Romantic - nice doll, sorry about the dress.

The plastic peep-toe shoes and the double bracelets look great - they all have two of them although in their descriptions the word bracelet is in singular form. I think last years dolls were more fashion-oriented (with the exception of Luscious' dress which is very au-courrant). Their price at US$25 each, makes them the most affordable of the company's lines.

Tatiana's Doll House: The Living Room

As we promised, here is the second instalment of the presentation of Tatiana's doll house. In this post we visit the living room. I remind you that, as mentioned in the previous installment (dining room) the whole house will be made in black and white.

The room is another box made from double corrugated cardboard. Tatiana used oversize coverstock for walls and floor. The curtains are dinner napkins - black ones are faux dupioni silk, white is polyester. The console table and the TV bench are made from another one of the frames she got from a clearance sale. The back panel behind the TV was cut out from cardstock sides of the box that came with the Fashion Royalty bed (inspired by a visit to local IKEA store). Tatiana replaced the Barbie sticker on the TV screen with a cutout from the card that came with the registration gift at the Chicago Fashion Royalty convention. It may have to be replaced with a plain black cardstock later, but for now she likes how her dolls are watching Convention News!

The sofa and chairs are jewelry boxes. The black coffee table is from the Fashion Royalty Loft collection; the accessories on top of it were included: the shaker, glasses and champagne bottle in the bucket. The white carpet is just a piece of craft felt: Tatiana used two sheets for thickness. The two small side tables are acrylic risers from re-ment bakery cases, turned on a side with tops glued to them. Their sides, originally slightly sloped, became horizontal under the weight of the tops and lamps. The black mirrored tabletops are from a friend of Tatiana's - she is not sure what they are. 

The lamp shades, candles, telephones, vases, electronics and jewellery box come from various Mattel play sets. Tatiana repainted the vases, jewelry box and statuette, which is an Esmeralda figurine from kids candy. The lamp posts are from the Gloria playset. A piece of thin wooden rod and a clear bead were used to attach them to the lamp shades. She purchased inexpensive self-adhesive mosaic stones from the scrap booking section and placed them adhesive side up under the back legs of the sofa and chairs to level them up.

Tatiana says she had fun making this diorama and likes that her dolls finally have a modern living room; she was meaning to make this one for years. They sure look great sitting in there.

All photographs courtesy of Tatiana.