Tokidoki Barbie upsets parents in the US!

Matell released a few days ago a Collector's Barbie named Tokidoki. She is designed by Simone Legno of Tokidoki, a "liefstyle" company from Italy (funded by the Hard Candy make up brand owners from USA), with obvious Japanese influences. She is wearing a pink miniskirt, logo leggings and black top with signature skull heart and bones, carries a large bag from the brand, and accessorized with bracelets, a belt, and sky-high sparkly silvery shoes. The doll features trendy tattoos on her body (non-removable save using acetone) and a pink bob. She is also accompanied by her cactus friend, Bastardino (mongrel in Italian). Considered very trendy (bleh), she was a favourite of Barbie collectors everywhere.

You must have noticed that I rarely write about Barbie doll releases, unless they are something special (like the Pantone Barbie in the previous post). So why this one, since I do not even like her styling? Because she managed, in just a week, to become the bane of many parents in the US, even though she is not a toy. Mattel clearly sells her as a collector's doll, she's a Gold Label doll with no more than 7.400 dolls produced.  She even has a price tag of US$50, which makes her unavailable to most children. Still, many news outlets, from doll blogs, fashion blogs, twitter and even major fashion publications like Allure and news outfits like L.A. Times and CNN keep on reporting about parent's supposedly irate reactions to the doll.

The give-me-a-scandal-any-day UK newspaper Daily Mail even gets it all wrong as they mention that the doll is marketed to children. Sorry guys, get your facts right. Barbie Collector Dolls are for adult collectors and are not to be sold to anyone under 14 (written on the back of all Barbie Collector boxes). But who reads the fine print when they want to create controversy? Of course the doll is not only sold out (more are to be released in mid November from what I read) but her price in the secondary market has quadrupled. 

Barbie Pink in Pantone - the graphic designer's doll?

Mattel is releasing the Pink in Pantone Barbie doll around December (she's available for pre-order from various on-line doll sellers). Pantone, for those outside the creative community, is a colour system that has set a very big standard for graphic designers, architects, photographers, anyone pretty much using colour in any way in his profession. For years now, pink 219 from Pantone was designeted as the Barbie pink. And Mattel finally decided to cement that with a doll dressed head to toe in it!

She is wearing a dress with a faux leather bustier that has a skirt made up of the famous Pantone colour chips, used as samples (see photo below). A flower on her lapel is made in the same way, while her shoes have the 219C code written on the side and their soles are coloured Pink 219!

This Barbie could be an ideal gift for graphic designers this Christmas! Now they surely must release the Barbie as Graphic Designer, complete with iMac and Pantone swatch book.

Most unforgettable fashion dolls

When I started buying fashion magazines back in the late 80's, there was one particular line of print ads that stood out from the rest: Revlon's Unforgettable series. Starting in 1987, featuring photography by Richard Avedon and some of the world's most beautiful models, they set a very high standard for make up advertising that is difficult to achieve even to this very day. 

One such example is the photo above, from 1987 - my favourite model Christy Turlington (so young!) featured alongside Kersti Bowser, a very young Cindy Crawford and Paulina Poriskova, then on her heyday. I was toying around with the idea of re-creating the style of these photos with my fashion dolls for quite a long time, so finally I decided to just try and see how it goes.

And here they are! I was inspired by W Cosmetics as well, the fictional company owned by the Perrin family in the Fashion Royalty world - so of course their girls had to pose for the photo. From left we have Vanessa Perrin, model, Veronique Perrin, CEO of W Cosmetics, Jordan, model and Eugenia Perrin Frost, cousin of Vero and Vanessa and working for the company as well. Their clothing is all Integrity Fashion Royalty as well as their jewellery. I hope you like them - I intend to do some more group shots like this.

Photography (C) Stratos Bacalis (bottom photo only), FR is a property of Integrity Toys and its logo and indicia is being used without permission. This is a fan project and cannot be resold or used in a profit generating manner of any kind. 

Integrity Toys Jet Set Convention Part III

Last day of the Jet Set convention was Saturday. The day started with workshops, raffle room, Design-A-Doll studio, museum and the Souvenir Shop. The W Club luncheon was the afternoon's event, with a centrepiece doll of the new Tatyana Alexandrovna sculpt - now in the FR2 line. She looks quite different than her previous incarnation (better I might say). She is wearing a yellow dress with a straw hat, black strappy sandals and a beige bag. I am still on the fence about the fashion.

As intriguing as the newly re-sculpted Tatyana was, she quickly got upstaged by none other than Evermore Vanessa. The original sculpt on a FR2 body, wearing a red glamorous gown with black lace and deigned as the Official FR 10th Anniversary Celebration Doll. She was available to every attendee of the luncheon for buying. It was also announced that a similar version of Veronique would be offered via lottery to W Club members later in the year.

The event closing the convention was in the great ballroom of the hotel. The guests arrived to find a Monogram doll as the centrepiece. Beyond The Still Monogram doll is a very glamorous looking girl, reminding me of Mad Men a lot. She could fit with Poppy too (her aunt?). It looks like a new sculpt.

It was now time to find out what was the gift set doll - and it was Eugenia Perrin Frost - Point Of Departure. She was clad in a salmon rose bikini, contrasting perfectly with her other outfits, given to attendees in the previous days. Here are photos of her in all of them:

After dinner, Jason Wu himself unveiled the convention doll, a spot deservedly given to Veronique, who was absent for so many years from the collections throughout. Air Apparent Veronique looks very glamorous in her asymmetrical black skirt and white embroidered top, with her waist accented by a coral belt. Her shoes though leave much to be desired as they are simple plastic pumps with a fabric ribbon as a buckle at the front. With a skirt like that, leaving the shoes exposed, one would think that shoes would have to be much much better. Her silvery grey eye-brows might look weird but they make her stand apart and not look too cute, which is something I like.

I hope to be able to give you photos of the convention collection dolls in an upcoming post. The next Integrity Toys convention will be held in Orlando, FL, in fall 2012. 

Integrity Toys Jet Set Convention 2011 Part II

Friday was a day dedicated to the Poppy Parker line (for the luncheon) and the Color Infusion line (dinner party). The final instalment of Design-A-Doll studio was also open, giving a chance to attendees to make their own doll. At the Poppy Parker luncheon, the centrepiece doll was a Poppy called Ready! Steady! Go! - a mod Poppy with long blonde hair. If she had a pixie haircut, she would have been so Twiggy.

But there was also a Poppy Parker doll handed out as a gift to all attendees: In The Air Poppy is a Basic dressed doll and looks lovely. She reminds me so much of my god-daughter!

But that was not the only gift - a second fashion for their gift-set box (Thursday night an embroidered bustier with pants was given as well) was handed out to all participants. And it looks great. From the fashion styling, I am guessing it might be a Les Shilouettes doll. Both outfits look 50s to me. People actually attending say that the plastic torso underneath feels FR body size. A sneak peek of an upcoming Dynamite Girls collection was also shown. It will be available soon for pre-orders.

The dinner on Friday night was Pucci-themed. Pucci is a venerable Italian fashion brand, famous for their extravagant and bold prints, so it made sense to have the Color Infusion line event inspired by it - and it fits the mod mood of the whole day too. Guests were encouraged to dress mod and prizes were given to the best dressed attendees! The table's centrepiece was Erin as Psychedelic Splash.

Of course there was also a gift for the attendees: another doll, Ayumi (her third incarnation so far) as Sunset Rave. Not my cup of tea but lots of people love this kind of doll so there is something for everyone here.

During the event, Vaughn unveiled a holiday season Monogram line that will be available for pre-order very soon. Three dolls in three different evening gowns, in basic colours (red, blue, green), ready to attend any glamorous party of the upcoming holiday season.

From the top we have: Fascination (red & fuchsia), Illumination (blue) and Jubilation (green). I love the green one (surprise, surprise) and think she will make a great contrasting match with my Monogram Magnetism doll. I hope I can get her. They are all on editions of 300 pieces and will be shipped late October. Tomorrow you will read about the convention collection and doll from the final day of the event.

All photos courtesy of Integrity Toys.