Six of One, Half Dozen of Another....

Six (plus one), these Barbies were the start of my doll collection.

Today Fashion Doll Stylist celebrates six years since the launch of our blog. As usual, I like to look back and reflect. Before I do that, I would first like to tip a hat to another anniversary. This year is the 10th anniversary of Mattel’s Barbie Basics Black Label—Little Black Dress edition. These dolls mark the beginning of many doll collections including my own! Personally, I never cared for the classic Barbie with her long blond locks, syrupy sweet smile and hourglass bodies. She was too "old" for me when I was a child and too silly looking after I grew up. But the Barbie Basic dolls were different. They were svelte (just like real fashion models), sexier and came in a variety of skin tones and hairstyles. And, of course, they were clad in those amazing little black jersey dresses!!! They were Barbies for adults and a must-have for people like me who've enjoyed a lifetime career in fashion!

Collection # 001 featured 12 dolls in total, of which I purchased seven for $20 (US) each. Target stores in the U.S. put out a special edition of three clad in red jersey dresses, two of which I bought.

Complimenting the first two Barbie Basics collections, Target store put out mini-series of Barbies in their signature color, red.

 I favored the ones with the more sophisticated hairstyles and interesting facial morphologies. Of course I did not realize the amount of dopamine packed inside each doll. Each purchase created a hunger and a new trip to the store to buy another one of her friends. And yes, it did help that it was easy to find stores nearby selling these divas! Seeing them in person meant no bad surprises and often, they were better looking in person! How could I resist!

My first SIS dolls, the first ones had elbow articulation and bend and snap back knees! 

One day I found myself in between Mattel collections with nothing to buy. My addiction led me to another set of dolls who are also celebrating their 10th anniversary this year: “So In Style” Barbie.

SIS--So in Style Barbies were completely articulated and came in cool hip hop gear. The first three collections inspired by Rocawear, Pastry and Kimora Lee-Simmon's "BabyPhat" fashions.

These were a younger set of ethnic dolls of varying skin tones designed by Stacie McBride-Irby for Mattel. They too, had different personalities, hairstyles and facial features with fuller lips and rounder noses. Though their urbanwear gear was not my taste, I soon discovered how beautifully they redressed in my own...black dresses!

The SIS Barbies can be dressed in young teenage fashion or high fashion!

The S.I.S. dolls were perfect fashionistas that only cost $7-12 each at the time they were sold (2009-2017).  Each time I went to the store, I could hear them calling out my name!!! I made excuses for bringing a whole set home like, "I need dolls to model my clothes" and "It's cheaper to buy a doll than a dolly dress form" or "They don't cost anything. Lattes costs more." (Makes perfect sense in doll logic!) In no time, a whole village of them moved in, including their articulated hip hop sisters dressed in BabyPhat!

Barbie Basics Collection #2: Jeanswear

Since that first dozen dolls, Mattel put out four more Barbie Basics series: 1.5: three dolls dressed in black party dresses, 2: jeans collection which included three Ken dolls; a Target red edition (3 dolls) complimenting the jeans collection, and finally the swimwear collection. Representatives from each of these groups, except for 1.5 are in my collection.

Barbie Basics Collection #3: Swimwear

As tempting as it is, I have left all but a few of my Barbies with their original bodies. True those Model Muse bodies are not articulated, but those dolls know how to strike that perfect pose! Why mess with a good thing! Today, many of the those 10 year old dolls have increased in value. A quick glimpse on eBay reveals a 50-100 percent rise in the price of most Barbie Basics Collection 001 dolls.

 

Some of them (numbers 5, 10, 8 pictured above) are selling for as much as $70-80! If you are fortunate enough to own the AA Ken doll from Collection 002 (jeans) shown below or his AMC Cheerleader brother, know that your $20 doll is now listed for $190!

But getting back to our blogaversary…today marks our 362nd post. Early on, a question was raised. “How long do you think you can keep a blog like this going?” I responded by pointing out that fashion was a living breathing entity and thus renewed every six months. I assumed I would have a treasure trove of inspiration.  And to a certain extent I was right. Over the past 72 months, we have produced  tutorials, fashion reports, trips to fashion exhibitions and red carpet events.

Margiela Couture

Moshino

I would be lying if I didn't admit it gets harder to produce a post with the passage of time. Over the past twelve months, I’ve slowed down a bit.  Not for of lack of interest but largely for three main reasons. First of all, there is an enormous amount of content on this blog already. I have covered nearly everything that relates to today’s style in the simplest of ways--which was the initial mission of the blog. I try to keep the tutorial simple and easy to follow. Sometimes simplifying a look or technique takes a lot of experimentation and thus a lot of time! At this point, I am competing with myself.

Moschino

Viktor & Rolf

Secondly, It is really difficult to be inspired by aesthetics I cannot understand. What I see on many runways today are costumes being passed off as fashion. While I believe the craftsmanship involved in Haute Couture is an art, clothes in themselves are products made to be worn. They are not art. Lifestyles have changed and so have the customer buying fashion goods. Today's fashionista has a different relationship with clothing as compared to her 20th century counterpart. Fashion was something used to enhance, embellish one's overall look. It was a way to show who you were or who you aspired to be. Now, catwalk shows have been transformed into a spectator sport to a generation content to sit back and relax in jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts and sneakers as they watch the show! There's nothing wrong with it. It's just not the focus for this blog.

Finally, I’d rather take the time to create posts that are interesting, aesthetically pleasing and perhaps even inspiring, rather than crank out stuff just for the sake of posting every week. I’m aiming for three posts per month. But if somehow I don't meet that goal, please understand. We are grateful for readers like yourself who come from countries all over the world to see what we are up to. You've logged on nearly three quarters of a million times since the start! So we will assume, you are happy with what we do. And for that we thank you for your visits and your continued support.

Love to all of you,
April and her girls (and guys)

P.S. Don't go away.....we've got another post ready to upload in about a day or two!!!

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High Five!

Five years already! Today, as Fashion Doll Stylist celebrates its fifth blogoversary, I'd like to stop and reflect back on how our doll world has changed.

Tyra, a Tonner, was the first fashion doll I bought (2007).

Not many years ago, there were few choices of doll types on the market. And those that existed shared the same, exaggerated wasp waist body proportions along with stiff, straight limbs. Compared to our vinyl divas of today, not only does Barbie and her friends like to show off their "belly button" torsos, they also enjoy full articulation and a variety of proportions from curvy to svelte. They also have skin tones almost as diverse as the human race itself! The Fashion Royalty dolls have removeable hands and limbs allowing us to more easily dress them or so that they might wear garments with narrow sleeves. 

Barbie Basics Collection 001. These girls marked the beginning of my collection (2010).

And, there are more doll communities now. My early days saw me hanging out at dollobservers.com. (Simon was the first to befriend me on Twitter!) That is where I discovered the existence of Integrity Toy's Fashion Royalty and Superdolls' Sybarite beauties as well as other beauties that followed--Modsdoll, Kingdom dolls.

S.I.S Barbies (2011). I fell in love with them as well as all of their sisters and cousins. They immigrated massively into my heart & house.

Over the years, social media has made it easier to meet other collectors and the wide variety of dolls in their possession. Though blogs continue to play an important part in my life, I've do appreciate platforms like Instagram which allow for an easy exchange of ideas and exposure to the talents of others. As a result of all this mingling, I've taken note on the audaciousness of many collectors in their efforts customize their own dolls. As we see what others can accomplish, it gives us the courage to pick up a paintbrush and change a doll's makeup, pick up a needle and change a doll's hair or even breathe new life into a stiff old Barbie by snapping off her head and mounting it onto a taller body of articulated  limbs!

A 1990's Barbie and her cloned buddies (Kirat, Maria and Cheryl) were gifts that came to me back in 2011 when friends discovered I played with dolls!

I'm impressed at how easy some folks mix action figures with their fashion dolls. This comes as Mattel's offerings have become quasi-banal and Integrity Toys dolls, though exquisite, have prices through the roof! It's as though doll collectors are taking control over their collection and recreating the dolls they can't find or cannot afford in the marketplace.

Ingrid (r) and Donyale (l), I bought as blank faces to attempt my first repainted dolls.

Each year, I swear I will cut back on the number of new dolls I bring into the house. I lie. I'm a sucker for a pretty face and last year, more arrived than the year before! There was a slight difference, however! Many of the new dolls literally came to me head first! I bought heads then added the body of my choice. The water color pencils and chalk pastels allowed me to capture the "fresh scrubbed" look I see on the world's catwalks. In a couple of cases, I bought blank faces and filled in the details myself. I didn't stop their either.

The wig doll, a novel idea, allows you to change up her look to suit the fashion!

I bought "wig dolls," those daring divas with painted on hair that allow for a quick change of wigs and looks. One doll and six wigs equals....six dolls for the price of one!

Morgan was my first attempt at rerooting. 

And then there was that doll head I bought to try my hand at rerooting. The tutorials looked soooo easy! And perhaps had I started out with a soft head Barbie, it would have been the case. Many packs of broken needles later....I finally rerooted a head that the previous owner had given up on! (Morgan is eternally grateful!)

Rebodying a doll like Radiah (Hard Rock Cafe Barbie), gives a doll a whole new personality.

Giving a doll a new articulated body often results in a totally unique and more vibrant addition to the family. That is what I discovered after rebodying my Hard Rock Cafe Barbie. She went from being a star to a superstar thanks to a taller, articulated body that allowed her to better express herself and rock those edgy fashions!

Veronica (FR Veronique Fresh & Delightful)

While on the subject...13 new models came into the house last year. In order of their arrival, they were: Veronica, Meagan, Natasha, Radiah (the last of my "holy grails), Morgan, Ingrid, Donyale, Jamal, Emanuela, Helen, Lynn, Joan and Zoe.

Meagan, (FR Dasha)

Natasha (Kyori Sato Belle du Soir 2006)

Radiah (Hard Rock Cafe Barbie)

Joan (FR Fashion Fantasies Isha-2017)

Donyale

Helen ( IT JWu doll-2009)

Morgan (FR Dania Zarr 2010)

Emmanuela (FR Natalia Fatale Queen of the Hive 2006)

Lynn (FR Adele Makeda-Paparazzi Darling 2013))

The very kind words you leave on my comment list are always appreciated. But know that I also learn from many of you with blogs. Thanks to our friend, Jaye, another blogger who inspired me to customize playline Ken dolls as a way of increasing the number of male doll options currently available. Jamal, a Ken Fashionista, went from well scrubbed scholastic to bad boy chic thanks to pencils, pastels and a photo of an old college boyfriend!

Zoe (FR Natalia Fatale Queen of the Hive)

Jamal (Ken Fashionista-2017)

And thank you, Phyllis for showing off that grandmother Barbie whose hair you flocked to create a chic, grey bob! Not only did the link to the tutorial you provided introduce me to flocking, the success you had with your doll inspired me to create a super short "Ellen" bob for one of mine. That's how the look for Zoe came about.


 Since I don't have tattoos myself, I would never have thought about tattooing a doll had it not been for BlackKitty who came up with the idea of using nail art on her FB page! And, Olla, at some point I would like to be able to crochet half as good you! (But first I have to learn how to do it!)

As much joy as the doll community brings, there is a certain level of sadness built in. Ours is an ethereal world. People come and go. Change of lifestyle, loss of interest or simply life getting in the way of doll play? Last year we lost our fellow blogger, Vanessa (Fashions Dolls at Van's Doll Treasures).

Vanessa's fashionably dressed Dasia.

I loved her dolls (Dasia, in particular) and her fashions which were incredibly well made. While my dolls are tall, svelte and super easy to dress, Dasha was "real people" and I loved how Vanessa made clothes both stylish and perfectly suited to her morphology. I will miss Vanessa and Dasha. But I also miss others who have stopped blogging for reasons unknown. Friends like Billa of Billa's Dolls & Fashions, Linda from Darkroom Dolls and Marta from All4Barbie.  Fortunately the world is big and doll lovers are everywhere. So while we miss our old friends, we are happy to meet and greet new ones (like my new friends from Poland, and points beyond)! 

Olympia (lower left) was my first FR (Monogram) doll. Soon more
Royals entered into my doll "kingdom."

Over the past five years, together we have made designer fashion and fancy handbags, belts and hats. We've spoiled our girls with furs, transformed their hair with hairpieces, and pampered them by redoing their makeup, bleaching out skin stains and untangling their matted hair. When I look around my room, nearly every doll is wearing big name designer wear--labels that have eluded my own wardrobe! So with all of this in the tank, where do we go from here? Simple... Fashion will always be around as long as there are designers making new clothes and sending models down catwalks, celebrities prancing across red carpets and....Fashion Doll Stylist keeping an eye on all of this to better help you to fulfill your fashion fantasies through the medium of dolls!

The first guys to enter my collection (FR Hommes) and Ken.

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Violetta, my one and only JamieShow (Demi Couture) doll. She's also the only BJD in the house!

All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2018. Please do not reproduce without prior permission. Thank you.

Ordinarily I don't collect My Scene dolls, but we rescued them from being thrown in the trash and over time they grew on me. They also let me practice my repainting and hairstyling skills on them!

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FOUR real!!!

Can you believe it!!??! Another year has passed and we're still here and still going strong! Straight away, I would like to thank all of you for your support, your kind words and for stopping by and visiting us. Without you, we wouldn't exist.

Four years ago I started out with an idea and a handful of Barbies (Model Muses & So-In-Style Barbies). Because I didn't want this blog to look as though I had ties to Mattel, I felt the need to bring other types of dolls into what has turned into a....collection! As a result, I now have four different families of fashion dolls numbering just over 100. About 83 of them are "working models" for this blog (though some more than others). In 2016, eleven new faces came into my flock of models, 9 females and 2 males; all Integrity Toys/Fashion Royalty except for one Barbie Top Model Nikki .

Over the past year, I've started cutting back on buying new dolls. I have a rich diversity of looks already, so unless I see one with a totally different look that excites me and corresponds to the look of modern models on today's catwalks, I feel it's not interesting to buy more. What I did last year, was to upgrade the bodies of certain dolls. I still want my Barbie Model Muses to have those bodies with "that perfect pose," but for my older Fashion Royalty dolls, I wanted better proportions and articulation for them. I did, by the way, upgrade 2 So-In-Style Barbies with "Poppy Parker" bodies.

I did a little bit of housekeeping here on FDS. I removed the "Tonner Doll Duels" interactive box because, as many of you know, the company no longer exists. On the blog list, I've removed sites that haven't been posting in over six months. (If your site was removed and you're reading this, not to worry. You're still on my "reading list" so as soon as I see a new post, I'll put it back up. If you have a doll blog not yet on my list, please let me know and I'll include it.) Now that I better understand how "tags" work, I plan to go back through all my posts since the beginning and make changes so that provide a more logical way to help you navigate this blog.

Yes, there were slightly fewer posts in 2016 than the year prior, however, many of the projects were quite involved and as a result, I made the tutorials longer with more detailed instructions along with a plethora of ideas.

Last year, I also included a number of "super simple" patterns--those with only one or two pieces--for those of you who are "sewing challenged" and want to whip up something with a minimum of effort. But I will continue to offer more sophisticated tutorials for those who want to explore more complex silhouettes.

But in looking over all my posts from last year, it was apparent that we focused on those elements that really make fashion: accessories, footwear and fabric.

We made heart shaped jewelry after the likes of something we saw at Tiffany's. We did timepieces both analog and Apple iWatch inspired. We explored the various ways one might customize boring Barbie accessories by covering them with leather, glitter or tiny fabric bows. And we made lots and lots of earrings! 

Then in the summer, we made straw hats to top off the dolls' beach fashion of braided T-shirts. And because there always seems to be a shortage of shoes in our doll harems....we felt it necessary to explore various types of footwear: espadrilles in the summer, stocking shoes for winter and couture footwear for all of those glorious occasions in between. 

Since most clothes are cut in simple lines, we know that fashion begins with fabric. So we had some fun with crystal polyester dresses, light as flaky pastry. We dipped both accessories and clothing in sparkling glitter, then distressed our cotton for a look that was all about Boho chic, last summer's hottest trend. 

And with everything we did last year, that nagging question prevails....what on earth will we do in the next 12 months to come!!??!

For starters we will continue to take you to the major catwalks of the world. as well as those very glamorous red carpet events in Hollywood.

You may have learned a lot here on my blog. But let me tell you, I myself, have learned a lot over the past four years, including better ways to do some things. So I will be revisiting a few of my early posts with updated or extended information. That includes my tutorial on working with leather or making men's trousers. I'll also be adding information on sleeves and collars as well as exploring more ideas on things you can do with trim. Working with fabric remains a concern with many of you. So we'll include a post on working with specialty materials like sequins and beaded fabrics. We'll also add a few more tutorials to enhance the wardrobe of our guy dolls. And if you, my dear readers, have ideas you'd like me to explore for you, don't hesitate to make suggestions.

By now you don't need me to tell you that fashion is a living, breathing entity constantly in the process of evolving. So as long as there are models prancing down catwalk, actresses posing for the camera at red carpet events....mannequins posed in window displays or on museum floors.....or simply people walking down the streets clad in something interesting....Fashion Doll Stylist will be there translating it all down to 1/6 scale for our dolls just for you. 

Coming up next: The girls present Paris Haute Couture: Spring 2017. (Hint: It was a very pretty season!!!)



All photos and text property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2017. Please do not reproduce without prior permission. Thank you.

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