Dolls Eye View: Milan Fall/Winter 19 Trends

Milan! How my girls love you! Again, there are still some wild and crazy things on the catwalk, but it seems, the Milan we once knew and love is making its comeback. Lots of tailored jackets, head-to-toe coordinated ensembles and some very pretty dresses sums up what we found in the Italian fashion capital. Let's get straight to the point. If you can only make one thing for your doll next fall, plan to make a jacket! And the fabrics you should put at the top of your priority list: plaids, tiny checks, herringbone and tweeds. Hint: head for the menswear fabrics!

The Jacket

The best way to wear a jacket---long, lean and slipped over the shoulders of a sweet, short mini dress. Silhouettes here are simple with sharp shoulders. The garments underneath are girly and flirty.

We love contrast of this look. A chic leather blazer combined with a tender girly girl peach satin tent dress. The original garment features a white shirt under her leather jacket. I dolled up Billie's outfit with a white satin scarf and a long rope of pearls.

Coat Check

Outerwear becomes an integral part of the over all ensemble. A coat or cape with matching trousers or even with matching fabric boots. This is called dressing from top to toe....a look that is timelessly chic. Everything is in the color of the winter skies...shades of gray to midnight blue. 

Liu was attracted to this coat with deep cut front and a hardware belt. I've seen this type of coat before and always thought it was curious how it exposed so much of the shoulders and bust. But dolls don't have to worry about that, so I made this version out of a menswear, pinstripe lightweight wool. It has matching straight legged trousers. And because this is for Fall/Winter season, Liu wears it with a funnel collar sweater..though for fancy evenings, this would also look wonderful with a black lace top!

Urban Nomad

Faux fur, fleece or shaggy knit...we're on an excursion at the tundra with these cold weather looks. If any of you knit, the first two are for you. My girls love the monochromatic look of a shaggy sweater coat over a silk dress or plaid jumpsuit. This tone-on-tone, top-to toe-looks is a reoccurring trend for next winter.

Tiah shows off her best polar vortex set.... a white chunky tweed jacket and matching shorts with a fur boa tossed around the shoulders and held in place with a beige fanny pack! Her boots are made from the same fabric as her shorts suit.

Blizzard

Pure white as the driven snow..a trend we first spotted in New York..has made it over the Atlantic in grand style. Coats over jackets, jackets over trousers... this is a story of layered, Frosty the Snow Dolly, complete with jacket, pants and overcoat. White on white as a "total look" is on point for next winter. Note how pants have grown in volume as have the shoulders of the jackets!

Plaid Your Case

Men's into womenswear...this theme plays with fabrics typically found in monsieur's closet: plaids, checks, tweeds and all variations in between. And yes, there is the traditional tailored jacket over skirts or pants, but you can have fun and use these patterned wools into unexpected softly draped silhouettes.

For Angelina, we compromised. Her look starts with a fitted, shawl collar blazer in plaid over a herringbone mini skirt. I've fringed the hems of both to add a soft, feminine edge and added a white lace scarf to feminize the overall look. Then over this suit is a great, big, swashbuckling shawl tossed over the shoulders. And yes, that is a smart watch on her wrist!

Thick and Thin

If you look closely, you will see a departure from some of the past trends. Silhouettes have grown wider, looser and longer. Pants are decisively wide and long...sometimes with raised waists. Be careful not to go so wide, the garment swallows your doll. (Make your pattern a little more narrow than what you see.) So even though there are wide elements, the look should still come off as long.

The trick is, however, to keep the doll from being swallowed by her outfit. And you do this by respecting the scale of the doll in relation to the fabric you choose. I love the big, comfortable shapes of this Agora pants ensemble. That everything is kept in a soft, pearl grey tone, the model is not overwhelmed. But I was concerned this might not translate well for Carla, a Barbie Model Muse (with the original body). So instead of using the plush fabric of Carla's coat all over, I cut the straight loose top and straight legged pants out of silk in the same color. The result is "wide" for the doll, but still "slim" enough to pull off for her scale. By the way, her straight legged trousers are 1" (2cm) wide seam to seam.

Clubbing

Dance, dance, dance!!! These are hot party dresses that are pretty classic...starting with the strapless sheath to a 1950's corset and tulle skirt as well as everything in between. The girls like slippery, shiny fabrics that shimmy and twirl.

For Natalia, who was looking for a modern day princess look, this two-piece dancing dress consists of a corset--lace and ribbon on tulle worn over a full tulle skirt marked with a red satin belt.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have Samantha who loves the edgy look of leather. But instead of biker babe, we dressed this strapless sheath up by adding a belt that wraps into a bow, long leather gloves and a frilly shawl to toss over her shoulders in the wee hours of the morning. We both love this dress because it can be dressed up or down, paired with soft or hard fabric accessories, worn strappy pumps or knee high leather boots. 

Twilight Hour

And then there is that one thing that sets the Italians apart from all the other capitals.....their ability to make a doll look drop dead gorgeous. For Fall, all is fair in love and war....from velvet and lace to satin and sequins. We love the lace but could not resist making a 1/6 version of Alberta Feretti's black paillette dress.

I only had time to make one dress, ladies!!!! Sophia models the one we all loved. It's an evening length slip dress covered with rows of paillettes separated with sequins and dotted with few beads and a whisp of tulle. Ciao Bella!!!

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Next and last stop on the fashion month train: Paris! See you there!!!!

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Dolls' Eye View: MIlan Spring Trends '19

FINALLY!!!! Beautiful, elegant, pretty clothes to wear! Italy is where my girls found happiness.... Oh yes, like New York and London, there was a circus here, but there were also lots of gorgeous dresses that appealed to all my vinyl fashionistas from the youngest of Barbies to my most sophisticated Fashion Royalty divas. These are pretty little fashions that make a big splash for Spring Summer. Clothes that are both flattering as well as a pleasure to wear!

Baby Love

Itty-bitty, frilly, girly Barbie doll dresses..a flashback to the early 1960's!!! These are dainty little frocks cut in silhouettes that float over the figure, sometimes playing peak-a-boo from under layers of filmy, transparent fabrics. Making a big statement---tent dresses cut in super short lengths.

Kimora was right there at the front of the line when she say me cutting out this dress. This is three layers of micro pleated chiffon--two asymmetrical, tents over a mini-shift dress. The original dress has lacy short-shorts underneath. We loved the lace but decided to bring it front and center on layers two and three.

Art Atelier

This group brought back memories from the 1980's when European designers produced clothes that were both wearable and fun! The silhouettes are pretty simple. It's the topical design that gives it the edge. We thought it was really rather fun to start with a "blank canvas,"a white garment in this case and then make bold squiggles to produce a 3-D garment that looks all together like a 2-D sketch brought alive!

Culture of Coats

Whether a true piece of outerwear or a dress that resembles one....the coat and coat dress both make a grand entrance for early spring. The silhouettes are pretty simple. (Our basic coat pattern works for producing most of these looks.) Have fun with the fabric.

Chocolate Caramel Frappuccino

When I think of brown, I think of autumn. But these milk chocolate, toffee, caramel tones, these looks become a delicious alternative to the usual Easter bonbon colors. And yes, the color is the main theme here, whether we're talking about corset dresses or sarongs--leather or chiffon. 

I'm not sure why Ermanno Scervino put thigh high boots on a cool and classy summer chiffon dress. Estelle opted for high heel pumps instead. Her dress started with a strapless foundation, over which I added ripped strips of mocha chiffon to the top and four layers of ruffled ripped chiffon to the waist. The ripped edges almost resembles feathers!

Bea reminded me there are still lots of Barbies in the house and I must continue to dress them as well. I did love the toffee toned leather dresses featured in the group, but unfortunately I wasn't able to get my hands on the right color in time to complete this post. So.....I experimented with a technique "DIY transform fabric into leather." You paint layers of acrylic on fabric to simulate a leather look. Honestly, it really doesn't look like any leather or faux leather I've ever seen. But for the purposes of this post...it's not bad. After the girls are finished with their Paris report, I'll show you how it's done!

Spring Neutrality

For spring we can see any of these looks strolling downtown. The silhouettes are pretty classic, but what makes this group appealing are the tender, neutral color palette. Noteworthy here...skirts in longer (more graceful) lengths! While you are out buying fabric....choose those with a soft touch or..with a sheen!

Fringe Benefits

We LOVE dresses that shimmy, shake, rock & roll! There is all sorts of fun things happening here from the Tod's leather coat dress quivering with tiny fringe to Byblos long, shaggy party dresses to Moschino's "pins and needles" gown.. The message here....stay on the move and have fun doing it!

Anna--my very edgy FR Kyori doll-- could not resist! When we inspected the Moschino gown up close, we noticed the fringe was, in fact, rows of needles! Well, there are no 1/6 scale dolly needles that I know of, so we used.....staples! Anna's dress started out as a basic sheath. I cut small strips the overall parameter of the dress and started stapling! I recorded the steps as I progress and will share it with you very soon!

Brunch at Tiffany's

Reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn's and the iconic fashions of her early 1960s films, this group has all of the elegance of fashion past. What the girls like best: one-shouldered wonders in black and neutrals, bubble dresses and free flowing tents with deep flounces. This is pretty woman in all the right places.

Elegant, classy, this is right up Dorian's alley! I made this dress in two parts for her out of black crepe. The top is a simple one-shouldered top with a small sash added at the shoulder. The skirt is a slightly high waist pencil skirt.

Sex & the Single Girl

The girls really love these looks because they are sexy enough to turn heads, but classy enough to be taken seriously. Important here: body skimming silhouettes, both long and short, figure fitting jerseys and fabrics like satin and leather with plenty of sheen.

I surprised myself as to how easy it was to make this dress for Radiah. This is a simple stretch jersey dress with sleeves with a super deep front neckline and a bra top of the same fabric worn underneath.
How did I make spaghetti straps---I used embroidery yarn!

Tutti Frutti

Here's a novel idea. Instead of the traditional black eveningwear, why not opt for something juicy and bright. Whether its frilly little dresses in tea length and formal or satin pajamas...the news here is color in bright, sweet tones like cherry, grape, watermelon.

The girls aren't finished yet. There's one more fashion capital to explore. Last stop...PARIS!

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Dolls' Eye View: Milan Fall/Winter '18 Trends

L'Italia è bellissima!! After the shows in NY and London, the girls were really happy to get to Milan where they were able to bask in the classic sophistication of knits, leather and old school glamour.

Animal Kingdom

From what we've already seen in NY and the UK, it's safe to say, animal prints are a big thing for next fall. Here in Italy, this trend is spelled out in a number of different ways. It can be worn as simply as a spotted jacket over a pair of jeans, or a top to toe "total look" employing a variety of different patterns (spots or stripes) or even scales of patterns teamed together in the same garment.

With this look, "more is better." Maybe neither you nor I can get away with wearing this much animal print, but our divas have the figures and the attitude to pull it off! The key to this look lies in the mix of two different fabrics with different scales of leopard spots. I already had the fabric for the top and pants, but needed a second knit for the skirt and handbag. With no fabric store around, I headed to the beauty supply store where I found a small turban with just enough fabric! The skirt has leather straps that attach to the waistband and drop down the sides of the skirt. The handbag is from the tutorial you can find by going HERE.

Fur Babies

This theme is about fur trim in a great big, old Hollywood sort of way. Any coat will suffice. It's all about simply adding a boa to pump up the look!

Dovima wears a straight grey wool coat. I made the boa by sewing together a few scraps of rabbit fur taken from the cuff of an old glove. The rabbit fur adapts to the scale of the doll, but scraps of faux fur can be used as well.

We had a LOT of fun here. Kate immediately grabbed a light grey "bathrobe" style wool coat already hanging in the closet. We had some striped faux fur on hand. It is fluffier than the rabbit hair and even though we tried to cut a narrow strip of it, the result still makes for a voluptuous allure. But still, my girls simply LOVED this 1930's glamorous Hollywood movie star look. I expect they will be getting into my stash of faux fur for some time to come!

Skin Flicks

This is the third variation of the animal kingdom trend. This time we're talking abuot garments made from leather and embossed animal patterns (scales). Even if you don't want to go the way of leather, you can still create the look using substitutes: pleather or faux leather, felt or vinyl squares embossed with snakeskin scales (carried by many craft stores). And if you are particularly motivated....you can create your own fabric by hand painting (or foiling) scales with metallic paint to create a sensational evening look like the one by Antonio Barard pictured above.

Coat Check

The cut of these coats are simple. It's all about the fabric! The choice of fabric is behind all of the sensational looks here...be it shiny vinyl, butter soft leather, cushy wool or very regal brocade.

If I had access to a wonderful brocade, I would have made a dolly version of the golden Albino Teodoro coat. Carmela reminded me, however, we already had a vinyl coat in the closet. This is a classic look that never goes out of style and can be worn over everything!

That Shirtwaist Dress

The shirtwaist dress is one of my all time favorites. It is both comfortable and stylish and can be worn in nearly all situations. Making this is very simple....it is an elongation of the oversized shirt pattern and can be cut from any fabric. But what's new here.....these dresses are cut from leather!

I used a lightweight leather for Brie's dress and the pattern for the oversized shirt which I lengthened into a dress. Her matching handbag was made from the tutorial found HERE.

Bar Code

Like most other seasons, there is a dominant presence of black and black/white looks running throughout the collections. All black can be rendered more interesting by using different materials in the same look, by raking in stripes of white, or by using contrasting accessories. Again, silhouettes are basic, skirt lengths tend to be long...dropping below the knee.

A simple leather car coat, a pair of stretch pants, a T-shirt with a face and Tamron is ready to hit the road!

Pinot Grigio

Like Italy's favorite white wine, this group is light, crisp and easy to digest. It's almost like cleansing the palette between the animal prints, the hot colors and the density of all black fashion.

Grey Scale

In between black and white there is grey. But unlike grey skies, these looks are glamorous! As with most other looks on this page, note the style trends: longer hemlines, looser silhouettes, shorter dresses worn with pencil thin pants.

Soft

Soft is a state of mind here....soft colors....soft,cuddly fabrics....soft in the way the garment fits and gracefully drapes over the body. Think about big, loose, jersey jackets over sweaters and wide trousers. A-line dresses under softly flared coats, or even ponchos belted over narrow pants.

This is Joan in a cream white 2-piece dress version of the Agona outfit. I started with a basic jewel-neck cashmere sweater knit dress over which a waist-length stole from the same fabric wraps over the bodice and snaps in the back. The back story-- Initially I made a capelet instead of the stole. When I finished, Joan resembled one of the nuns from my childhood Catholic school. It was NOT the look I was going for. At first I thought my choice of fabric had impacted the final look. So I stopped to analyze the style and what had attracted me to it. It was the tight square piece that drew the arms close to the body and cut across the shoulders in a horizontal line. I replace the cape with a stole that cradled the shoulders. After taking another close look at the original photo, I discovered the dress was actually designed with a stole and not a capelet! The cashmere, by the way, came from an old moth-eaten skirt belonging to my beloved mother. 

Late Bloomers

Atypical of winter fashion..... hybrid flowers blooming out of season. A necessary element to Italian style--femininity is sculpted in bloom of ruffles.

Getting the look is as simple as using two strips of decorative trim: one that fits over the bodice and the other gathered into a pretty ruffled skirt.

Very Berry

Another a color story with easy to wear styles. While shopping for fabrics, feast on tones of blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and strawberry.

South of the Border

Ole, ole!!! Hot spicy colors, flared silhouettes that swing and swirl around the legs...this is one of the most festive (and colorful trends we've seen in a long time. We loved the wild Pucci prints, the circle skirts with the big patch pockets and even the knit dress in curried tones edged with lots of fringe.

This can be any wild and wonderful print of any fabric. The important thing about Cathy's look is the circle skirt (with patch pockets) cut from a festive print and worn with a simple sweater or top.

After Hours Around the Duomo di Milano

The latest (Italian) version of the late night, go-everywhere black dress where the details and the accessories make the difference!

We LOVED Versace's version of La Dolce Vita (1960) starring the glamorous Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimee. While I didn't do a line for line version, I did something similar and little bit sexier. The original dress is looser (the fabric fall down from one side of the neck and is caught in the center back seam) and it has a hoodie built in. I used a sweater knit for Sybille's version and added fullness to one side of the dress which is then shirred into the side seam. Sybille's dress has a funnel neckline. Thinking back of the movie stars from the 1960's (Gina Lollobrigida, Sopia Loren comes to mind), I simply wrapped Sybille's head with a jersey scarf and slid on a pair of over-sized sunglasses (borrowed from my 16" Tonners).

I normally wouldn't do something this simple, but since it was Versace.... and this doll begged me.....Katoucha's dress is made of a double layer of polyester organza drawn into the waist with a fancy belt. It's one of those basic looks that rely on the choice of fabric, a look that you can dress up with lots of jewelry or quietly slide under a fancy coat or jacket.

Easter's right around the corner. The girls already have a drawer full of hats thanks to previous posts.

In My Easter Bonnet, 

Belle du Jour,

Easy Straw Hats

Heart-FELT Desires

Joan's Agona dress has the kind of deep Southern style you'd most likely see in attendance at many Pascal celebrations. The only thing needed was a hat. So I made a small beret with a cluster of fabric scraps. The perfect way to top off Joan's holiday outfit! Happy Easter to you all!!

But wait, there's more! We'll see you next in Paris for the last of Fashion Month!!!

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