Oscar Buzz 2019

It's that time a year again!!! After the Golden Globes, the girls are eager to strut their stuff while upstaging the celebrities. I will admit that I was rather disappointment with the red carpet this year. Many of the looks resembled.....a hodge-podge of prom dresses, "been-there-done-that" gowns and waves of silhouettes that were curious at best. But we did find a few standouts and we had fun with a couple others to bring you this edition of....Dolls' Eye View of the Oscars Red Carpet 2019!

We'll begin by congratulating Regina King for winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Personally, we love what we consider to be a classic in the world of draped couture gowns, this one designed by Oscar de la Renta. I wanted to put my own small spin on the one I made for Helen. So instead of using a traditional dressy fabric, I chose a crisp white, cotton muslin.

 I saw Angela Bassett step out of her limousine in a cloud of hot pink. Her dress, designed by Reem Acra, is a stand out, not only for its vibrant color but also for the design, which is essentially a large bow  billowing up from a column dress. Here's Lynn in the 1/6 version that began as a strapless sheath with a triangular train spilling out of the center back seam. I left out the slit over the leg because the dress doesn't need one. The volume floating over one shoulder is counter-balanced by the train.

I decided to take a closeup photo so that you can see how Lynn's dress replicates the Reem Acra dress around the shoulders. (It's hard to photograph in such a way where you can properly see how neckline wraps around the shoulders.) I must admit..my fabric was a bit stiff. (It was all I had on hand.) If you are tempted to try this dress, a pink organdy or a fabric with structure, would probably be easier to handle.

I chose this dress worn by Ashley Graham by Zac Posen because it is the classic go-to for old fashion Hollywood glamour! It's a strapless fishtail gown. Don't tell my girls, but I really don't care for fishtails. So I had to figure out a way to keep them happy but make it interesting for me to make. If you flare the dress out below the knees, the dress will be comical and not at all pretty. Besides, what I really find appealing is this skin tight silhouette that bursts into almost ruffles at the hemline. For Veronica, I began with a super slim, strapless sheath---all the way down to the ankle! On top of that skinny dress are quarter circles tacked on at the apex. Four are cut from the same fabric as the dress and four more are cut from a sheer, chiffon with ripped edges.

My girls were drooling over this Tom Ford dress worn by Jennifer Lopez. The problem with this dress is that while the pattern of the tiny mirror mosaics renders it spectacular, from afar, it looks more like silver sequins--which I imagined to be a bit boring. You could use auto adhesive rhinestones, but it would taken quite a while (not to mention money) to put it together. So, I decided not to make it. But one fine morning, Sonia came to me, dangling a piece of fabric with these silver paillettes. While it doesn't resemble the original--there is much more of a shag--it does reflect the spirit of the mirror dress and that was all Sonia wanted! This is a very basic, jersey stretch gown with sleeves. I cut off rows of silver paillettes, row by row and stitched it to the sheath.

On the subject of silver....Brie Larson was dressed in a very simple sequinned gown designed by Hedi Slimane (for Celine). The dress by itself is a rather simple. For Vanessa's version, I used a stretch silver lame and left the side seam open as opposed to using princess seaming. Even though there's lots of sparkle, the dress alone still needs accessories. I piled on lots of bracelets and added a fancy chain necklace.

I had thought to make spats out of the same fabric which seemed like a good idea at first. But after I got them on Vanessa, I discovered I ended up with a more "sporty" look.

When I'm looking for dresses to replicate, I look for those with interesting details. There was something really sleek and modern yet so feminine the Elie Saab dress worn by Nadine Labaki. Again, I have relied on 2-way stretch jersey knit to bring to life this look for Dorian. Essentially, this is a one-armed top and a pencil thin skirt. The cluster of ruffles over one shoulder really makes this look a stand-out.

Again, it's hard to see how the top wraps around Dorian's shoulders so I've included this top view.

It's not that this is so extraordinary, but we couldn't resist such a feminine look of this red dress worn by British born producer, Lynette Howell-Taylor. It's like a big slip dress but made with tulle. For our girl, Violetta, the top was fashioned as a piece of lingerie over a circle skirt of tulle and silk.

My girls do not favor the notion of dude dolls upstaging them in a ballgown. But they had to admit, Billy Porter clad in Christian Siriano's "tuxedo gown" was both spectacular and a spectacle!

Looking for more fashion? Fashion Month is just ahead!

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Oscar Buzz '18

Understandably, the Oscars red carpet remains a favorite event among my girls. The glitter the glamour and the prospect of parading around in some of the most gorgeous gowns...what more could a girl (and guy) want?!! Our takeaway from looking at the red carpet this time around: there is a more relaxed approached to eveningwear. A return to elegance is what we've noticed.

We saw this dress by Giambattista Valli--worn by Zendeya--during the Spring/Summer '18 edition of Paris Couture week. We felt the original dress was absolutely sumptuous. The only thing is that there is so much fabric, it can overcome a doll's body rather quickly. For that reason, I decided to show a flash of leg for the 1/6 replica. This version. worn by China. was made as a two piece dress. The top is simply a slightly oversized smocked top with one sleeve, worn over a gathered skirt. Each piece is gathered into a ribbon which helps keep the dress slim around the waist.

It is rare to see a stand-out outfit amongst the men in attendance. So when I saw Olympic figure skater, Adam Rippon in this very unusual tuxedo, it caught my eye. Yes, it was quite controversial--some even calling it S&M, bondage.... And as I was busy making the harness, it even had a sinister military air to it. But at the end of the day, it was an intriguing outfit that I had a fun time putting together. And Sean, pictured here, was pretty happy to get a red carpet outfit!

Here's another example of a look that conjured many emotions. When Taraji P. Henderson walked onto the red carpet, this instantly caught my attention. Very daring, it really doesn't reveal  as much flesh as one would think. Vera Wang used a lot of flesh tone fabric underneath the sheer black to give the impression of nudity. Again, I did this dress in two parts. The skirt is a no-brainer, but the top gave me a bit of a challenge because of the differences in body shapes. Taraji is nice and curvy while Janice is skinny with a tiny bustline! After struggling with the bodice, I finally settled on cutting the top in a single piece (suspended from a wire necklace and sewn into a ribbon waistband) and slitting it up the center!

It's all about illusion! When replicating a look, what is important is to find a 1/6 solution that resembles the finished full figure dress. Gal Godet's dress by Maison Givenchy, is an art deco maze of sequins and beads. The temptation is to replicate it using the same fabric. However, for the Veronica's dress, I used a dark silver stretch lame. Over the top I used a little iron on rhinestones, but for the "sequinned fringe" I slashed strips of the same lame into fringe and stitched four rows onto the basic slip dress.

There were a few of these super simple gowns on the red carpet, like the Gabriela Hearst gown worn by actress Danai Guirira. The secret to making such a simple gown, extraordinary lies in the choice of fabric! The pattern is simple: a strapless sheath with a train gathered into the back. The fabric is sheer luxury: peach silk satin. Grace, our model, also suggests the addition of "regal" accessories: white opera length gloves and lots of pearls!!!

 Mary J. Blige certainly has added a special touch to the red carpet this season. Again, this Versace dress is something we see as easy elegance. Easy to wear, easier to make! I started out with silver stretch lame (minidress) over which I wrapped a white sarong skirt. The small epaulets are pleated silk stitched to the neckline.

Sandra Bullock's dress by Louis Vuitton is one of those dresses that looked so comfortable, so glamorous....like gold poured over a simple black Grecian gown. Of course, the look relies on this particular fabric. I didn't have that fabric, but I did have black jersey and the materials to do a little foiling! This is actually a simple tent dress pattern I pulled up to one side and pinned!

I almost didn't replicate Chadwick Boseman's Givenchy suit, worn here by Jamal. But the doll begged me and pointed out how I've been neglecting the Ken dolls in the house. And so....with the film "Black Panther" so much in the headlines, I couldn't say no to making him such a regal suit. All three pieces are basics: shirt, pants and straight coat. I've simply added silver embroidered trim around the shoulders.

Hubert de Givenchy (1982) Photo: Luc Castel. Captured from http://magazine.bellesdemeures.com

We're in the midst of Fashion Month. Our girls are busy on the ground in Milan and Paris. However, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of a fashion giant. Mr. Hubert de GIVENCHY passed away Sunday. For those of you who don't know him.....he was the Haute Couturier who dressed Audrey Hepburn in many of her films, most notably: "Breakfast at Tiffany's" as well as Jackie Kennedy, Princess Grace Kelly and many others. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Givenchy on several occasions in Paris. I wrote numerous articles on him and his fashions and worked in collaboration with him for a couple of school projects. Coming soon, I will make a special tribute to the man and his beautiful body of work.

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Oscar Buzz '17

Well...it's that time of year again when all eyes turn towards the Academy Awards' red carpet. And this time around didn't disappoint. Like I said for the Paris Couture report....as those trends go, so do the dresses on the red carpet! In fact, the Chanel gown we featured in our last report resurfaced on actress, Sofia Boutella!

But if this version looks a little different than the one in my dolly Couture report looks slightly different it's because in the first gown was cut from a dark silver lame to which I added a light silver glitter, trimmed in a white, long-haired faux fur. I was pretty happy with the result, but felt the styling could be improved. So I replaced the fluffy tail and replaced it with rows of shimmering silver fringe.


Paris Haute Couture Spring '17: Chanel. (left to right) Original dress, 1st doll version, final do-over

Then I tossed a silver leather jacket over Waris' shoulders and wrapped her with lots silvery jewelry. I was not going to undo this revised edition, so I made a second version, this time using silver metallic leather and the fluffy trim that I had removed from the first dress!

I had quite a selection of looks to chose from this year. The limiting factors were time constraints and fabric. I would love to have done that exquisite gold and white beaded Givenchy gown worn by Emma Stone. But since the look is all about the beads, I had to pass. One gown I immediately said was impossible...the Elie Saab worn by actress Janelle Monae..I ended up making. I love Ms. Monae's choices of red carpet dresses. She's a real risk taker who loves to experiment with her look! As usual, translating something this complicated all boils down to closely studying the design and breaking it down to its most essential basics.

What convinced me to make this gown was the printed fabric---taken from an old blouse I cut up. What is important in translating this kind of "complicated" look is to give an overall summary and not get bogged down with the intricate details of the original which is covered with beaded embroideries of birds and tiny feathers!  For Tamron's version, the top is a basic bodice to which I have sewn on bird silhouettes I rough cut from scraps of silver lame. I added beads around the armholes and neckline.

The skirt is printed fabric where I have enhanced the horizontal strips with rows of beads in the front. And for the bustles-- my sparkle tulle came to the rescue! Gathered and added to either side and back of the skirt and lined with a layer of polyester taffeta (which explains how it holds its shape)!. Here, I've sewn it directly to the waistband, but as soon as I undress Tamron, I'll remove it and stitch it to a ribbon so that it can be removed. Like that the dress is more versatile! I added some more cut out birds to the bustles. (You can tack them with a few stitches which is what I did on the bodice or simply glue them in place on the tulle, which is what I did with the bustle!)

Karlie Kloss in Stella McCartney's white gown also caught my eye for the pureness of its sheer simplicity.
For the dress, I used a 2-way stretch rayon jersey and made a pattern right on her body. There are only two side seams. The left shoulder is left open so that the doll can get in and out of the dress. For the cape, it is the standard pattern as outlined in our tutorial (click HERE) except that on the back, only one side of the back includes the rounded shoulder while on the opposite side, the pattern takes on the natural shoulder line of the bodice. On the doll's left side, I dropped a straight line from the neck-shoulder point to the hem. (This is attached to the shoulder seam on the back of the dress. The front dress shoulder seam folds over this and is closed shut with hook and eyes. In the front of the cape, the curve of one shoulder is there but I dropped a straight line from the side of the neck to the hem for an abbreviated cape effect. It is fully lined in a polyester that perfectly matches the jersey.

On one side there is a "cape" while on the other an elegant train.

It trails in the back like a train from the exposed shoulder. The front of the dress closes over at the shoulder line and is held in place with the help of 2 hook and eyes.

This is a dress I probably wouldn't have given a second glance. This is Louise Roe in Pronovias...a brand I don't know. This was simply a "I-Can-Do-It-Better" challenge. The dress has so much potential but is undermined by its length and lack of accessories. Given the Oscars is a formal affair, I question the choice of the hemline. Simply by extending the hem to the grown, the dress is more stunning. Moreover, the actress could take a few tips from our model Samantha whose hair has more volume. And nothing glams up a look than a big fluffy feather boa!!!

The Dior dress worn by actress Kirsten Dunst was irresistible. It's quite simple but spectacular. It's the kind of look my dolls will be fighting to wear for the end-of-year holidays! The original dress calls for some degree of gathers in the front and back. But in my first glance, I saw a beautiful off the shoulder princess line dress. In reality, Yvette's Dolly Dior would be more easily worn by most (human) women because it more gently falls over the body without injecting the kind of bulk bring to a garment. So for our version, I used the classic princess line pattern, but redesigned the neckline to be strapless. Worth noting...there is a waist length strapless foundation underneath. Essentially, it is sheer, strapless bodice which helps hold the dress to the body of the doll. Also, the hem is slightly asymmetrical, hiked up just enough to reveal the foot.

We could not do this report without including the Armani Prive dress worn by Oscar winner (for Best Supporting Actress), Viola Davis. This started out with a basic sheath dress where the dress is suspended from a strap around the neck. Of course, I flared out the sides, then added a train. A long piece of fabric was gathered at both ends. One end is tacked in place behind the neck strap. It drapes down over the shoulders, around the back and the opposite end comes back up and is stitched behind the neck strap. I cheated a little by securing the folds with a few hidden stitches there at the neck as well as where this drapes around the arms! I used an inexpensive fabric, but as soon as I can get my hands on a lovely piece of silk jersey, I will be making this dress again!

Well....while we've been dancing during Carnival and taking in all the festivities in Hollywood, the fashion capitals of the world have been busy hosting the Fall Winter Ready-to-Wear fashion collections. Our girls have been on the ground collecting information on all the hottest looks they plan to wear in six months. We'll begin our coverage shortly!

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Dolly OSCARS Red Carpet 2016

My girls had a VERY good time on the red carpet of the 58th Academy Awards in Hollywood. "Something for everyone" was their general impression. I'm finally coming to terms with the notion that couture as I once knew it, is a thing of the past....at least for the moment. The reality of our current times dictates a type of red carpet fashion that is simple in silhouette. The best of these "simple" looks are those rich in details.

Our favorite was the pant/dress combo worn by Lady Gaga, designed by Brandon Maxwell. We loved it for its originality and its old school glamour. There were certain modifications I was forced to make due to the scale of the doll. I used a wool crepe which afforded me the kind of weight I wanted for the drape. The fabric was a bit bulky, but it afforded the kind of drape and smooth rolls I was looking for. Due to the problem of bulk, I recreated this look in three parts: top, pants and over-skirt. For the top, I was able to drape a neckline which came close to the original, however, it involved too much fabric around the top to give me satisfactory results. Finally after fighting with it, I decided to simplify. It is a bodice with the top that rolls forward and is stitched down underneath. The pants are pretty straight forward. The skirt was an accident. I had cut a circle skirt out of this fabric for another look then realized it didn't work for the look. On the other had, with a few adjustments, I was not only able to make it work for this one, but discovered that it had just the right amount of body to hand softly in a sumptuous way. Lesson learned here...what counts is that the finished results strongly resemble the original design.

I had not planned to do this gown because I did not have the right materials. But someone on Twitter begged me to find some way to recreate this look. So.....instead of the silk for the body of the dress and the feathers and rhinestones for the "butterfly" embellishments, I used a sheer white muslin for the body and I cut up bits of sheer polyester curtain fabric which I then frayed the edges in place of the feathers and glitter glue and a few rhinestone stickers for the butterflies. Those bits are then folded into tiny quarters then stitched, one by one onto the dress. The dress itself uses the basic princess line pattern. As I began to stitch on the embellishments, I was very happy with the results.

This dress immediately caught my eye. I love the asymmetrical detailing around the shoulders. Realization was quite simple as this begins with a strapless sheath dress. Afterwards, I pleated a bit of silk then draped it over the arm and bodice. That extra piece is stitched down onto the dress in the front and back but left to flow freely from the waist. So it is in effect, a slim dress with a sash! I sewed on small beads over one side of the bust. (Though if I had black sparkles on hand, I would have used that instead because it resembles more the original dress). I also made a beaded belt which closes in the back. I had made her beaded trimmed gloves a few years back. You'll notice I painted her hands to resemble gloves with fingers as shown in this post.

I'm not so sure I would want to wear this for myself, but as soon as I saw Kerry Washington's outfit, I knew it would be simple to make and Carol, one of my S.I.S. Barbies was only too happy to pose in this. This is quite simply a one-piece leather corset with straps added to the top and bottom. (The leather came from an old belt I cut up.) The skirt is simply a piece of silk wrapped around her hips in sarong fashion.

The girls were very attracted to the amethyst color of Tina Fey's Versace gown. I liked it for the way it was draped around the body. Unfortunately, I didn't have any of the fine silk used for the original, but I did have a polyester substitute in the same color. This dress begins with a foundation cut from the same material and is realized by draping and tacking in place the folds over the body in a technique previously explained here.

 I love the look of what some call "technical" fabrics. While I didn't have the exact material, I used two layers of polyester organza (sometimes called "crystal polyester") tacked to a foundation underneath to simulate the look.

I chose this dress for the color and simplicity of the style. This dress consists of a narrow, fitted, halter neck dress suspended from a ribbon (which ties in the back). My fabric is not the silk charmeuse used in the original. It's thicker. I cut this on the bias, but still needed side bust darts to pull closer to the body. Essentially this is a slim dress that I have added  a wedge into the back seam as a train.

My last dress--another simple, yet dramatic dress. For the dolly version, I made this in two pieces: the basic sheath dress with a one-shouldered caplet draped over one shoulder. There was also a Calvin Klein sequin dress which at first glance--appeared to be fairly mundane. What made that dress a small wonder was the gradation of fish scale color sequins arranged in scallop formation from the hips to the ankles. Again an example of the expression...."the devil is in the details!"


We now return you to our regular broadcasting.....up next....Doll's Eye View of the Fall/Winter 2016 Trends from Milan.


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