The Art of Redressing
I look at this process as an art form. Others may not but I do. One of the many meanings of the word “redressing” is to set right; remedy or rectify. However you view it, most of us at some point as collectors participate in it…the redress. The sometimes exhaustive process of finding the perfect dress for the perfect doll gives me mental hives at times. I have some definite preferences when it comes to redressing, displaying and photographing a doll. I may get a doll in and while I love the face, the dress does not speak to me…as in the case of my latest acquisition Principessa. It is not that I think the dress is bad. I just didn’t feel it on this doll. Many times the disappointment with a fashion is tempered when I see it displayed on another doll. This happened to me just last night when I saw the Principessa wedding gown displayed, slightly altered, on a different doll. The dress had a whole new life for me.
These next two photos are from the collector and photographer Julia Castro Fuentes whose photos I have followed for years. I love her eye for color, lighting and styling in her doll photography. She has an enviable collection and an even more enviable talent behind the lens. To see more of her fantastic work, feel free to visit her Flickr photostream at https://www.flickr.com/photos/castrojulia/. The two photos below are under Julia’s copyright and are being used on ITFDS with her permission.
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
© Julia Castro Fuentes Photography
I realized when looking at Julia’s photos, that this dress had a whole lot of potential. I also realized…it looked WAY better on a brunette..in my opinion. With that revelation in mind, I searched the doll room for a better model for this dress.
And…the sunny window setup. Many times one of my kids holds the reflector for me ( a job that they crankily do for their dear old Mom) but, I also find an extra music stand works really well too. My trusty tripod is never far but many of the shots in this set were free handed…that lovely sunshine makes things easier with that. I used a Canon Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens with these shots.
-Rebecca
Redressed Principessa
I am happy to have received this one and shared some much needed photographs. I love the fact that when Mattel fails to come through with information or images, the collector community steps forward and supplies what it can. Case in point, it looks like those of us who have received this doll first, are posting photos for those who are hungry for more information. Kudo’s to the collector community for “marketing” this doll.
For those of you interested in what this lady looks like redressed and what is happening under that veil…here you go.
Model: Principessa™ Barbie®
dress: Bogue’s Vogues
The braid is not too bad. I am not real happy with how it is left on the side of her face without being tucked in somewhere. I wish it went all the way over and under the other side. That would have been a cleaner look in my opinion. As it stands though it is not horrific…just could be better. You can tuck the little end of the braid into the surrounding hair but you will still see the bulky rubber band that secures the braid at the end. Solution….photograph from the left….or..you could just do away with the braid all together. I think I might do that at some point in the future. For today, however, I just put on my big girl pants and dealt with it.
I thought the hairstyle of this one was perfect for a 1950’s shirtwaist from Mr Bogue. I put holes in her ears ( nope..she does not come with predrilled holes) and inserted some pearl studs. Now she looks finished.
Principessa Bride Silkstone Is In The House!
I really don’t know what is going on with Mattel marketing this year. I have never received a doll before the promotional photos are out. I wonder if this will be the norm to follow. Anywhoo…my fabulous dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls emailed me and said she had this beauty in and I jumped at the chance to get her.
Normally, I put a link in my blog post to Barbiecollector. Since Mattel doesn’t even have a promo shot out on this one yet let alone a way to purchase this beauty…no link to you Mattel. I will link to my dealer instead.
She comes with a little bouquet, a small prayer book and white slingback pumps. She has a little tiara veil and short gloves. One notable omission….no earrings or jewelry of any kind. What bride goes to her wedding without some bling? Just my humble comment but geez guys…you would think over $100 bucks would give you at least a pair of pearl earrings. Just sayin’. I plan on adding my own.
Here face is really pretty. I wasn’t really sure about the glitter at first but I must admit…it is kind of growing on me. I think it will work really well for redressing. And…redressing will be happening here. The dress, while cute, is just not working for me.
The hair is different on this one too. She has a braid under the veil…
The braid is just kind of left there on the right side of her face…not tucked in or anything. I will have to do something with that when I redress. I will go into that in a future post. After deboxing her, the appeal of this one is increasing. She really is quite pretty.
Then I pulled out the big camera and liked her even more 
Pastel Fiorella
I just had to rip those black bows off. I adore the face paint on this one but the black bows, dress and knee socks had to go to another doll.
Model: Fiorella™ Barbie® Doll
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Hat: by the fabulous Judy O of Aponi Designs
Presenting at the Oscars
I love watching the Oscars. Well…mostly I just like watching the red carpet and posting my picks and pans after. Last year I had a lot of fun and success with my “Getting ready for the Oscars” photo. See all the information about this photo here.
Mattel had just released this new wardrobe piece and I was anxious to use it. In my head, Barbie was getting ready to go to the Oscars as a possible recipient. Because she was one of the contenders for the gold statue, she needed to be in a drop dead gown. The story continued in my head that she went on to win the Oscar. That means that this year, she will be presenting the Oscar for the award she won last year.
Model: Barbie Basics®Model No. 01 — Collection 001
Gown: Miniature Couture by Mary
Jewelry: Fashion Royalty Monogram Completist accessory pack
Diorama: Wall panel was made my me. More info here. Clock was found in Paris and the beautifully painted bombé chest will be featured in a future blog post. More info coming. Floral arrangements in golden urns were made by me.
Now…I am really ready for the Oscars. Fashion review should be up on Monday.
New 2014 Silkstone Barbie Sneak!
Pictures are starting to show up on retail sites without the watermark so I can finally show them here. As I hinted at in my last post, another of the Silkstone offerings for this year is, I believe, inspired by a look strait off the D&G runway.
Dolce and Gabbana 2012 Fall RTW
source: www.style.com
Here name is Dulcissima and she is due out later in 2014. I have heard many different price points for this one. The average guesses put her around $75. Mattel does not have her formally listed on their site yet so until they do, we won’t know for sure. She is designed by Robert Best and the name means “sweet” in Latin.
source: www.amazon.de
Dulcissima e Bellisima….sweet and beautiful. I like the look of this one better than Fiorella. Come on….the boots alone are worth a second look. 
Many Silkstone collectors are thinking this one will display nicely next to the Russian collection, Alexander McQueen inspired Darya. I agree with them. These two will display very nicely next to eachother.
BFC also gifted collectors with a spotlight video about the first installment in the Alta Moda inspired Silkstone collection this year. The set is sublime and the video is adorable. Nice work Lars and Zlatan!!
Sneaks for 2014!
Finally Mattel ( or apparently Mattel marketing) has given us a look at upcoming dolls from 2014. A number of items were sneaked to the BFC members a couple of days ago. Here are the public images ready for our greedy collector consumption.
Designed by: Bill Greening
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $29.95
source:www.barbiecollector.com
Adorable right?!! Shug…if it’s a girl…I am sending you one of these 
The Wizard of Oz™ Fantasy Glamour Wicked Witch of the West™ Doll
Designed by: Linda Kyaw
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $100.00
Direct Exclusive from Barbiecollector.com
source:www.Barbie collector.com
Wow!! I thought WOZ dolls were totally overdone…until I saw this one. Linda, I salute you. She is a beauty!
Bob Mackie® Princess Stargazer™ Barbie® Doll
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $100.00
Directly Exclusive from Barbiecollector.com
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Ummm…..I could be diplomatic and say this doll is unique. I have to be honest though and say this doll creeps me out. No disrespect to the amazing talents of Robert Best but…I find nothing compelling about this doll. No stargazing for this collector.
Designed by: Linda Kyaw
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $75.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Well Linda, you have given us another home run! I adore this doll. I love the gown, the facial screening and the elegant updo. She will be joining the collection for sure. Thanks to the super sleuthing of fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World, we have the inspiration for this fashion
Zuhair Murad Spring Summer Couture 2012
source: www.wwd.com
And last but not least….we have a look at the Alta Moda theme for this years BFMC Silkstone line.
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/13/2014
Retailing for $50.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
It pains me to say this but…I am not a fan. First of all, I don’t care for this particular facial screening. I think it is the big spiky bottom lashes. Secondly, the black bows have GOT to go. Are we going for the school girl look with the knee socks and hair bows? Thirdly, I am not a big fan of large floral jewelry. As a rule, I am not a big floral person period so perhaps that is what is coloring my whole dislike of this look. I have to say though that the $50 price tag is very reasonable for a dressed Silkstone. Thanks again to our super fashion sleuth Rogier, we perhaps have a look into the inspiration for this look.
Dolce and Gabbana 2012 Fall RTW
source: www.Style.com
BFC members were also given a sneak of the second Silkstone in the 2014 lineup but those photos are not yet public. The look however is taken almost directly from this same D&G fashion show above. I confess, when Robert Best announced that the 2014 Silkstone theme was going to be Alta Moda, my mind went to the beautiful couture of Eliza Schiaparelli or vintage Valentino so I was eagerly anticipating something like these
I am thinking….we are not going to see that. {Rebecca heaves a big sign of sadness}. I seriously would die if that pink striped number were produced.
Barbie is in Sports Illustrated
…for their annual swimsuit issue. The “body image” talk is already starting. I have a question for people claiming that impressionable young girls are getting a bad body image from this doll. If girls are getting their body image from a toy….aren’t there bigger issues involved here? Should we blame the toy for that? I liked to play with GI Joe when I was younger too. Did that give me a tuff guy body image? Did I think I could become the next Jean Claude Van Damme? I am just asking.
Obviously, I don’t belong to the camp that believes Barbie is the root of these so called “ body issues”. I played with Barbie, my nieces played with Barbie, my daughter played with Barbie…not a bad body image displayed in any one of them. As far as I can tell, they are happy, well adjusted , successful, articulate and confident young woman. I am not judging or invalidating anyone’s point of view here. I am simply adding my data points to this issue.
Body issues aside, the folks at Sports Illustrated and Mattel have teamed up for what looks to be a fun SI issue. Here are a few stills.
source: Sports Illustrated
source: Mattel
source: Sports Illustrated
There is also an adorable video of the behind the scenes with veteran SI photographer Walter Loos. I had to watch it a few times just to drool over all the equipment. You have to give this guy credit…he was a really good sport about it.
If you like this doll, you can order her from target here
Cupid’s Kisses has Arrived…
…And her hair is the big story. I won’t lie to you folks…it’s a bit of a fixer upper. Let me start by saying, her box is cute. It is streamlined and classic. I like it.
Here is Ms. C.Kisses in her box. Pardon the crappy cell phone pictures…they were all I could manage whens she arrived.
And here was mine and pretty much everyone else’s question….where is the cute little curl that goes on her forehead?? Here is the promo shot
No need to panic folks. The curl is there..you just have to coax it down a bit.
She comes with some adorable accessories
The dress is adequate though I have to be honest…I did not buy her for this dress. I have other fashions in mind for her. It is not Silkstone quality but it works well on her. There is a Velcro closure in the back so there is some room to make the fit better if it isn’t working on your doll. I think the velvet embossing on the dress is cute and appears to be applied correctly. The hair though…was some work. The ponytail does not have a hard curl at the end . Therein lies part of the problem. Mine came out of the box looking a bit like someone took a pair of scissors to the end of the ponytail. I will put a better curl in it when I have some time to hard set it. For now, I am content with getting the curl to come down on her forehead. Want to see how I did it? I figured….so I included pictures
The handy dandy pin trick! I keep these small silk or applique pins in my deboxing kit. They can solve a whole manner of hat and hair dilemmas.
Push the curl down on the forehead to where you would like it. Hold it down and insert a pin. Make sure you are putting the pin into hair and not into the dolls forehead ( that would be bad…especially if you want to move the hair off the forehead later…you would have a lobotomy scar to deal with and nobody wants that LOL). You can try weaving the pin in and out a little so it is catching different pieces of hair as it goes in. It will hold better this way. Be gentle with handling the hair on this one. It gets messy very easily so don’t overwork it.
Push the pin in. On a vinyl head it is so easy. You can do it with your finger. DON’T try this on a Silkstone. You will end up with a hole in your finger {ouch!}. You need a thimble for Silkstone heads.
You can leave it like this if you want. You can barely see the pin unless you are looking straight down at the curl. I photograph from different angles and since I try to avoid photoshopping when I can, I just ever so slightly move the hair over the pin so it is invisible.
Easy peasy right?!
Sneak Peeks: A Right or a Privilege?
Here we are again folks…about to enter the sticky wicket of debate over Barbie Fan Club (BFC) copyright infringement.
Rant beginning….again.
As we begin a brand new year in the Barbie Fan Club, I want to bring up the issue of sneak peeks. This is something that is currently being discussed in a few doll forums and I have been talking to fellow collectors and bloggers about it. Here is the specific issue….we have not seen as many sneak peeks in the last year as in previous years and it is concerning BFC members. The question is, why the decline? For those who are not a part of the BFC, and may not be aware of what a “sneak peek” is, let me explain. A BFC sneak peek is a first look at an upcoming product at Mattel. These sneak peeks are protected under the rules of the BFC and should not be shared outside of the BFC. You can recognize these sneak peeks by the huge BARBIE COLLECTOR water mark that runs through the middle of them. I would show you what I mean but then I would be in violation of that copyright I am talking about. You can’t miss them though. If a picture has “Barbie Collector” splashed all over it, IT IS A SNEAK PEEK.
The rules of the BFC are very, very clear. When you sign up for the BFC, you agree not to distribute BFC watermarked photos outside the BFC. This is protected content that people in the BFC have paid extra for. If you want access to the content, PAY THE FEE. Here is where the question of “right vs. privilege” comes in. It would appear that some members feel that once they pay that fee, they now have the “right” to post these photos wherever they want. Every time a sneak peek is released …every time…we see these Barbie Collector watermarked photos show up on Facebook, Pinterest and even on some blogs. Once it is out there it is like a virus and proliferates.…especially if it shows up on a blog that is viewed by a sizable collector population. I have a particular problem with bloggers who post these photos. In my opinion, they are disrespecting the fee-paying, rule-following members of a community they claim to represent. They are biting the hand that feeds them! Yes they are providing content but at what price? They have essentially stolen money from these members by posting images that were intended for members only. If you are a member of the BFC and are copying and sending these “sneak peek” photos to people outside of the club….STOP! You are stealing from your fellow members. You just reached into the purse of the BFC member next to you and took a buck or two out of their wallet. Ewwww!
In my mind and that of many others, these sneak peeks are a privilege of membership. They are a privilege we paid extra money for. I don’t know about you but I usually like to get the full value out of something I buy. When these watermarked photos show up outside of the BFC, they devalue the membership and ultimately the club. Let’s say you just went to a movie and paid the exorbitant $15 bucks they charge for first run movie tickets these days. Now let’s say someone sits down next to you, pulls out their fantastically enabled camera recording cell phone and proceeds to videotape the entire movie. You just paid $15 bucks for something many others are going to enjoy for free as soon as rude cell phone recorder gets home and uploads. It is totally against the law to do this. Do you report it? Do you hold that person accountable? If you just let it go without action, are you not becoming part of the problem? Not judging…just asking the question.
So…lets get back to the original question….we are not seeing as many sneak peeks. Why not? Well, isn’t it conceivable that this is Mattel’s way of dealing with the problem of the sneak peek copyright infringement issue? They simply won’t release as many or any sneak peeks in advance of product availability. This could be the direct result of the few who choose, against the rules and the integrity of the club, to post these photos outside of the BFC. Now all the members who choose to follow the rules and respect the integrity of the club get less because of the actions of a select few. How do we feel about that? I don’t know about you but as you have no doubt guessed by now… I feel like I just got royally ripped off.
So, if you are a member of the BFC, do you enjoy the privilege of these “sneak peeks” that are a part of your paid membership? Do you want to try to increase the frequency of, and protect the integrity of, these sneak peeks? If so, I suggest a call to action. If you see a watermarked sneak peek on the internet, report it. Call them out. Make it public that this is protected content and should not be posted. When I have done this, I have been told by some of these copyright violators that because I am not a Mattel lawyer, I have no right to tell them what to do. My response: ”As a paying member of the club you just ripped off by posting these photos, I have every right to tell you to remove it.”
Okay….rant over.
{And if your guess of how many times I used the phrase “sneak peek” in this post was 16….you get a cookie!}
image source: wordpress
Barbie Fan Club Renewal
The Barbie Fan Club will be up for renewal starting today. If you are currently a member, you can sign up for the new 2014 BFC club starting today. If you are not currently a member, you can start signing up a week from today on January 15th. There are approximately 8,000 memberships up for grabs and this club sold out towards the end of last year.
image source in this post: Mattel, Inc
Here are the some of the perks in the club this year.
- Up to $80 in BarbieCollector.com Online Shop rewards – $20 per calendar quarter*
- A Barbie℠ Fan Club card case** – your gift with membership (and sent with free shipping)
- Quarterly “Designer Videos,” sneak peeks at upcoming releases, downloadable goodies, and access to the exclusive Barbie™ Bulletin Board
- First access to audio interviews, collector spotlights, Fun Facts, and looks “behind the glam” with the passionate people on the Barbie® Collector team
- The opportunity to purchase four (4) Club-exclusive dolls, as announced*** (doll purchase is NOT a requirement of membership)
Here are some of the exclusive doll offerings
A platinum level doll…which means only 999 (my apologies to Jim) of her will be released.
An adorable Holiday Hostess for the next year. How cute is this one?!!!
Our first Silkstone sneak peak for the 2014 year. A very hip and modern interpretation of an elegant tuxedo. Rogier with Dutch Barbie World put up a photo of the possible inspiration for this one. I think he absolutely nailed it. Feel free to have a look here
And lastly, Mattel announced there will be a vintage reproduction gift set out in the new year. I wonder what fabulous set Bill Greening will have for us.
You will notice there is no Silkstone Club doll this year nor are there any sneak peaks of any of the Silkstone Barbie dolls for 2014. By this time in the past, we have at least three Silkstone Barbie sneak peaks for the coming year. I have my suspicions as to why this is. Tune in tomorrow for that discussion.
I am kind of slow getting this information out there this year because as of right now…I cant even get onto the Barbie Fan Club site. I have no idea why and will be spending a lovely time trying to do some long distance tech support with the fabulous folks on Mattel’s IT team. Goody.
The Doll Room Goes On Display: Part II
Yesterday I explained why things have been a little crazy at Inside The Fashion Doll Studio. I have been working well over a month and a half ( since Fashion Royalty convention really) to get our house ready for a charity holiday tour that included the doll room. The same weekend the tour happened, I was also contracted to photograph my daughter’s dance schools dress rehearsal of The Nutcracker. We also needed to attend her performances. I also hosted a ladies holiday tea for about 50 ladies and to top it off…it was my birthday in there somewhere. There was LOTS going on the weekend of December 6 – 8th.
I left off in part one of this post explaining my anxiety at opening up the doll room to the public for this holiday walk. I was anxious to see what people would think. I was fully prepared to answer a few questions and field comments like “Are you crazy?’. What I was not prepared for was to be fully occupied the three hours Deanna, Hilda and I proctored the doll room area with comments, questions and exclamations of joy and wonder. I called the evening “better living through Barbie”. I think the thing I heard the most as people came up the stairs to the doll room area was their surprised gasps of “ OH MY GOD!!” upon seeing some of the collection for the first time. It was an exclamation of an unexpected positive experience.
The collection was not what people were expecting and the look of amazement when they looked around warmed my heart. When I questioned people “ Not what you were expecting was it? You were expecting the Barbies you see at Target right?” They would reply every single time “ Yes!” with a wide-eyed expression. I received thank you upon thank you for sharing the collection. There were lines to get up to the doll room area. At some points during the day, there were lines just to get into the house let alone the doll area. The Assistance League of the Eastside had told people that there would be some Barbie experts on hand from the hours of 4-7pm to answer questions. People came back! They came back and brought their mothers, their daughters, their sisters and some even brought back their husbands. I think that was the biggest surprise of the evening for me. These husbands not only came into the doll area but they spent time looking AND ASKED QUESTIONS! I was completely amazed and overwhelmed at the outpouring of interest. I enjoyed hearing the rich tapestry of stories and Barbie memories that unfolded throughout the evening. Sisters recounted playtime memories with each other, Grandmothers and mothers remembered sewing or crocheting for Barbie and the granddaughters and daughters remembered learning how to sew through Barbie. Many remembered the first experiences of self expression through cutting their Barbie’s hair.
The fashion was another big topic of discussion. There were many conversations about particular designer influences and most everyone enjoyed the 1/6 scale purse tree in the actual doll room itself. I had a buyer for Federated Department Stores come up to me and say how much she loved how everything was displayed.
The most common questions of the evening were:
1. How long have you been collecting? Since my daughter was 3 so a little over 10 years.
2. Why did you start collecting? My daughter received a collector Barbie when she was 3 and my first thought was “ Great! who gives a 3 yr old a collector Barbie? She is going to trash it!” But she didn’t so I thought maybe collector Barbies would be something we could do together…you know…something for Christmas and birthdays. I started to do some research on collector Barbies and started looking at Barbiecollector.com and was blown away by the collector doll offerings. I essentially went down the rabbit hole at that point….and have not come out yet.
3. How many dolls do you have? I currently have around 600 and that is most likely as big as it will get. I am maximized right now which means…if something comes in…something has to go out.
4. What is the most expensive doll? I never really answered that question…instead I would point to some of the rarer items that are in the collection. I have a BFMC display case that is a treasure in my collection and I managed to procure a City Smart Silkstone Barbie through a great doll friend a couple years ago. I also have a set of 1/6 Bespaq bedroom furniture that is very rare and I treasure that as well.
Some of the new displays for this year are as follows:
I adored the garden scene I shot so much that it became a permanent display in the doll room
I also picked up some amazing 1/6 scale furniture pieces in Paris this past year.
Elizabeth Taylor joined the work room display
and the nightclub scene
New Fashion Royalty convention additions
And a new treasure added for the walk. A stunning pink silk and French lace gown by Hilda of Bellissima Couture. She made me this for my birthday…and I just about cried when I saw it. Stunningly beautiful beyond words!! Love ya Hilda…Mwah!
The entire day of participating in this home tour and showing this collection was a completely amazing experience and the fact that it helped raise money to support local and very necessary programs made it that much more meaningful. In this season of giving, I am so very grateful to all the people who opened their hearts, minds and pocketbooks to support the Assistance League of the Eastside. I also want to thank those who came up to me and personally commented on the collection. As an avid collector, It was a complete joy to see the love of this doll expressed and for some rekindled.
The Doll Room Goes On Display
At the end of August of this year, just as my family and I were home from a long vacation abroad, I was approached by the fabulous ladies of the Assistance League of the Eastside. They hold a holiday home tour fundraiser every year that raises money to fund programs that support families in need in our community. They typically have 5- 6 homes on the tour every year and these homes open their doors to roughly 1200 visitors for a day to show off their holiday décor. The tour runs from 10AM in the morning until 7PM at night. This year, they had a house that had to pull out of the tour and the Assistance League approached me to help out. The main reason they came to me…..the doll room.
Apparently news of the doll room is out and about in my local community. I have to admit, I am always a little nervous talking to non collectors about having a doll room. You get the gamut of responses from people when you tell them that you…as an adult…collect Barbie. Some will take an uncomfortable step back and look at you as if you just said you were schizophrenic…and off meds. Some will immediately downgrade their opinion of you and lump you in with the sad individuals they recently saw on a “Hoarders” episode. You can understand that making the decision to open up the doll room for viewing did not come without a great deal of anxiety. I wondered what people would think. I know that my fellow collectors love the doll room but I was really unsure about what a non collector would think of it. Then I had a moment of clarity….I came back to the reason why I collect in the first place….because I enjoy it. When anyone collects anything, it typically is because they enjoy doing it. If they like it enough to hook into a group of other collectors who enjoy collecting the same thing, they REALLY enjoy it. I decided I was not going to be worried about possibly being labeled the crazy “Barbie” lady and just enjoy showing off something that I truly love to collect. There would be people who get it…and people who didn’t…and that was okay.
To me, and I am finding to many many others, Barbie is a touchstone of sorts. Most woman you talk with today have a Barbie experience to share. I have found that when you put a group of woman together and give them this touchstone, it creates an amazing bonding experience. You can have a group of woman from all different backgrounds, ages, professions and all of the sudden you are all connected through this one toy. You all have an experience to share and that connects you. There are multiple points of connection too. Sometimes it isn’t about the doll but about the fashion and the discussion that promotes. My greatest joys in sharing this doll room through the blog and with friends and family are the sharing of those stories and memories and the connection it creates. It is just plain fun.
If I was going to do this, open up the doll room to roughly 1200 people, I decided I needed to call in some fellow doll experts for the event. I enlisted the help of my dear friends Hilda and Deanna. They graciously agreed to donate their time and expertise to help me show off the collection. I could not have done this without them…from the bottom of my heart “Thank You!” We had told the Assistance League that we would proctor the doll room and landing during the evening hours of the holiday tour. If people had questions, they could come back during those hours and “ask the experts” so to speak.
So…what was the response?? Tune in tomorrow for more pictures and The Doll Room Goes On Display: Part II.
The Barbie Look for 2014
The news out of Mattel is Bill Greening has some new Barbie Look’s for us. The news from retailers is that these “The Barbie Look” offerings will be available in December and will go for roughly $29.99 each. Many shops are offering up these beauties for presale so if you like them, put your order in with your favorite Barbie retailer.
There is a pink gowned one so she will be on my Christmas list for sure 
I adore the applied lashes on these beauties! I am thinking the gold gowned Diana Ross inspired number may have to come live with me too. I am really loving the edgy earrings of the blue pant suited blond and I like the coloring of the doll wearing the more casual blue dress. Oh heck…who am I kidding…I will probably just get all of them LOL!
Haunted Beauty
Last year Mattel and Bill Greening helped collectors celebrate Halloween with the direct exclusive Haunted Beauty Ghost™ Barbie® Doll.
Photo credit: Mattel, Inc
This year, Mattel and Mr. Greening serve up another helping of gorgeous gothic splendor with Haunted Beauty Vampire™ Barbie® Doll. She looks to be all decked out in a very close representation of an Alexander McQueen cloak over a deliciously gothic gown. If I were into vampire or gothic design dolls, I would be all over this one. While I may not be in the market to purchase this one, I can certainly admire the artistry of her design. Another win for you Mr. Greening.
Haunted Beauty Vampire™ Barbie® Doll
Retail: $100.00 ( this is a BC direct exclusive. Only available at Barbiecollector.com)
Photo credit: Mattel, Inc.
Photo credit: Mattel, Inc.
Photo credit: Mattel, Inc.
Photo credit: Mattel, Inc.
And the inspiration and much photographed cloak by the late Alexander McQueen…
Photo credit: Vanity Fair
Photo credit: Harpers Bazaar
Even Integrity Toys has done this one.
Happy New Year!!
No…Rebecca has not been hitting the bottle nor does she have her dates wrong. Mattel just announced that the highly anticipated next installment for their Holiday Hostess line will be up for sale Wednesday, October 9th. She is Happy New Year Barbie and she is a BFC exclusive.
There has been much speculation today as to what type of doll this is. Namely, collectors were asking “ Is she Silkstone or vinyl?”. A Mattel representative finally answered conclusively that this fabulous lady, though she looks very much like Silkstone, is in fact vinyl….just like every other doll in this very popular line. She may be residing currently in the category of Silkstones on the Barbiecollector website but that is an error and they are working to fix it. If you watched the video of Bill Greening I posted a few weeks ago, you saw quick photos of this one. If not, the promo shots are finally available to the public.
Retail: $75.00
Available to BFC members only at Barbiecollector.com beginning 10/09/2013 at 9:00AM PST
The chatter on this one would indicate she will sell out quickly. I know what I will be doing next Wednesday.
Bill Greening is In The Spotlight!
And boy oh boy does he have some fun sneak peaks! This video popped up on my youtube subscriptions this morning so I had to share. If you are a vintage collector and love Barbie’s friends, you will want to watch this video! There is a fabulous sneak peek at the end. Also, it will give all you collectors who are not a member of the BFC, a chance to see the next holiday hostess doll. She is a stunner!
One other fun note, my good friend and fellow blogger Rogier with Dutch Barbie World had one of his questions answered in the video. How cool is that?!! Well done Rogier!
Hope you enjoy 
Hervé Léger Barbie® Update!!
Okay…so here we are an hour later than my last post and Mattel decides to give us some information. She will be available TOMORROW. They don’t specify a time but I am thinking around 9AM pacific time because that is when Barbiecollector.com historically make things available. There is no guarantee of that though. She retails for $150 and will be available here
http://www.barbiecollector.com/shop/doll/herve-leger-by-max-azria-barbie-doll-x8249
Photo credit: Barbiecollector.com
If you have a second, go to the link above and check out all the cool new photos of her which show the back of the dress and a 360 degree view of the doll. If you are at all interested in getting this doll, I would think about purchasing sooner rather than later. The buzz on this lady indicates a possible quick sell out.
It’s a Go!!
Finally we have more information on the Hervé Léger by Max Azria Barbie® doll. According to Dutch Barbie World ( Thanks for the information Rogier!!), this giftset will be available October 15 at BarbieCollector and at select Hervé Léger and Neiman Marcus stores. The price I am hearing most often is $150 smackers. Don’t quote me on that because this amount has not been confirmed by Mattel yet but I think the price will be around that. She was designed by Linda Kyaw in collaboration with Hervé Léger by Max Azria .
I know where I will be come October 15th. 
Photo source: Vogue Nederland
Well done Linda!! She is a beauty.
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
Oh yes…it is that time again. 
Ever since a dear Barbie friend helped me obtain this Milan Boater Silkstone, I have been looking for the perfect purple dress to photograph her in. Mr. Bogue was ,of course, obliging and I had to share.
Model and Earrings: IDC Milan Boater Silkstone Barbie
Gown: Bogue’s Vogues
Gloves and Shoes: Mattel
Another Barbie Brouhaha A-Brewin’
At the Italian Doll Convention in May, it was announced by Mattel that there was an Herve Leger Barbie gift set in the works. Some prototype pictures started floating around, the interest level was definitely high, and all of the sudden….Mattel sends a notice to its dealers saying “Due to a partnership update the Herve Leger Barbie Doll is no longer available for Mattel Barbie Dealers.”
Oooooookay.
Today, popping up in grand Technicolor on Spanish and UK Amazon sites, were photos of what appear to be a finished product.
Photo credit: Amazon.es
So my question is…”Is this doll legit or what?!!” It certainly appears to be and these photos look like Mattel promo photos. Yes, the photos were available on the Amazon sites but you were not actually able to order the thing so this tells me it very well may be available but is not necessarily currently available. The other questions of course is where will it be available. So far it looks like Amazon has the inside track. I have to be honest here. I have never known Mattel to be this ”lacking” about releasing data on a much anticipated doll. What gives? Is it a secret? Only those with a secret password get the information on this doll? Only people incessantly trolling the retail sites will be able to get this doll? Click your heels together three times and say “There’s no place like home, There’s no place like home” and you might be able to get this doll? What is the formula here?
If I am asking these questions, I am sure others are too. Note to Mattel: “We like the product. We want to buy the product. Why won’t you tell us how?! We want to give you money and yet you stand there silent and stoic blinking in tune with the music.”
And the answer from Mattel appears to be….
I don’t know about you guys but…this aint relaxing to me right now 
Ball Gown Silkstone Official Photos
Finally released! Geez…took long enough. I think many people have already received theirs but here are the official photos of this one. I wont have mine in hand for a bit but I am excited to see her up close.
Retails for $100 and is available now
(Photo source: Mattel, Inc)
AA Ball Gown Silkstone-First Look
Okay Mattel…I get it…you want to save the first look of this beauty for the Barbie Convention goers. But, if you are going to do this, why ship the dolls off to Asia for retail BEFORE convention??!! I’m left scratching my head and asking myself, “ And I spent how much on a BFC membership so I could get the first look at product?” {grumble, grumble, grumble}. I am assuming that the lucky dogs going to convention in New Orleans will get to see this fabulous lady up close and personal. I am assuming she will be displayed in the sales room just like Gala Gown was last year. Make sure you take some stellar photos attendees. Just a reminder, I won’t be at convention this year but will point people to some Flickr accounts that will be covering the festivities as we get closer to the event.
Here is the first look!
source: http://www.toywizard.net
It looks like someone has pirated the video shown at the Italian Doll Convention and added their own music. You can find it by searching for “Barbie Fashion Model Collection” but I wont post the link here because it’s not authorized through Mattel and frankly…its PIRATED so not my thing.
Can’t wait for this beauty to join my collection!
Bogue’s Vogues Vendredi
It was definitely time for another BVV! I pulled these images from my stock pile of candid shots to share today.
Model: Walking Suit Barbie® Doll
Gown and hat: Bogue’s Vogues
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 