Inside the Fashion Doll Studio

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The 2014 Academy Awards!

Technically these should be the 2013 Oscars right?…I mean…these awards are for movies released in 2013. This always confuses me. I have to say that some of my favorite moments of last night’s show were not the fashions. Some of my favorite moments were a few of the heart felt and well delivered acceptance speeches that we were treated to ( without annoying music cutting them off I might add…my thanks to the academy). Not only did these actors express their gratitude but many of them touched on personal and social issues that made what could have been a trite and generalized speech into a tribute to others and a call to action on a few social issues. It was really lovely to hear and see.

Now…on to other things that were lovely to see…and perhaps a few that were not.

The Best dressed actress on the red carpet goes to….Charlize Theron in Dior

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This was “hands down” my absolute favorite. Glamours, chic, elegant…I could go on and on. She owned the red carpet in this amazing and what appears to be custom Christian Dior gown.

Honorable mentions for the evening:

Here was another beauty in black. Karen O’ in Camilla Staerk

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Jenna Dewan-Tatum in Reem Acra

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Kate Hudson in Atelier Versace. Loved, loved, loved this look on her.

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Amy Adams in Gucci Couture

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Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen. Adored this look on her. She looked regal.

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Jennifer Lawrence in Dior…and notably…one of the very few to wear red on the red carpet.

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And….my favorite not seen on the red carpet but at the Oscars dress…Sally Fields in Randi Rahm. Talk about grace personified. Beautiful!!

There were many gowns that I adored last night. There were also a few looks that left me wanting…and sadly they were on some ladies whom have stunned in the past on the red carpet.

Anna Kendrick in J Mendel. The mesh cumber bund with beaded red stars…that was the kiss of death on this number. You know there is a problem when people are saying the back of the gown is way more interesting than the front.

_{source: www.MSN.com}

Viola Davis in Escada. The fit was off on this one. Not her best look.

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It pains me to say this but…Anne Hatheway in Gucci. I can only imagine the screams that curdled the air in the control booth when she stepped out on the stage to give an award. The mirrors on the front of her dress caught every single light and reflected it back…into the audience…into the cameras…into homes all over the planet. I am still seeing stars.

_{source: www.huffingtonpost.com}

Kate Blanchett in Armani Privé. I liked the design alright but the color just washed her out. I adored her acceptance speech for the best actress win though. Strong female leads in film sells tickets Hollywood…hear it, learn it….live it.

_{source: www.huffingtonpost.com}

Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein. This one really surprised me. Naomi Watts is one of my “go to” people on the red carpet. She almost NEVER appears on the red carpet in anything other than stunning. Last nights efforts, while not horrible, just left me kind of “meh”. It was too much of a one note for me.

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Jessica Biel in Chanel Couture. I do not feel this dress did ANYTHING for her. When pressed, the only compliment I can give this gown is to say “ well…it was beaded” In the words of the indomitable Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada “That is all”.

And….I know I will get all kinds of disagreement on this one…Lupita Nyong’o in Prada. I adored this color on her and the whole flowing Grecian look. I just could not get past my first impression of her and my exclamation of “It’s Cinderella!” The headband had to go if I was ever going to get Cinderella out of my head. Bippity, boppity boo.

_{source: www.huffingtonpost.com}

All in all not a bad turnout for fashion on the red carpet last night and also of historic significance…the selfie that shut down twitter last night from Ellen DeGeneres.

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Posted by raberry65 | March 3, 2014 | Categories: Fashion, Red Carpet | Tags: 2014 Academy Awards, 2014 Oscars, Oscar fashion | 8 Comments

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.

Posted by raberry65 | March 1, 2014 | Categories: Barbie | Tags: Barbie basics, Barbie Basics 01, Doll Diorama, Doll Photography, Fashion Royalty Monogram completist accessory pack, Inside the fashion doll studio, ITFDS, Miniature Couture, Miniature Couture Collection, Rebecca Berry Photography | 18 Comments

A Wonderful Evening

Evening in Montreal Victoire has arrived and she is a stunner! I knew I was going to love this lady by her promo shots. The actual doll does not disappoint. I shared some quick shots of this lady on my Flickr account but managed to take some better shots yesterday in the sunshine.

I adore this magnetic pin! It makes it sooo much easier to place AND no chance that it will leave a hole in delicate fabric. Smart choice Integrity!

Posted by raberry65 | February 28, 2014 | Categories: Fashion Royalty, Victoire Roux | Tags: Evening in Montreal Victoire, Integrity Toys, Integrity Toys 2014, Integrity Toys Lottery, Victoire Roux, WClub 2014, WClub exclusive, WClub lottery | 19 Comments

The Hollywood Issue

I am a subscriber to Vanity Fair. Every year, before the Oscar’s, they have an issue called “The Hollywood Issue”. I am always impressed with the cover photography of these issues and never fail to feel inspired after viewing it. Last year, I was inspired to do my own cover and this is what I ended up with.

This year, I was inspired to try another one and Integrity Toys’ newly revamped Fashion Royalty products were my muses.

Models: “Evermore” Vanessa in her original outfit, Workshop Elise in Mattel Hervé Léger by Max Azria, “Bellissima” Natalia in her original outfit, “After Tonight” Eugenia in Mattel “Hollywood Cast Party”, “Baby It’s You” Chip, “Black Orchid” Vanessa in Bellissima Couture gown and Jakki Peters hat.

Now…are we all set for the Oscar’s? I think so. Smile

Posted by raberry65 | February 22, 2014 | Categories: Fashion Royalty | Tags: After Tonight Eugenia, Baby It's You Chip, Bellissima Couture, Bellissima Couture Fashions, Bellissima Natalia, Doll Diorama, Doll Photography, doll posing, Evermore Vanessa, Hervé Léger by Max Azria Barbie® doll, Hollywood Cast Party Barbie, Inside the fashion doll studio, Integrity Toys, ITFDS, Jakki Peters hat, Rebecca Berry Photography, The Premiere convention | 37 Comments

Evening in Montreal Victoire

I have to admit, I am a bit behind on reporting Integrity Toys(IT) news for the first part of this year. A few weeks ago, The WClub announced a new IT direct lottery for the popular character Victoire Roux.

Evening in Montreal
Victoire Roux™ Dressed Doll
IT Direct Exclusive
Limited Edition of 600 Dolls

Body Type: IT/Victoire
Head Sculpt: Victoire Roux™
Quick Switch Feature: No
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Platinum
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied

The Lottery was held today and I believe most all who wanted a chance to purchase her in the WClub were able to get her. It is really nice when that happens. It means IT is accurately gauging the demand of a product and providing an adequate supply. Everybody walks away happy. When I first saw this lady, I thought “ Oh man….not another black cocktail gown!.” She is ,in fact, wearing chocolate brown. That makes her more interesting. Mostly, however, I like the facial screening with the platinum updo. I was hoping to win the chance to purchase and am a happy camper with my fellow WClub members who are all celebrating our chance to purchase her. She is due to hit peoples doorsteps as early as next week. Smile

Posted by raberry65 | February 18, 2014 | Categories: Fashion Royalty, Victoire Roux | Tags: Chris Stoeckel, Evening in Montreal Victoire, Integrity Toys, Integrity Toys 2014, Integrity Toys Lottery, IT Direct Exclusive, Victoire Roux, WClub, WClub 2014 | 2 Comments

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

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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. Smile 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!!

Posted by raberry65 | February 17, 2014 | Categories: Barbie, Silkstone | Tags: Barbie Fashion Model Collection, BFMC, BFMC 2014, Dulcissima Silkstone Barbie, Robert Best | 7 Comments

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.

It’s a Girl Barbie® Doll

Retailing for $29.95

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Adorable right?!! Shug…if it’s a girl…I am sending you one of these Smile

The Wizard of Oz™ Fantasy Glamour Wicked Witch of the West™ Doll

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

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.

Zuhair Murad Barbie® Doll

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

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And last but not least….we have a look at the Alta Moda theme for this years BFMC Silkstone line.

Fiorella™ Barbie Doll

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.

Posted by raberry65 | February 13, 2014 | Categories: Barbie, Silkstone | Tags: 2014 Barbie, 2014 BFMC, 2014 Silkstone Barbie, BFMC, Bill Greening, Bob Mackie Princess Stargazer Barbie Doll, Fiorella Barbie, It's a girl Barbie doll, Linda Kyaw, Robert Best, The Wizard of OZ Fantasty Glamour Wicket Witch of the West doll, Zuhair Murad Barbie | 11 Comments

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.

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^{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

Posted by raberry65 | February 12, 2014 | Categories: Barbie | Tags: 2014 Barbie, Mattel, Sports Illustrated Barbie, Unapologetic Barbie | 2 Comments

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

Smile

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?!

Posted by raberry65 | January 31, 2014 | Categories: Barbie | Tags: Barbie Fan Club 2014, BFC, BFC 2014, Bill Greening, Cupid's Kisses Barbie, Holiday Hostess Barbie, Holiday Hostess Cupid's Kisses Barbie, Inside the fashion doll studio, Rebecca Berry Photography | 28 Comments

2014 Golden Globes: Red Returns to the Red Carpet

It’s January folks and that means…awards season beginning! This year things will be a little more protracted because the winter Olympics will be sandwiched in between awards ceremonies. I am not a huge fan of the award shows myself but I am a huge fan of the fashion shows they create on the red carpets for these things. This year will be no exception.

As my title would indicate, red was a favorite this year on the Red Carpet. Many stylists will tell you this is a tricky color to dress their clients in because there are so many different shades and each one can potentially clash with the red carpet itself. Wearing red on a red carpet….risky. Apparently there were many willing to take the risk. For the most part, they gambled and won.

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Lupita Nyong’o in Ralph Lauren. STUNNING! This was my favorite look of the night. She wore this beautifully and paired it with simple elegant jewelry. Beyond gorgeous in my opinion.

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Amy Adams in Valentino Haute Couture. While I love her hair and love the fact that she channeled her 1970’s American Hustle character for this look, it was not my favorite. I love to see Amy Adams as sweet and pure on the red carpet. Here she just looked hard and cold.

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Taylor Swift in Carolina Herrera. Gold star to Taylor’s stylist…AGAIN. This gown screams red carpet in my opinion and she chose a wonderful updo with simple jewelry for a soft classic look.

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Emma Watson in Dior Couture. When I saw this fashion from the front I was not impressed…I felt it was just a little dowdy for Miss fashion forward Watson. Then she turned around. Whooo! Love the back and she had a pair of black crop pants with navy blue strappy pumps. Chic and edgy. LOVE!

Red may have been a favorite but black was also in elegant attendance.

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Kate Blanchett in Armani Privé and Chopard jewels. This was my second favorite look of the evening. So classic and elegent. A winner for fashion and a winner of the award for best drama actress.

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Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Haute Couture with Bulgari jewelry. Stunning design and she pairs it with simple hair and classic makeup. Another wining look on the red carpet for her.

Sofia Vergara in Zac Posen with Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. This is not my favorite look on Ms. Vergara. It just feels too big for her. I do,however, adore the necklace she pared with this real estate swallowing gown. It was a beautiful pop of color amongst the sea of black.

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Emma Roberts in Lanvin. Loved this gorgeous and elegant look on her. It also looks like her stylist took a shorter look from the Lanvin 2014 spring RTW line and made a longer dress out of it. Winner!

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For the most part, the fashions satisfied and exceeded expectations last night. There were a few less than stellar moments though. I wish I could take credit for the title of this next segment but alas …I cannot. My husband actually uttered this for one of these fashions and it was so appropriate I had to use it. Jon, my love, you get the credit.

“She is not wearing that fashion….that fashion is wearing her”

…and not in a good way.

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Lena Dunham in Zac Posen. First of all, lemon yellow on a red carpet spells potential retinal seerage. Yes, you are definitely noticeable and I am not sure she wanted to be in this. Also, I ask the question again, “Can you really pull off elegant couture with major tatoos?” In her case, in this dress, I don’t think so. This is NOT her color. Enough said.

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Paula Patton in Stephane Rolland. Ummm…do you guys remember the Queen’s bed skirt that was on Helena Bonham Carter’s dress last award season? Guess where it ended up. One word: blindside. Hope she never had to see anything to her left. Maybe she just didn’t like the person sitting to her left at the table LOL! A couture solution to “talk to the hand”…in her case it was “talk to the ruffle.”

^{image source: www.style.com}

Bérénice Bejo in Giambattista Valli. I am sure this looked stunning on the 6 foot model who wore it on the 2013 fall couture runway. Here it just had me imagining this conversation “Honey, who cut up the red bath matt from the guest bath?” WAY too many poufy things on this one.

Posted by raberry65 | January 13, 2014 | Categories: Fashion | Tags: 2014 Golden Globes, fashion review | 4 Comments

Inside the Fashion Doll Studio Barbie for big girls.

Latest

The 2014 Academy Awards!

Presenting at the Oscars

A Wonderful Evening

The Hollywood Issue

Evening in Montreal Victoire

New 2014 Silkstone Barbie Sneak!

Sneaks for 2014!

Barbie is in Sports Illustrated

Cupid’s Kisses has Arrived…

2014 Golden Globes: Red Returns to the Red Carpet

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