A Dulcissima Bride
If you look up the translation for Dulcissima it says “Sweet” or “Sweetest”. I think this recent addition to the BFMC Alta Moda collection comes off as more sultry than sweet. However you see this one..sweet or sultry, she is a beauty. While her original Dolce and Gabbana inspired outfit may have not been my thing, dressing her in this Joe Tai bridal fashion definitely suited me and my collection.
-Rebecca
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 
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!!
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 