More Silkstone News!!
So right after I posted yesterday, Mattel posted new images of the BFC exclusive Silkstone for 2016. We have all had a gander at the sketch for many months and many of us had a chance to see the doll in person at the NBDCC 2016. Here are a few images I took of her at NBDCC
And here is the information and official pictures
Designer: Robert Best
Release Date: 10/12/2016
Retail: $100.00
- Body Type: Posable Silkstone®
- Facial sculpt:
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Pink satin gown with flowing organza train
- Accessories: Black satin opera gloves, chandelier earrings
She is a BFC exclusive which means you need to be a BFC member to purchase.
Things to take note of….The IRL doll at NBDCC was sporting pink shoes not black and the fabric on the IRL doll did not show the same kind of fabric as the promo shots are indicating. Just trying to keep it real folks and set expectations appropriately. You be the judge but to these eyes, the ruffle material on the promo shots looks like it lays very nicely, whereas the IRL doll at NBDCC did not. The beading also looks very different but there are always differences between the promo shots and the actual production doll. The difference here is that the production doll was actually seen BEFORE the promo shots so, it feels kind of humorous to me. It’s like saying “ Yeah…this is what we could have done…but….we didn’t”
All else being held equal, I’m still buying the doll. She is a platinum updo with a pink gown…of course I’m buying. Whether or not I feel very good about it is another thing. I have a hard time supporting a company who is making some really unfortunate decisions regarding their collector line. I find it hard to plug a product in this blog when I have a very real concern for the direction of this Mattel division.
-Rebecca
Classic Cocktail Dress Arrives
My trusted dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls sent one of these lovelies out as soon as she received them. She isn’t even up on the BC website yet. It looks like she will retail for $100.00
So what am I thinking?? Hmmmm. Well, I like the gown and the little pearl embellishments are delightful. Her face is sweet and I like the silvery lilac eye shadow. The lashes seem a bit spikey to me but not a huge problem. I love the little pearl drop earrings. The hair on mine was a bit of a fixer upper. The curls on top are soft so when you remove the hairnet, you will get some flyaway hair. Not super crisp curls but not a deal breaker in my opinion.
The dress is a strapless gown with a little crop top overlay that snaps in the back. She comes with a white slip underneath too. Considering the quality of some of the other outfits we have seen from BFMC lately, this one is pretty good. I mean we get earrings, pantyhose, a slip and a fairly well constructed dress. It’s up to you as collectors to decide if that is worth the price. I have to be honest and say, I am not a fan of this new body. The flexibility ( or lack thereof) in the wrist joint is a major problem. I do, however, love the elegant pose of the hand. I just wish it bent so I could comfortably put her hand on her waist. My other issue with this doll are the very flimsy shoes. The heal is very pliable so it bends under the weight of the doll when she is on her stand.
Is Miss Classic Cocktail Dress a keeper at ITFDS? Time will tell. I am anxious to see how she redresses then I will make my final decision.
-Rebecca
The Quick Switch
So….yesterday I posted photos of what was believed at that time to be images of the 2016 BFMC exclusive doll. It was was advertised in the BFC ad posted on the Barbie Collection website. Here is/was the entire Ad.
As of today….this ad has been changed. To this…
Notice anything different? Yeah…me too.
Not that I’m complaining mind you about the opportunity to get a better doll than the badly done blue suited City Chic Suit, but how do we feel about this quick switch without any notice or explanation? I’m not sure I like that. It kind of makes me feel that when I sign up for the BFC and give them my membership fee, I’m not really 100% sure what I’m going to get because they have shown they can and will change what they advertised when I bought my membership. Holy cow!! My consumer red flags are at full mast. Is it ok to substitute? Is it ok to substitute without any warning or explanation? I think not. This feels like another black and white vs. grey area in advertising to me. This is certainly NOT the way to build trust with your customers. Yikes! What is happening to our beloved BFMC??? Sound off people….what do we think?
-Rebecca
Barbie and Oscar
No, Barbie isn’t stepping out on Ken but she has been spending a whole lot of time with Oscar de la Renta recently. In the past week, Mattel released the ODLR Bride Barbie through dealers and their Barbie collection website.
Oscar de la Renta Barbie® Doll
©2016 Mattel
This past week, Barbie has also been exhibiting an definite Oscar de la Renta affinity. If you are a fan of the @Barbiestyle Instagram account, you may have noticed quite a few ODLR designs making an appearance.
This one is my favorite….
Wish we could get this suit produced!! Here is the inspiration I think.. Oscar de la Renta PreFall 2016 collection
As Barbie enjoyed the Tribeca Film Festival this pastt week….
And from the Oscar de la Renta Pre Fall 2016 collection
Barbie also enjoyed some time in New York City prior to the the film festival…
And another look straight off the catwalk, from the ODLR spring 2016 runway.
Last but certainly not least…this weekend at Grant a Wish Convention, the 2016 Silkstone BFMC exclusive was debuted. Her name is City Chic Suit. Here she is… A big Thanks to Aleshia Hunley for letting me use her photos {Hugs}. No information on when she will be available or what her price will be.
Hmmmmmm….not sure about this one folks. The drawing is divine. The production…not so much. I guess it will depend on the price point but I’m thinking…..Pass. The inspiration for this one also seems to also be Oscar de la Renta. This time we go to the 2016 Resort collection of ODLR.
-Rebecca
Articulated Silkstone Now Available to Order
But she won’t be shipping until March 1st folks. If you want her sooner, look to the dealers, they appear to be getting them first. I like this idea of giving the dealers first dibs on shipment. It makes sense to me and it helps support those dealers that have been loyally selling Mattel’s collector products for all these years. I called my trusty dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls the moment I saw these ladies showing up on Ebay ( not happy that this is where the first ones showed up but not surprised either). She sent one over as soon as they arrived at her shop.
Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll
Designer: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/1/2016…hmmm…this is what the site says but they also clearly state that shipping won’t start until 3/1/2016.
Retail: $40.00 at The Barbie Collection
So…what do I think? I think the face on this first Silkstone of 2016 is a winner. It is one of the best facial screenings I have seen in a while from the BFMC. Very soft, and pretty. The black dress is basic. The material is nice and of a good weight…but basic. The boots are…basic. They are plastic people and almost impossible to get off unless you use the hot water trick **see below. No jewelry, purse with this one nor undergarments..yep that’s right…Barbie is going full commando.
The bigger question I think is what do I think of the body of this doll. First and foremost, the dimensions are NOT the same as previous BFMC Silkstone bodies. The bust is most definitely smaller. Clothing does not fit exactly the same which surprises me as I believe Mr. Best said that the body was going to be the same proportions in the video announcing the articulated bodies. I am not saying the body is bad…just different dimensions and for us redressers, that will be an issue. The material feels weighty and solid which is nice and the joints appear to be solid and stay where you position them. It is basically ok…but not great. Here is why: 1) The articulation on the joints is minimal except for the legs. This girl can do the splits if she wants but she cant rotate her hand enough to fully bend it one way or the other…it only goes a little bit one way or the other. She can just barely put her hands on her hips. Compare the functionality with Integrity Toys dolls and you will find that IT bodies are loads ahead as far as flexibility. The new Silkstone body can however, do the splits whereas IT dolls cannot. Not sure how that is something I will utilize unless I get the letch to do Gymnast Barbie, or Pole Dancing Barbie or perhaps contortionist Barbie. You never know…it could happen. I am hopeful that the next iterations of this body will beef up the bust size and include some additional rotation in the joints. My other big concern with these new bodies are the rough edges and seams that show. The knee joint on the one I received had a big ugly rough edge at the seam right above the knew joint. Some may argue that you will hardly ever see that…maybe but in the dress she came in, it was VERY evident. It’s not worthy of sending back, it’s just sloppy work on the part of the factory. Am I expected now to file down the seams of Silkstone dolls that I receive?
On the very positive side however, the doll is only $40. That is an extremely low price point for a Silkstone Barbie doll. So…messy seams and all, this doll photographs beautifully. I admit, I had to pin the gown on her so it fit more securing up top. It was made to be worn by the older body. She does look good though and I guess each collector will have to decide for themselves if she is a good fit for their collection. I am keeping mine for the present and still hopeful for the year ahead for the BFMC. I think it will be a very much paired down year but time will just have to tell on that one.
Beatuiful dress was made by Hilda of Bellissima Couture.
Oh..and as an added not to my loyal readers…After filing multiple DCMA claims with various accounts on Pinterest and Instagram all of which were cutting the watermark off my photos and passing them off as their own, I will have to start putting even larger and more intrusive watermarks on my photos. Not my choice people but there you have it. Sometimes…I just don’t understand some people.
**Hot Water Boot Trick** To help get those pesky black boots off, I heated up a cup of water to almost boiling then stuck the legs and boots in for about 30-35 seconds. Using a towel because they will be hot, boots should slid right off. If not, put the legs with boots back in the water for a bit more.
2016 BFMC Articulated Silkstone Sneaked
This is not an official sneak from Mattel but it is all over the internet and social media so I am going to share it here. This was first reported by my very fine friend and fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World. Zlatan Zukanovic posted some amazing and beautiful photos on his Instagram account a few days ago of what appear to be the first articulated Silkstone. Her face is adorable!!
Gorgeous right?!! Then…this afternoon…guess what shows up on Ebay!
Original listing is here. Not a word from Mattel, not a sneak, not a whisper. I find this very interesting and I also question the sales hype of the BFC where they tout that the club is “a passionate collecting community with unparalleled access to the world of Barbie”. Yes, the collecting community is unparalleled in this arena but I am no longer sure how much of that is due to Mattel. It seems that more and more we are finding and receiving information from sources other than Mattel. Perhaps this is just the way things go with social media being the way it is or…perhaps this is just a marketing team that doesn’t really seem to know what they are doing. Either way, it looks like reaching out and watching things like Instagram, Ebay and Facebook are the way to get information going forward. Love the photos that Zlatan did so it is not a chore to look at his lovely photos whenever he posts. Bonus!
When this beauty is available….I’m buying!! 
Articulated Silkstones!
The speculation has finally ended for many collectors and has become fact. Mattel has formally announced ,beginning with the 2016 BFMC collection, Silkstone Barbie’s will be on articulated bodies. According to the new BC holiday catalogue, there will be articulation at knees, wrists, elbows and torso.
There is no information about what material is being used for these bodies. I am hoping that the quality will still be there for these bodies. I am all for articulation…as long as it is done correctly. I am excited for this new phase in Silkstone collecting. I am also hopeful that they will make bodies available so that collectors can re-body some of the older dolls. I am also wondering if the hands will be removable like the Integrity Toys dolls. This makes it very easy to redress. We will just have to wait and see.
I don’t know about you guys but I am loving the chic modern look of this new line for 2016. The black purse alone in the picture above is making me excited to see our first sneak peeks of the 2016 lineup. I am also loving the cateye liner of Miss Silkie. Looking forward to new reveals Mr. Best!
Also interesting to note…there is a new video available to BFC members where Robert Best talks about the 2015 collection. In that video both the photographer and the set builder for BFMC make very pointed comments about the gilt chairs. Something to the effect that “you can never have enough gilt chairs”. Is this a clue?!! Will we finally, after years of begging, be able to buy these chairs?!! Or…will they be a gift when signing up for the BFC next year. If I were putting things on my Christmas list, that would be at the very, very top.
Dear Santa,
I have been good. I would really, really like a pair of Barbie gilt chairs for Christmas. Thank you
–Rebecca
Never hurts to try right 
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 