The Madrid Fashion Doll Show Convention-Jaipur Palace Party
What do you do after a fabulous fashion show? You go to a party of course. The organizers in Madrid had a fun evening of Indian food and drinks as well as henna hand painting available for the conventioneers. Beautiful henna tattoo work by Ibrahim!!
There was also this fantastic fashion ( limited edition of 30) by Marcelo Jacob, raffled off to 30 lucky winners!
Rogier will have more to report tomorrow with all kinds of presentations going on as well as the gala dinner and convention doll reveal!! Stay tuned….
-Rebecca
2016 NBDCC–Final Thoughts and Thanks
What does the trip home from Barbiecon look like?
I kid you not. This was on my luggage when I picked it up from baggage claim. LOL! That about says it all people. I flew into the wrong airport, I drove to Jacksonville, I laughed, I cried, I presented, I shopped, I laughed some more then with a heart full of good memories I said goodbye to my Barbie buddies and headed home. On the plane ride home I found myself looking forward to next year already. A big hug and Thank you! to the fabulous table #4 and a most excellent hostess Susan.
I want to thank my dear friend and fellow blogger Rogier Corbeau of Dutch Barbie World for taking over the blogging duties on ITFDS. He did a most fantastic job keeping both blogs up to date and getting all the images and information out to all of you. Words alone cannot express my gratitude for his kindness and generosity in doing this. I have to also give a big “Thank You!!” to Mario and Gianni of Magia2000. They generously allowed me to photograph behind the scenes before the event which then allowed me to share images of all of their collection in a way I never would have been able to do fighting the crowds during their show. Grazie! I also received an extra bonus in that I got to hear some of what went into designing this collection. I was amazed before but now, having heard about all that goes into these exquisite creations, I am in awe. What an honor to photograph those beauties.
This year, since I had opportunities that came up during the convention, I was prompted to take some of my professional camera gear. It was a lot to lug around but boy am I glad I did. I was very happy with the images I was able to get this convention. Looks like extra camera gear will be coming with me now for doll conventions.
I was honored to be asked to do a presentation on photography and blogging this year and since some people were not able to make it, I will be doing most of the presentation in pieces on the blog. The first installment will be this Friday and will follow for subsequent Friday’s through August and into September. If you missed it or were unable to attend, no worries. It will all be here.
-Rebecca
Agnes at the Palazzo
For those of you following my Instagram, you have seen a little taste of this shoot. If you don’t follow, here is a little backstory. It all started with this amazing dress which I found on Etsy by the talented duo AquatalisBoutique . You may have seen some of their work over on Rogier’s Blog this week. It took a while for this gown to get to me because the first one was lost in the vast quagmire of postal services between Vietnam and my home. Aquatalis was great about it and after we waited a reasonable time without the dress showing up, they promptly made and mailed another one. Excellent customer service and kept me informed the whole time. When I saw this gown I immediately thought of Dolce & Gabbana and their 2012 and 2013 collections. Such vibrant color and opulence. I needed an appropriate backdrop. Nothing I had was doing it for me. So….time for a new one and I went to the Dutch still life masters to find inspiration. I had seen a wall covering recently that I was obsessed with and wanted to do something similar…this set was what came from all that brainstorming.
Inspiration room photo…
source: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/flower-mural/
The beginnings of a new background
The headdress is the necklace from Fiorella Silkstone Barbie. The flowers have been digitally altered to match the dress.
The detail on this dress is really something!
The minis in these shots are Orcara miniatures. These items are from their red wine set. Above are miniature paper sunflowers found at local craft store.
And the perfect photo to express the Agnes attitude.
-Rebecca
IDC 2016–Sales Room and Raffle
Last post from the IDC. The Italian Doll Convention had an amazing group of collectors and artisans selling in the sales room this year.
Créations Cotho Corinne Thorner
The raffles were equally impressive.
By Rogier’s account and that of many other attendees, this years Italian Doll Convention was amazing. A huge “Thank You” to Rogier and Dutch Barbie World for taking us all along for the ride!!
-Rebecca
IDC 2016–Cocktails and Barbie for President Gala
After the amazing fashion show, it was time for cocktails, nibbles and a really amazing dinner and convention doll reveal.
Once Cocktail hour was over, it was time to go to the Gala dinner.
The amazing Monica Nuñez del Castillo!
And our fabulous table host Rogier and OOAK artist and table hostess Corinne Thorner.
It sounds like the evening was a huge success with lots of money raised for charity…approximately 20,000 Euros!!
The end of the evening brought the anticipated convention doll reveal! Many were thinking it was time for a brunette articulated silkstone…and they were proven correct.
Photos below are courtesy of Jim Taylor {Hugs}. Thank you for letting us use these photos!
Scrumptious!!
Last but certainly not least…our Rogier received an award tonight from the IDC!!! A well deserved recognition for his efforts and work in the collecting community. Congratulations Rogier and Dutch Barbie World!!! ** Thanks to Jim Taylor again for this photo!!**
Happy, Happy Mothers Day!! Sales room photos will be coming your way soon!
–Rebecca
IDC 2016–Texas Ranch Fashion Parade
Most Barbie conventions have some type of fashion show. The Italian Doll Convention certainly followed the tradition.
The foyer of the hotel was decorated for the event.
Gala Dinner info up next…..
-Rebecca
IDC 2016 – Registration and a Workshop
Registration for The Italian Doll Convention was Saturday morning.
I love how they did the tables and seating chart!! Since the theme is USA this year, all the tables were different states. Too fun. Rogier’s table is Arizona.
If you wanted to, you could also take a workshop at IDC today. Rogier did one with his incredible miniatures. If you ever have the chance to take one of his workshops…do it! This is what the lucky participants got to make today.
Monica was happy about it 
Such diligent students!! More news later from Rogier and the IDC!! The fashion show is up next. The gala and the unveiling of the convention doll is in a few short hours!!! Will she be a blond, brunette or redhead Silkstone??? Can’t wait to see.
-Rebecca
IDC 2016 – A Magia 2000 Dinner
I am guest blogging for my friend and fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World again. On Friday, Rogier flew to Milan for the 2016 Italian Doll Convention.
The Convention does not officially begin until Saturday morning but a few collectors were able to enjoy a special dinner with the co-creators of Magia2000 and the hosts of the Italian Doll Convention, Mario and Gianni. Rogier has supplied some stellar photos and pieces of info from that dinner.
There was a lovely collection of OOAK Magia 2000 dolls done especially for the IDC and they were unveiled at the dinner. Mario and Gianni also debuted their new fragrance!
A beautiful table awaited approximately 30 guests.
And a special collection of beautiful dolls with the theme of “nude” awaited excited collectors.
More information coming tomorrow from IDC 2016. Stay tuned….
-Rebecca
The Sales Room
This will be my last Paris Fashion Doll Festival report as I finish up my stint of co-blogging with Dutch Barbie World. As I finish up this blog post, Rogier is making his way back home with a lot of goodies he picked up at the festival. I am sure he will give us his overall impressions when he has a chance to unpack and unwind. I hope you all have enjoyed these R&R ( Rogier and Rebecca…perhaps a new blog down the road LOL!) reports.
There was a final Sybarite offering from Superdoll Saturday and those intrepid enough to get up super early and stand in line, were able to get her. She had an edition size of 30. Very limited indeed. Her name is Meringue.
The last event of this Paris festival was the sales room and by the look of Rogier’s photos, there was much to look at and choose from. Many OOAK artists came to show off their talents. There were two offerings from the popular 16 inch doll line Numina
And a large group of beautiful OOAKs from Artist Creations
Créations Cotho by Corinne Thorner
And much much more…
You can find more photos on Rogier’s Flickr page. That wraps it up for me. Thank you Rogier, for taking us along on this fantastic journey!! It has been an honor and a pleasure to guest/co-blog with you! Safe travel home my friend.
–Rebecca
Presentation Luncheon
Miss Classic Black Dress joined Rogier for the luncheon in Paris today.
The schedule today at the Paris Fashion Doll Festival started with the silent auction. It would appear that the big ticket item was a prototype of Water Sprite Barbie® Doll from Mattel
Upon entering the dining room, a few gifts were set on the table.
The Barbie Collector catalog had some interesting pages with new promo shots!
They say “coming soon” and “discover other partnerships in spring of 2016”…hope they mean that! Would love to get my hands on these silkies this Spring.
After lunch it was time for a fashion show and doll presentation. Had to share this one from the show…. Cinderella and her prince! How adorable is that?!!
Lot’s of creative people showing their talents in Paris for this luncheon. But wait….who is that lady on the left…with the white collar??
But wait….who is that lady on the left…with the white collar??
The convention doll was introduced in a fun and new way this year! She walked out in the fashion show. Too fun!
It’s the flaming redhead for Paris. J’adore!!!! I know a number of us collectors were hoping that this hair color was going to be produced after seeing the photo earlier this year in a Wall Street Journal article
A nice touch they have added this year to the convention dolls are boxes that specify these are platinum dolls.
That wraps it up from the Paris Fashion Doll Festival today. Tomorrow it concludes with the salesroom. I am sure Rogier will have photos and stories for us on this tomorrow. 
–Rebecca
A Night With Superdoll
Paris Fashion Doll Festival
Day 1: Evening “The Sybarite Event”
Rogier reporting and Rebecca(ITFDS)writing again. This evening in Paris was the fabulous Sybarite Event. There was an exclusive outfit offered before the evening festivities. It’s called Sixteen
The event is a favorite and the energy, excitement and anticipation were all there again this year. The reveal of the doll at this annual event is a big production. This year did not disappoint. Think spring…think floral.
And they sure know how to throw a party!
And here she is…Miss Pavlova!! Limited Edition of 50
The detail on this gown is amazing!
Lovely shoes!
And best of all…jewels!!
Nice hand modeling Rogier!!!
Tomorrow is the presentation of the convention doll!!! What hair color and dress will she have?!!! We all await the unveiling.
-Rebecca
Day at the Museum
Some of you already know this but in case you don’t, I am guest blogging for the next couple of days for my good friend Rogier of Dutch Barbie World. He is currently attending the Paris Fashion Doll Festival and is sending photos on to me so I can report for him. He will return the favor for me while I attend NBDCC and Integrity Toys conventions. When you attend conventions like these it is simply too much most of the time to experience the event and then turn it around and blog about it within a timely manner. So…Rogier and I came up with a solution….one person experiences and reports while the other writes, edits and publishes. Win, win.
**NOTE!! Republishing these photos without consent is prohibited!! They are property of Dutch Barbie World. If you want to post these photos, you need to post the link to either Rogier’s blog or mine. It’s that simple.**
Day 1: The Barbie Exhibit at Musée des Arts décoratifs
This is a much anticipated exhibit going on currently at Les Arts Décoratifs. Rogier was able to go today and snuck some photos for all of us. We are posting only a few of the images from this exhibit as photography was “frowned upon”. According to Rogier, the exhibit was beautifully done and very thoughtfully curated. It is not a huge collection of Barbie but is of very high quality. It was a “good for all ages” exhibit that “Brings across the magic of Barbie”. If you have a chance to see it…a must for any Barbie lover.
For most of the Silkstone collectors, the pièce de résistance of this exhibit were the elaborate BFMC sets designed and built by Lars Auvinen that Mattel loaned to the museum for this exhibit. Unbelievable!!
Information from the Sybarite party will be coming up later this evening. 
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!! 
The Perks of Being a Shipping Buddy
If you are a doll collector outside of the United States, it is sometimes very handy to have a shipping buddy within the U.S who can combine a bunch of your purchases and send it in one big box to help save on the shipping. If you are a BFC member that lives outside the U.S., you need a shipping buddy to receive your purchases from BarbieCollector as they do not ship outside the U.S. ( grumble, grumble…really?!!). It is also a treat when you share the same collecting habits of your shipping buddy and they allow you to photograph some of their purchases. I have to give a big shout out to my friend and fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World for allowing me to photograph and share one of his recent OOAK purchases. She is a beauty!!
Model: Repainted and re-rooted 45th Anniversary Silkstone by Xiaolan. Here is her Facebook page. Here is her Ebay store. She does beautiful work!
Dress: Bellissima Couture. Love the little dragonflies in this print!!
Shoes: Mattel
The doll came with a certificate of authenticity. Nice touch.
Fashionably Floral in February
Mattel’s first BFMC offering will be available at BFC starting February 2nd. What a perfect way to welcome Valentine’s Day.
Fashionably Floral™ Barbie® Doll
Gold Label®
Designed by: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/2/2015
Product Code: CGK91
No more than 10000 units produced worldwide
Retail: $50.00
source: www.barbiecollector.com
It looks like Mr. Best and Lars(set designer for Mattel) are channeling their inner Dior with this set. How Fabulous!! I ask again…can we please, please, please get these little chairs in production for purchase?!!
source: www.barbiecollector.com
Ahhhh….so very Dior. I want to see the sketches on the table. Any clues to what is coming out this year??
source: www.barbiecollector.com
{SWOON} You had me at the hat people…at the hat. I have to admit though, the little side chignon is making me do the happy dance too. Here is another thing making me do the happy dance, the new box design.
source: www..amazon.co.uk
Rogier over at one of my favorite doll blogs, Dutch Barbie World, reported this morning with these pictures from European Amazon sites. If you want information on the Silkstone world first…sign up for his blog posts. I have to say…I like the IRL photos even better. And that pale pink liner?!!! {Swoon…again} Now how am I supposed to debox that?! Rogier laughed and said “Easy, get two” Wise words Mr. Corbeau.
The new logo is very reminiscent of the vintage Dior logo.
source: www.etsy.com
Owning a Silkstone has never been more affordable with this $50.00 price tag. What are you waiting for collectors? I will be running to get this one…may even get two 
-Rebecca
Vogue Paris–Panoplies
I am a fashion doll blogger. A large component of what I write about and photograph is about the fashion. I enjoy following the fashion industry and watching the fashion shows and reports. I enjoy giving my picks and pans after award ceremonies. This being the case, it thrills me when my love of following the fashion word and trends melds with my love of collecting fashion dolls in a totally different and inspirational way. In the December 2014 issue of Vogue Paris, editor and stylist Celia Azoulay and Laurent Philippon along with photographer Giampaolo Sgura collaborated to bring collectable fashion dolls to Vogue…and it’s fabulous. I had to share it here.
Panoplies , I believe, simply translated means “outfits” and this editorial gave us that….and a whole lota accessories. Accessories that I would kill to have in my closet ( doll or otherwise).
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
source: www.vogue.fr
What an amazingly clever editorial!! Ok Mattel, I would buy these. The luggage alone in the Louis Vuitton box….{swoon}.
If you want to see more ways in which the fashion world is currently intersecting with fashion doll collecting, check out Rogier’s post about these fabulous Dolce and Gabbana dolls https://dutchbarbieworld.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/dolce-gabbana-dolls-2/
IDC Mattel Presentation Gives a Sneak Peak.
My dear friend and fellow blogger Rogier ( http://dutchbarbieworld.wordpress.com/) attended the Italian Doll Convention this past weekend in Milan. He has some fabulous write-ups on the festivities so please visit his most wonderful blog for the full scoop.
As is custom at the IDC, Mattel gave a presentation and included some sneaks. What did we learn?
1. J.Lo Barbie is in the works and sporting a replica of this Zuhair Murad gown.
2. There is a Herve Leger giftset doll in the works this year.
3. Audrey Hepburn Sabrina and Roman Holiday dolls are coming this year ( but then we knew that already 
)
4. Promo photos of a Coach Barbie were shared. She kind of reminded me Burberry Barbie from a couple years ago.
5. And…..they shared promo photos of the upcoming AA Silkstone!! This one, in my opinion, is a STUNNER! Okay, so I can’t share photos here but if you are a BFC member head over to the BFC forums and take a look at Rogier’s posts. He put photos there. For those of you who are not BFC members, we can see a sliver of the doll in the promotional shot of Mermaid Gown ( those sneaky, sneaky Mattel people!)
6. Lastly, Robert Best shared that next years Silkstone theme would be Italian Haute Couture also explained as The Grand Alta Moda . Rogier has a nice description of what that means here http://dutchbarbieworld.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/italian-doll-convention-part-3/. I can’t wait to see what Mr. Best has in store for us next year. Count me in!
