Bye Bye FR:Monograms
Integrity Toys announced this past week in a post they called “An exciting evolution!” that they would be discontinuing their FR:Monogram line in a move to help focus and unify the other lines. Per the email from Integrity, the final Monograms will make an appearance at convention and then will forever “Requiescat in pace” R.I.P. The FR: FR2 line will be merged with the FR classic line and a new updated FR/FR2 body will be introduced and used for all future Fashion Royalty offerings. Nu.Face and FR: Homme will get an update in 2014. Exciting news for sure.
My guess is that the classic styling that was the bread and butter of the Monogram line will now be serviced by their Victoire product. Not surprising. Many in the collecting community were expecting this but it still makes me sad. The Monograms were a particular favorite of mine and some of my personal favorite photos were produced with this line. That being the case, I thought I would do a little retrospective with this fabulous line. I am happy to have these dolls in my collection and don’t plan on selling them. It is also interesting to see how my photography has changed over the past couple of years 
The Lady In Red: Part Two
Model: Fashion Royalty “Fascination” Monogram
Suit: Miniature Couture
Hat: Jakki Peters
Jewelry: Silkstone Barbie Mattel
Shoes: FR2 “Engaging” Elise
The Lure of Bellissima Couture
I am headed to Florida in a couple of days for the Fashion Royalty convention and my thoughts have turned to what I am hoping to find at convention. I am always on the lookout for OOAK clothing for the girls so Hilda of Bellissima Couture’s room will be a definite first stop for me. It helps that she is one of my dearest doll friends so it’s not just the clothes but her fabulous self that is the draw for me. I snagged a couple of her creations at Barbie convention and her last online show and wanted to share them here. Her fashions evoke the feel of 1950’s couture so I was inspired to have my monogram trio Envied, Passionate and Bemused model her work. Hope you enjoy!
Models: Fashion Royalty Monogram. (from left to right) Bemused, Passionate and Envied
Clothing: Bellissima Couture ( http://bellissimacouturefashions.wordpress.com/ )
Jewelry: Mattel
Flower hat: scrapbooking elements
Fur: Fashion Royalty Starry Night fashion
Kissing Chair: Pure Dreams for dolls on ebay (http://stores.ebay.com/PureDreamForDolls/Barbie-Furniture-/_i.html?_fsub=2237637017&_sid=480609367&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322)
Envied, Bemused and Passionate…A Second Look
I was moving the displays around in the cases the other day and decided these guys needed a second look. I had these ladies displayed on this couch just as I have them posed for a while but it is time to move them out and display some different dolls. I know that most people ordered these gals for their cute little dresses but I actually really like the dolls. I know that Barb at Windy City Dolls still has a few on sale http://www.windycitydolls.com/frmonogram.htm#Sale
Models: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Envied”, “Bemused” and “ Passionate”
Couch: Horseman Urban Environment ( meant for 16” dolls so scale is slightly off for this shot)
Birdcages: Found at favorite flea market. I think they were holiday ornaments.
The Upper Echelon of Integrity Toy’s Monograms
** photo property of Integrity Toys, Inc. **
I have to admit….the original outfit on this one just didn’t do it for me personally. I know what a bubble skirt looks like on me ( NOT PRETTY!) and I just could not get past it on this doll. I love the black top, shoes and bag…the rest…. well…time to repurpose. On to the positives…. Love the face of soft color and the hair was a different style. I typically like most variations on an updo so the little curl this girl has in the back was just too adorable. Yes, the hair bump has been overused ,in my opinion, at Integrity this year but on this doll, I like it. Since the outfit wasn’t doing it for me, I had to find an appropriate replacement and inspiration struck while I was perusing the latest edition of Vogue. There is a wonderful spread highlighting the Ritz in Paris. I would absolutely die to have a backdrop of some of these rooms for my dolls. It’s the ultimate in style, I mean come on…Coco Chanel lived there! I saw one photo in this spread and it inspired me to do this shoot. Hope you like it.
< Let them eat Cake… >
Model: Fashion Royalty Monogram “ Echelon”
Coat, skirt and gloves: F.R. Power Play
Shoes: F.R. Monogram
Fur: Dimitha
Fascinator Hat: made by me
The Monogram Exaggeration
Right off the bat, I have to say that the color palette on this offering from Integrity Toys is beautiful. The coral in the skirt and hat and the insane green of the gloves, shoes and bag are just way out cool. These”exaggerated” colors are not typically ones that are going to excite me and certainly not together but I love them on this doll. I like the fact that we have a soft color block dress paired with a solid navy structured jacket. I love that the outfit is punctuated with the frilly hat like an exclamation point at the end of this fashion sentence. The hat/feather fascinator looks different here than in the promos….I did some restyling and had to curl some feathers. I like the fuller look but it may not appeal to everyone. The whole package screams refinement and fun energy to me. This lady looks like she is stylish and strong. Let’s face it…it takes a strong fashionista to wear coral and acid green together…….
The “Allure” of Fashion Royalty Monograms
Allure….as a noun it means “ a highly attractive quality”. As a verb it means to “ attract powerfully”.
I have to admit….when I first saw this beautiful lady at the IDEX reveal….I was going to pass. The promo shots just did not do it for me. I felt the Marilyn Monroe vibe but the big cape was not something I was looking for. I decided to go ahead and buy her because I thought I could sell her if I didn’t like her when I got her. I am so glad I purchased her because she is one of those in real life ladies that blew the promo shots out of the water. As I was photographing this lady, I could not believe how well she translates on to film so I was even more surprised that the promo shots did not do this lady justice. She is fire and ice all the way. LOVE HER!
I feel honor bound to state that I was completely enabled and inspired by JennFL’s photos on Flickr of this lovely lady so please check out her photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennfl/with/6865483260/
Revlon did a campaign in the 1950’s and I and others believe it was the inspiration behind this gorgeous lady and gown.
** picture obtained at http://coutureallure.blogspot.com/**
Model, gown and jewelry: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Allure”
Note** she does not come with the diamonds pictured ….bummer!
IDEX Integrity Toys Reveal–Monograms
I love collecting this line of dolls from Integrity Toys. I just adore the high fashion haughty faces and the uber chic and stylish clothing. It looks like 2012 will be off and running with Monograms and I will be jumping on that train. And even better…these lovely lady’s now have applied lashes. Diggin’ it!
*** photos are property of Integrity Toys, Inc. ***
Item#93023
Echelon
FR: Monogram™ Dressed Doll
Suggested Retail Price:$160.00US
Limited Edition Size: 350 Dolls Worldwide
Estimated Delivery date: Late February 2012
I wish we had a view of the back of her head. The hairstyle looks intricate. Not sure about the mini balloon skirt here but Oh my word that purse and shoes! LOVE!
Item #93027
Inspiration
FR:Monogram™Dressed Doll
Suggested Retail Price:$160.00US
Limited Edition Size:350 Dolls Worldwide
Estimated Delivery date: Late February 2012
Dreamy!! Love, love, love the soft color here.
Item#93028
Exaggeration
FR: Monogram™ Dressed Doll
Suggested Retail Price:$160.00US
Limited Edition Size: 350 Dolls Worldwide
Estimated Delivery date: Late February 2012
Aaaaaack!! You had me at the accessories….you had me at the accessories.
Item#93029
Admiration
FR: Monogram™ Dressed Doll
Suggested Retail Price:$160.00US
Limited Edition Size: 350 Dolls Worldwide
Estimated Delivery date: Late February 2012
Okay…THUD!! That’s me hitting the floor with this one. Of course I still kept one hand on the computer as I emailed my dealer in all caps…NEED!
–She will be mine…oh yes…she will be mine.
Item#93030
Allure
FR: Monogram™ Dressed Doll
Suggested Retail Price:$160.00US
Limited Edition Size:350 Dolls Worldwide
Estimated Delivery date: Late February 2012
Well hello Ms. Monroe!! Definitely getting the Marilyn vibe with this one and this haute couture coat TO DIE FOR.
More to come from IDEX Integrity Toys Reveal……
Passionate and Envied redressed
Model: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Passionate”
Dress: Bogue’s Vogues ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/boguesvogues )
Shoes: Mattel
Earrings: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Passionate”
Model: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Passionate”
Gown and earrings : Mattel 2003 Collector Barbie
**note** gown is pinned to fit Monogram body. The dress on it’s own is a little big on this body type.
Model: Fashion Royalty Monogram “Envied”
Gown: Randall Craig “ Fancy” ( available at http://www.windycitydolls.com/randalcraig.htm )
Necklace: Randall Craig RTW collection
Earrings: Fashion Royalty Monogram Envied
She is Passionate
The second lovely lady in the latest offering from the Fashion Royalty Monogram line is called “Passionate”. I just love her color palette and I adore the little purple print dress she wears with the bright purple accents. Adorable!
Available at Windy City Dolls ( http://www.windycitydolls.com/frmonogram.htm )
Monograms redressed coming soon…….
Envied in the Sunlight
Many people ask me about my photography and how I light my shots. Many of my photos are taken in a photo tent with diffused lighting from the sides and a soft box light from the front. Sometimes I will use an overhead ( highlight or hairlight) lamp. I find that I use this setup many times because the light where I live is…well..crap. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States where we get rain 7 out of 12 months a year. Don’t get me wrong, I love living here. When it comes to photography , however, it can be a challenge. Yesterday, I was so very excited. We had one of those beautiful Indian Summer glory days…bright blue sky and abundant sunshine. I was redressing Ms. Envied after doing some redress shots, The sunshine was coming in the window at a perfect angle to project a grid pattern on the carpet so I just posed Ms. Envied on her stand, laid down on the floor and started snapping. You can make a tripod out of your arms by bracing both elbows on the floor or any stable surface. Just goes to show yet again….you don’t need a fancy light tent to take good doll photos. I love this shot. Sooooooo dramatic.
Oh, and yes, we are back to gloomy and overcast today. ;-(
Her name is Envied
I am a big fan of Integrity Toy’s Fashion Royalty Monogram line. I love the haughty expressions and the smaller body type that can wear most of the Silkstone Barbie clothing as well as my other OOAK Bogue’s Vogues and Bellissima Couture outfits. When IT announced that they were coming out with three new Monogram offerings this year my response was “Where do I sign up?” I received all three lovely ladies this past week from my fantastic dealer Barb from Windy City Dolls and I could not be happier. I know that the Caucasian one sold out in most places but the other two Latin and African American ladies are readily available. The golden skinned Latin lady (Envied) and the African American (Passionate) were the ones I was looking forward to the most. Here is Ms. Envied with Ms. Passionate and Ms. Bemused in the background. Ms. Passionate will be getting her own photo shoot in the next few days.
As of this blog posting, all of these beautiful ladies are available at http://www.windycitydolls.com/frmonogram.htm
Extravagant Bellissima Couture
Model: Fashion Royalty Monogram Extravagant
Gown: Bellissima Couture ( http://bellissima-couture.com/ )
Shoes: Mattel Barbie Louboutin shoe pack
It is always a pleasure to showcase the amazing work of Hilda of Bellissima Couture.
Poodle: Randall Craig
Chair: PureDreamfordolls (http://stores.ebay.com/PureDreamForDolls?_trksid=p4340.l2563)
Table: Jim Coates Collection ( http://stores.ebay.com/JIM-COATES-COLLECTION?_rdc=1)
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 