Wednesday, February 7, 2024

35th Anniversary Barbie



After seeing the “Barbie” movie, I was inspired to look at some of the original dolls that brought this pop culture icon to fame. While the original 1959 doll is out of my financial ballpark, some of the later replicas are much closer! The 35th Anniversary Barbie, released in 1994, is shown here in all its pristine boxed glory. As you can see the hairdo is a bit different when compared with the original release (pictured on the back of the box below). I prefer the 1994 version, which is more flattering on the 12" doll.



When I unboxed her, I noticed that the 30-year-old rubber bands that held her classic ponytails in place had all disintegrated. Before I could photograph the de-boxed Barbie, I had to fix her hairdo. My dental bands were too small, so for a temporary fix, I used gold thread and wrapped/tied it around the base of the ponytail.



Photographing Barbie reminded me while I focus on the 16" gals vs. the 12" ones. First, Barbie cannot stand on her own. Without a stand, she will fall over. I’m not sure how much harder it would have been to design the feet/shoes to be able to stand on their own, but for photographs, it’s a pain in the a$$. For the shot below, I had to use Photoshop to remove the stand and place Barbie on the beach of Santa Monica. I also took the liberty of removing her seams.



Here is Barbie with Malibu behind her.



Barbie Land from the movie is the background here:



The sunglasses look great on Barbie, but they are EXTREMELY tight. Getting them properly placed on her face was quite a process, and caused her hair to unravel. “But Dave,” you say, “her hair looks good here!” Of course it does; I spent a lot of time digitally cleaning it up!



On the plus side: I love the retro face and classic styling of this replica Barbie. The sculpt of the contemporary Barbies is just too bland for my taste. For a cool retro toy to fill up your display cabinet, Barbie is great.

On the con side: For playtime, dressing/redressing, and posing…this is a very frustrating doll. Since this is a mass-market doll, the tailoring (and clothing quality) for Barbie outfits at this size is not all that great. I can easily understand where “Weird Barbie” came from. The hair and clothing can easily become ratty. When it comes to posing, this Barbie is extremely limited; the elbows, wrists, and knees do not bend; the head spins around, but it doesn’t tilt up and down. For little tots who want to play with Barbie, these are probably non-issues. A toy that retails for approximately $15-25 can only be expected to do so much!

See more doll/action figure photos at my website.

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Red Parasol in Park Avenue Prowl



Park Avenue Prowl was an FAO Schwarz exclusive limited edition gift set of 300, released in 2007. This is one of those sets that at first glance I thought, “Wow! So many options!” Once unboxed and put on the doll, the quantity of what was in the box gave way to the actual functionality/look of what the pieces were. The leopard coat trimmed with fox is interesting, but quite bulky on the doll. This is one of the main difficulties in designing for a 16" doll; the scale and drape of the fabric don’t hang the way that they would at a larger size. This is why most fashion dolls look so painfully thin. If these dolls were designed with normal sized proportions, any kind of clothing on top of the vinyl would make these poor little ladies look like the Michelin man. I was not crazy about the doll itself, either. For this shoot, I used Red Parasol instead. Her facial paint and hairdo are much more accessible.



Sequins are rarely a good choice on a vinyl fashion doll unless they are micro-sized. These aren’t awful, but once again, the size of the sequin make it difficult to achieve a form-fitting drape. The shoes look decent, but sparkle atop a faux leather strap do not equal fun playtime. By the time human sized fingers can get the straps in place, the shoes begin the splitting/disintegration process.



This set also comes with a very va-va-voom lingerie set. Other than the plastic clips for the hose, I really do like this look on Gene. It still amazes me how Gene can go from good girl to vamp in the blink of an eye, depending upon the outfit and pose. Mel Odom sure knew how to create a versatile character.





The last photo from this session shows our girl giving a little sass, wishing that the sequins had been smaller. Oh well, what’s a girl to do?



See more Gene Marshall fashion doll photos at my website.

Monday, February 20, 2023

Mardi Gras with Gene



The saying “You never forget your first time” is so true…when it comes to Sandra Stillwell Conventions! My first was 2016’s Belle of New Orleans, held in (where else?) that fabled Louisiana city where Mardi Gras is celebrated annually. I hope you enjoy my parade of fashions that Sandra unveiled for her guests almost seven years ago. First up is Magic Season, which is probably my very favorite outfit from the convention) and its blue alternative, Merci Beaucoup:



The convention’s namesake outfit in silver and gray was what every girl would want to wear to the Mardi Gras Ball:



With the tiara, fur wrap, and scepter, it’s a total knockout! Sandra pluses her ensembles with the perfect accessories.



Queen of the Carnival was one of the highly coveted centerpiece fashions:



Oona wanted her chance to model this gown, too:



If ball gowns aren’t your thing, My Years and Seasons is a very elegant alternative:





For Under Her Spell, Gene dons the attire of a voodoo priestess:





A Mardi Gras post wouldn’t be complete without this non-Sandra outfit from Ashton Drake, appropriately named Mardi Gras Magic (modeled by Ivy Jordan):



Happy Mardi Gras! I think I’m going to see if I can find a good beignet nearby. Any suggestions?

See more Sandra Stillwell Gene Marshall Belle of New Orleans fashion doll photos at my website.

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Ambassador’s Ball for Valentine's Day



Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Gene dons Ambassador’s Ball, from the 2021 Sandra Stillwell Ambassador of Fashion convention. Inspired by the Jacques Griffe design shown below:



I agree with the ad copy: 100!



See more Sandra Stillwell Gene Marshall fashion doll photos at my website.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Shirley and The Red Cross

The Danbury Mint released a 17" tall porcelain doll commemorating Shirley Temple’s 1936 public service announcement for the American Red Cross.



Shirley’s hand has one finger pointing heavenward to signify the requested one dollar donation.



Officially authorized by the American Red Cross, the doll boasts plenty of beautifully crafted details, such as the one dollar donation bucket:



The lace tie-up shoes and stockings:



Who could deny this sweet little face one dollar?!?



Since I am not a fan of the synthetic wigs that Danbury used on Shirley, I replaced it with a softer mohair version:



Want to see the PSA for yourself? Here you go!



See more Shirley Temple doll photos at my main website.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Dangerous Curves



“Dangerous Curves” was a fashion for Gene Marshall released in 2007 by Integrity Toys as part of the  Rare Deal Convention (an FAO Schwarz exclusive). Inspired by a 1951 Ben Reig design in rayon crêpe, it fit in perfectly with the film noir theme of the convention. Here’s the Harper’s Bazaar vintage ad, with photo by Francesco Scavullo, modeled by Sunny Harnett:


Who better to model this outfit than JAMIEshow’s own Marlena?



With or without the chapeau, she looks incredible.



See more Gene Marshall Integrity fashion doll photos at my website.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

An Ingenue in New Orleans



In 2016, I attended my first Sandra Stillwell Convention which was held in New Orleans. One of the highlights was getting an inside peak at the Louisiana State Museum Archives. We were able to see a Ball dress from 1955, designed by James Galanos, who was known for designing clothing for America’s social elite, including Nancy Reagan, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor. From the exhibition catalog:

Silk faille with woven stripe. While the eye is immediately engaged by the flamboyantly striped, especially woven fabric of the skirt, in typical GALANOS fashion, the focus is quickly shifted to the beautifully cut and fitted bodice. Back and shoulders bared by the halter neckline with its faux surplice front closure, the woman emerges from the gorgeous billow of skirt like the figurehead of a sailing ship. The gloves were made to be sold with the dress.



The dress itself, all these years later:



Like the rest of us, it has some age spots:



In 2019, Sandra released this doll-sized version of the Galanos gown and titled it, “Ingenue.”



With the emotional appeal of having seen the original in person, I knew I had to have this one.



When I pulled it out of the bag and finally put it on a few of my Genes, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. Without being perfectly steamed or ironed, the doll-sized version does not hang as well as its inspiration. Few collectors realize the challenges of “shrinking” a design down to scale and the choices that must be made in order to do so effectively. The weight and drape of the fabric play a large part, as do the placement of buttons or hooks that can add unwanted bulk. Most want their doll outfits lined to help prevent staining, but that can also add to the issue of a gown now hanging on the doll correctly.



See more Gene Marshall Sandra Stillwell fashion doll photos at my website.