USO at the Hollywood Canteen

In celebration of the upcoming Jamieshow Hollywood Canteen Convention in Chicago, I finally got Ashton Drake's USO outfit and had J'Adore try it on. Hairstyles by none other than the talented Kathy Johnson.



This highly detailed Doug James outfit is a beauty, and comes with the microphone shown in the photos. The original doll that came with this outfit also had auburn hair. The trunk was sold separately.



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Happy July 4th from J'Adore!

No other Gene Marshall outfit is quite so perfect for July 4th as Stand Up and Cheer by Dolly Cipolla.



This circa 1944 costume released in 1999 also came with a festive "noisemaker."



J'Adore does a wonderful job modeling this holiday ensemble. Happy 4th to all!

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I Wish I Was In Manhattan...

As a salute to what appears to have been a resounding success, today's post is in honor of Sandra Stillwell's latest convention, Toast of Manhattan. You must check out her blog to see all of the amazing photo. In the meantime, here are a few photos of Gene modeling Tea Time at the Plaza while enjoying afternoon tea at the Palm Court inside New York City's famed Plaza Hotel.



This circa 1943 outfit was designed by Lynne Day and released in 1999.



Here's my shot BEFORE I added a little Photoshop magic to transport Gene into the Plaza Hotel.



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Cognac Evening: The Backstory

I have posted photos before of Cognac Evening, one of my very favorite outfits made for Gene Marshall. Recently, designer José Ferrand was kind enough to write for me the behind-the-scenes story of how he came to create this gorgeous Circa 1951 outfit that was released in 1999:

I had started making this dress for my own enjoyment, before I even dreamed of becoming part of "The Gene Team." It turned out to be a good thing since, after meeting Mel at the Plaza during Toy Fair and approaching him the following day at FAO Schwarz, I had only a few weeks to make a small collection to show him and Joan Greene. It was bought on the spot, once they saw it along with "Love, Paris" and a third one that would develop into "Honeymoon." The design was a result of copious sketching and it owes a little to Dior's Oval collection (1951) and also to old family pictures. The original hat was more of an Ann Boleynish cap with beading along the edges, burnt orange marabou feathers on one side, and black netting over her forehead. The much loved final hat was designed by someone at Ashton Drake (most likely Michelle Tibbetts).

Here are two photos of Cognac Evening with the original hat:





And the final outfit, as photographed by Steven Mays for the original Gene Marshall publicity materials:



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