The Doll Observer » Doll

BARBIE ANNOUNCES PLAN TO TURN THE WHITE HOUSE PINK WITH A RUN FOR THE OVAL OFFICE

Simon Farnworth — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:11:28 +0000

Barbie doll formally threw her pink hat into the presidential campaign ring by unveiling the new 2012 Barbie I Can Be… President doll. The global icon will represent girls of all ages on her road to the “Pink House,” serving as the “B Party” candidate. Barbie will hit the campaign trail with a full-scale “glam-paign” alongside her longtime political advisor – The White House Project. With a designer pink power suit and a new Tumblr blog, Barbie® stands on her own (literally) as this campaign’s sole female candidate.

As the unwavering, encouraging voice of the “B Party,” Barbie’s campaign platform calls for girls of all ages to “B inspired,” “B informed,” and “B involved.” To further deliver her message, Barbie will continue to partner with The White House Project – a national, nonpartisan women’s leadership development organization – from the presentation of the “Barbie I Can Be Award” to a young girl at the organization’s annual awards gala to a “Take Your Daughters to the Polls” movement in November.

“The Barbie brand’s career-focused line of I Can Be… dolls often shine a pink spotlight on professions that are historically underrepresented by women,” said Cathy Cline, Vice President of U.S. Marketing, Mattel Girls’ Brands. “We hope that Barbie will inspire girls to be leaders – be it in their schools, classrooms, or communities – with the President doll. We know that role play often becomes real play….and when better to plant the seed of leadership in a girl’s mind than during play time.”

A Doll That Stands on Her Own
With more than 130 careers, Barbie doll has always been both a career trailblazer and a trend-setting style icon. Now, in her fashionable pink wedge shoes, the Barbie I Can Be… President doll literally stands on her own without support or the need for a doll stand.

“We are ecstatic that for the first time Barbie will stand on her own two feet, as all powerful leaders do– and the Barbie for President doll has the perfect platform to debut this feature” said Tiffany Dufu, President, The White House Project. “This new feature goes well beyond the toy aisle with a message for girls across the world.”

Haute Doll Magazine Gets a Relaunch… And Guess Who’s On-board?

Simon Farnworth — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 12:17:28 +0000

Many of you will have heard the very happy news that Haute Doll magazine, a favourite among Fashion Doll Lovers, is about to be relaunched. The magazine is now the property of Jones Publishing after the merger of Doll Reader and Dolls Magazinea few months ago. The magazine will form part of the Dolls magazine subscription and will be available quarterly. The magazine will be in a squarebound presentation and will feature articles and news on Integrity’s new FR:16 line, BJD artist Connie Lowe, JAMIEShow, Sybarites, Horsman, Tonner and Wilde Imagination. The first issue will be available in late April/early May.

I can also exclusively announce that I have been asked to feature as a regular columnist! Imagine my excitement when I got that email! I am also excited by the opportunity to spotlight our fantastic and talented DollObservers.com members via the column too! The column is set to be called ‘Doll Watch’ and my first article is already in the bag and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Look out for magazine subscriptions options to Haute Doll available via this site in the coming weeks!

Coming Soon: An Interview with George from Angelic Dreamz! (dollobserver.com)

An Interview With a Doll Lover, January 2012

Simon Farnworth — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:15:05 +0000

Ada and friends...

It is with great pleasure that I can announce that our first DollObservers.com Superstar Member of 2012 is the beautiful, talented and generous of spirit, Ada. Ada has been with us since the very early days of DollObservers and has always inspired and advised other members of the site.

Ada also has her finger firmly on the pulse of the Barbie world and was generous enough to design our site logo and look of our site for our first birthday last year. Ada you are a Superstar indeed!

Here is our interview with Ada and I hope you enjoy at much as me…

What made you join Doll Observers?

I love doll related websites! I saw the link on Facebook, I think, and when I saw that it was a doll lover’s community I was like: this is the place to be! LOL

When did you start collecting/playing dolls?

Playing with them… I think it was ’87 or ’86 when my mom bought me my first Barbie. Sun Gold Malibu Barbie. I still have her. She always wanted a Barbie when she was a kid but because we were a communist country it was impossible to get one. So she got one for me with the help of a friend of hour who used to smuggle things in and out of the country. My collection grew over the years until I became a teenager. As you may have guessed I started being more interested in boys than dolls by then, so I stopped buying dolls. ) And then, one day in 2008, I saw some Collector Barbies online and my addiction was back!

Tell us about the dolls in your collection.

Well first of all don’t ask me how many I have. I stopped counting after 200. Mostly I have Barbies from the 70′s, 80s, 90s and some Collector Dolls. Besides them I have a growing collection of 80s and 70s dolls such as Maxie, Tuesday Taylor, Candi, Jem, Sindy etc. Now I really am into Darci dolls and I plan on getting some of them.

You are DollObservers’ unofficial Barbie expert. How do you keep up with all the Barbie news and developments?

) I love the unofficial title. ) Well I read a LOT of doll blogs and websites, I’ve joined a lot of Barbie groups on Facebook and I also have a lot of doll collector friends on Facebook so I read their updates every day.

Your love of Barbie is certainly no secret. Even your recent marriage and engagement had a Barbie related elements. Tell us about that?

Well first of all I must thank God for the Marian. ) Because he understands what a collector is and he loves and takes care of my collection. He doesn’t love the bills that come with this collection but he still loves it. That is why he proposed to me, on the 29th of December 2010 with a custom Ninimomo Barbie called The Ada is Getting Married Doll that was made to resemble me in my Marie Claire spread I had done a few month before. He came up with the idea during a trip to Amsterdam where he saw Teresa Barbie Basics 1.0 and he thought to himself: oh, she looks just like Ada! As he already knew my love for Ninimomo’s creations he got in touch with Nik and Marie and they came up with the amazing doll that was given to me as a Christmas present AND a marriage proposal. I had no idea he was going to do that so it was a TOTAL surprise for me.

You are a very talented graphic and web designer (thanks again for our wonderful site design!). How do you combine your skills in these fields with your love of dolls?

Dolls inspire me. The same is with old cartoons. When I don’t have inspiration I look at my doll collection or search through my cartoon collection and watch some episodes from a classic series such as Jem or Saber Rider.

What advice would you give members who are thinking about starting a doll related website or blog?

Get someone to help you with a nice design. If you also want to make some money for your dolls from ads on your site you have to make it eye pleasing. Content is VERY important but the look also plays a big part in the success of a blog. Oh yes…you can email me!!! )

Other than playing with dolls what else do you do to relax?

As I have said before I love watching old cartoons from the 70s and 80s, looking at classic movies and reading books. I love books! Take me to a book store and I’ll spend everything I have there. ) And also spending time with Marian and our 2 cats, 2 hamsters and the neighbour’s dog, talking on the phone with my parents and going to the gym.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Barbie loves cats. )

Interview with a doll lover, September 2011 (dollobserver.com)

Integrity Toys Introduces the FR:16 Doll Line at IDEX

Simon Farnworth — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:22:58 +0000

Integrity Toys have unveiled an unprecedented number of dolls and doll lines at this weekends IDEX show. Amongst the usual Fashion Royalty, Poppy Parker and Nu Fantasy dolls was the brand new FR:16 line of 16″ fashion dolls. The 1/4 scale doll fraternity, as well as enthusiastic Integrity Toys fans, have long anticipated the unveiling of the FR:16 line which is IT’s latest attempt at the 16″ doll market. Their last line, the AdventGuards, a line of cutting edge 16″ dolls were a moderate success which eventually fizzled out. The FR:16 dolls take their name from their smaller 12″ sisters and do attempt to tie the lines together by putting them in the same story line universe. These gals run a fashion mag called “The Wall” which, as expected, is a runaway success and a must have for any self-respecting fashionista.

The Integrity Toys IDEX booth

There are 4 dolls in all in the début line in a range of ethnicities and face sculpts. My personal favourite is the gorgeous Latino Freja Mossimo who, according to the publicity lore, is art director for “The Wall” magazine. Her outfit is possibly not the most inspiring (all the girls outfits are just OK) but her sculpt is a chiseled beauty and her accessories and shoes are wonderful. Needless to say I have made my pre-order!

Press Magnate Saskia Tate™ Dressed Doll

Fit to Print Anais McNight™ Dressed Doll

Perfect Layout Freja Mossimo™ Dressed Doll

All the FR:16 doll feature applied eyelashes

Accessories to die for...

The DollObservers.com Awards go to the Public Vote (dollobserver.com)
The Poppy Parker W Club Exclusive 2011 (dollobserver.com)
The Dynamite Girls (and Boy) are hitting the City (dollobserver.com)

Challenged to a Duel, Tonner Dolls Style!

Simon Farnworth — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:13:52 +0000

Tonner Dolls launched a brand new website which is sure to whet fans appetites prior to the upcoming revamp of the main Tonnerdolls.com website. And what a bundle of fun it is too, even whilst still in beta!

The crux of the site is good old fashioned voting for your favourite Tonner Doll photo out of the two presented to you on the screen, hense the nature of the ‘duel’! However don’t worry if you can’t decide, you do have the ability to call off the fight and declare a ‘draw’. The best thing about this site is the fact that all the doll photos are submitted by Tonner Doll fans and lovers themselves.

So be sure to check it out dollduels.com

US: Barbie is the number one Christmas import

Simon Farnworth — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:17:47 +0000

According to Toy News Fashion doll Barbie is the US’ most imported Christmas gift, according to a survey comissioned by Bloomberg Businessweek.

An analysis of the ‘States 75 most-popular Christmas gifts found that a total of 2,598 shipments of Barbie products were received in the US throughout August and September, when retailers receive Christmas stock.

Barbie’s popularity continues to rise despite competition from other doll brands. Recovering from a slip in 2008, US sales of Barbie went up 4 per cent in 2009 and 14 percent in 2010.

Barbie & Stardoll Join forces! (dollobserver.com)
Deck The Halls With Fashion Dolls & Holly! (dollobserver.com)

Deck The Halls With Fashion Dolls & Holly!

Simon Farnworth — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:11:08 +0000

The December fashion doll Theme And Photo Contest gets festive

The social networking site for Fashion Doll Lovers, DollObservers.com, is pleased to announce another theme of the month. And what better theme for the wintery month of December than Christmas! The festive season is ripe for theme photos, whether they take in aspects of winter, family, presents or even a hall decked with boughs of holly. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas itself there are still countless ways to creatively interpret this theme. As long as fashion dolls are square and centre and the spirit of the theme is represented then your photo will be in with a chance of winning!

Be sure to check out the December Theme: Christmas group on DollObservers.com.

And the prize just go a whole lot more interesting…

This month we have an even better suprise: the prize is better too! Instead of $20 you will now be in with a chance to win a whopping $50 straight into your PayPal account for splashing out on dolls!

Be sure to vote for a winning photo of last month’s theme: ‘Let’s Go Shopping!’

Find more photos like this on Doll Observers

In order to enter the photo contest you will need to be a member of DollObservers.com the Social Network for Fashion Doll Lovers. A place where every Fashion Doll lover can feel at home…

Say hello to JAMIEshow St. Tropez Angelica

Simon Farnworth — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:23:02 +0000

Regular visitors to my blog will know that I am a huge fan of articulation in my dolls and like to keep a keen eye out on any developments in this field. To this end I had my sights on JAMIEshow dolls, available through the fantastic Angelic Dreamz, for sometime. However until recently I was not as taken with the face-ups as much as I was with their amazing physiques.

That changed when I came upon their St Tropez range of dolls earlier this year. The dark beauty of Angelica took my heart and, credit card at the ready; a pre-order was eagerly made. So from this point the wait was on to receive her and after what seems like an eternity and a rude visit to customs, she finally arrived a week ago (see my reveal video below to savour the moment). The long wait between pre-order and delivery was certainly worth the wait for I was far from disappointed and have found myself a little bit in love!

Angelica came in an exquisitely packed box with lots of quality details such as welcome note and finely printed postcards. The doll herself comes packed minus her wig cap and wearing her dressing balled hands, which is a slight shock for the uninitiated. However what a revelation both of these technologies are! The dressing balls put an end to struggling to get dolls fingers and hands through tiny sleeves (especially for those of us with chunkier fingers lol) and the nightmare pulled sleeve seems. The actual hands which come with Angelica are finely and realistically sculpted as well as surprisingly easy to change and attach. Separately sold hand sets can be purchased from Angelic Dreamz.

The wig cap is also easily attached and gives the doll a smooth and neat hairline without the slightest hint of unsightly plugs. The hair is very long and thick and a variety of separate wig caps can be purchased from the AD site. As if this wasn’t enough JAMIEshow dolls also come with a skull cap so that they can wear conventional wigs. I tried a number of Superfrock wigs on Angelica with great success, although I do find that due to her colouring and exotic beauty darker tones seem to work best. Angelica’s face-up is realistically done with expressive eyes, with applied lashes, as well as sensual pink and glossy lips. She is also able to wear earrings, although the basic dolls do not ship with any.

And now to the body sculpt and what a joy it is! Exquisite resin which is matt and wonderfully hand blushed, yet feels substantial in the hand and not scarily delicate as some BJD fashion dolls can be. This is a doll to be played with, posed and loved! Her 19 points of articulation are stiff enough that she isn’t floppy, yet loose enough that she poses easily and holds the pose well. She feels as if she could even stand unsupported, given the right shoes perhaps! The nuances of her pose-ability make her amazingly realistic, and I am sure I have only just begun to discover all she can do. Her body is overall is lithe and well proportioned.

As she is a basic doll she comes wearing a 2 piece bikini, sandals and sarong. With the St. Tropez basic Angelica the bikinis come in randomly selected colours of blue/green/purple or orange. I had hoped for blue but my Angelica came wearing orange, but this is rather a minor set back in the scheme of things! I also purchased the separate St Tropez outfit consisting of crisp white shirt, denim pants and matching sandals for those evenings after the beach!

Overall I am mightily impressed with the JAMIEshow range and I am sure this will not be my last foray into this new Fashion Doll territory.

The ability to change wigs adds lots of dimensions to JAMIEshow

Barbie Collector Introduces the Sinatra Barbie Doll

Simon Farnworth — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:53:55 +0000

Barbie and Frank Sinatra: two American icons, one classic look.

Inspired by one of the world’s greatest and most iconic performers of all time, Sinatra Barbie® is the definition of class and sophistication as she takes center stage in Fall 2011.

Beloved not only for his melodic voice, Frank Sinatra did things “his way” with refined style and effortless grace. In a tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes, Barbie® puts a spin on one of Sinatra’s most iconic looks, a custom-fitted suit as seen on many of the singer’s album covers, including “Nothing But The Best.”

Looking dapper in tweed, Barbie® wears a tailored houndstooth printed suit complete with a black tie, polished white shirt, and Frank-inspired fedora. Barbie® adds a twist of her own style to the classic look with bejeweled matching earrings and high- heeled saddle shoes. Barbie® also pays tribute to Frank Sinatra with her chic pocket square in orange, Frank’s favorite color.

Available September 2011, the Sinatra Barbie® doll will be a truly tasteful touch to any Barbie® collection and is a must-have for Barbie® and Frank Sinatra fans alike.

Available September 2011 at www.barbiecollector.com

The Poppy Parker W Club Exclusive 2011

Simon Farnworth — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:13:27 +0000

Integrity Toys W Club recently announced their second exclusive doll, and this time it’s a Poppy Parker! For anyone who loves Poppy’s vintage vibe, you will not be disappointed as she is a real beauty. With lot’s of accessories too (drool…). Here’s the official blurb:

Doll collectors everywhere have found that they have fallen in love with everyone’s favorite teen model…Poppy Parker! When a new Poppy is unveiled by Integrity Toys, you can be sure that this doll will sell out before the end of the day. The W Club has offered members a variety of Exclusive W Club dolls in previous years like Fashion Royalty, Nu.Face and AG dolls. But, never before have our members been offered their very own Exclusive W Club Poppy Parker… until now. From posts in the W Club forum, we know that everyone has been anxiously awaiting the next 2011 Exclusive W Club doll, and here she is!

Sweet Confection Poppy Parker is a delicious dish wearing a darling turquoise and white chiffon mini dress with belted bow and button accents. She wears lace tights and turquoise shoes that match her lovely dress. Her “leather” white coat protects her from the chill of spring morning. Topping off her frothy look is a pair of mod white sunglasses, chiffon head scarf and delicate jewelry. What a lovely treat!

“Sweet Confection” Poppy has platinum blonde hair and beautiful turquoise blue eyes. Poppy has applied lashes and due to popular request, Poppy comes in a lovely sunkissed tan skin tone. This Poppy is extra special because this is the very first time that Poppy has been available in this fabulous skin tone. After all, it’s still summer!

The Doll Observer » Doll

BARBIE ANNOUNCES PLAN TO TURN THE WHITE HOUSE PINK WITH A RUN FOR THE OVAL OFFICE

Haute Doll Magazine Gets a Relaunch… And Guess Who’s On-board?

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An Interview With a Doll Lover, January 2012

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Integrity Toys Introduces the FR:16 Doll Line at IDEX

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US: Barbie is the number one Christmas import

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Deck The Halls With Fashion Dolls & Holly!

The December fashion doll Theme And Photo Contest gets festive

And the prize just go a whole lot more interesting…

Be sure to vote for a winning photo of last month’s theme: ‘Let’s Go Shopping!’

Say hello to JAMIEshow St. Tropez Angelica

Barbie Collector Introduces the Sinatra Barbie Doll

Barbie and Frank Sinatra: two American icons, one classic look.

The Poppy Parker W Club Exclusive 2011