By Pam North
Talented wife-and-husband partners Laura Garijo and Alejandro Fajardo are engaged in the creation of collectible dolls. Their enterprise, Irrealdoll, is located in their small home studio in Spain, where Garijo sculpts and finishes the dolls and Fajardo handles administration, the web, and logistics. They share their lives with two beloved pups, Tuco and Temmie.
As a teenager, Garijo discovered manga and anime, which awakened her interest in illustration. She went on to earn a degree in fine arts, specializing in design, but a passion for dollmaking motivated her to learn additional skills. In 2003, before starting university, she had fallen in love with the first ball-jointed dolls (BJDs) made by Volks. Unable to afford the dolls, she began modeling her own versions. “It wasn’t easy,” Garijo recalled. “I had never seriously modeled anything before, and information was scarce on how they were made. To my knowledge, no one had attempted to design and release a BJD in my country, Spain, before I did. The dolls require very specific techniques that were not being taught at my university. Thanks to my strong motivation, I kept trying. Finally, around 2009, I could spend enough time on making my own articulated dolls (Enyo and Ino), and thanks to the savings I had from doing BJD make-ups and part of a scholarship I got, I finally could invest that into Enyo’s first release. Enyo could be considered the first Spanish BJD following the trend Volks started. That was truly a dream come true for me.”
With a degree in graphic design, Fajardo worked for an advertising agency before joining Irrealdoll in 2013. “I can’t really complain,” he said about the career move, “because working in advertising was soul-crushing!” Prior to meeting Garijo and starting work at Irrealdoll, Fajardo said he knew nothing about BJDs, but he quickly learned to appreciate the hard work behind the craft once he witnessed it firsthand. He’s even been inspired to try his hand at 3D modeling, which relates to activities he enjoyed when he was younger: drawing and sculpting plasticene clay figures. “For the 3D software I’m learning today, my resources have been YouTube and my own stubbornness almost exclusively!” Fajardo does a bit of everything these days rather than focusing on work related to his degree, noting, “I make a great ‘tortilla de patatas’ though — on that, I’m an expert!”
At the moment, Garijo specializes in sculpting BJDs in resin, air-dry clay, and other materials. However, she said, “I’m always open to experiment with new materials and techniques.” In fact, she’s learning 3D modeling as well. Tying in her illustration skills, Garijo has found ways to incorporate her drawings into Irrealdoll products, such as the packaging, stickers, prints, and other merchandise.
Garijo finds inspiration in everything she enjoys, including old illustration books, films, secondhand items, anime, and manga (particularly Cardcaptor Sakura). “Anime influenced the way I drew my illustrations, but dolls eventually changed my style, and once I started modeling dolls, I produced this semi-realistic, Japanese-style fusion,” she said. “Pinterest is also a powerful and inspiring tool. Sometimes going on a walk and simply being a spectator lets me find details that inspire my work later.”
Fajardo noted anime as an influence of his, too. “Not that you can see it in Irrealdoll products yet,” he said, “but anime has been one of the biggest driving forces in conjunction with video games.”
When asked at what point in the process the most satisfaction is achieved, Garijo said it’s the moment the doll is finally cast and ready to be painted, and then choosing a wig, eyes, and clothes. “It’s a magical moment because that’s when the doll is truly born. Getting the best out of a sculpture is the challenge for me. It’s incredible that one single sculpture can have so many different looks.”
Meanwhile, Fajardo said it’s most satisfying “when customers notice and appreciate the little things that have been done, ultimately for them, even if they’re just tiny silly things.”
As they have different roles in the business, the pair’s challenges differ, too. Garijo said, “The most challenging part of making a doll is getting the joints as symmetrical as possible. So many things must be taken into account for them to work correctly, and since I’m really a perfectionist, that usually takes way longer than I would like!”
On the other hand, Fajardo said, “My main job is not particularly difficult and can get tedious at times, but I have many podcasts and music to listen to while I’m at it.”
The couple work from their home. Garijo has a room dedicated exclusively to her crafting. “In addition to sculpting dolls, I love drawing, painting, and even making my own art mediums like watercolors and pastels, so my workshop is full of all kinds of materials, dolls, and books.”
“There are piles of cardboard boxes and Bubble Wrap everywhere,” Fajardo said. “We had to build a storage room outside because everything couldn’t fit into our house anymore. Best decision we’ve ever made!”
Despite Irrealdoll’s success thus far, Garijo said it’s a difficult time for artists. “Since there are so many tools and resources to create products now, there’s a bit of oversupply, and the market is saturated. AI is advancing at an alarming rate, and it can be used for unethical purposes, many of which we’re already seeing. We’ve been here long enough to see how everything evolves, from communities, to events, to sales, to new artists. There’s too much of everything, it seems, and that’s yet another hardship with which we have to come to terms. We can only keep offering the best, with new ideas that will make us stand out.”
The couple’s sales are made almost exclusively through their website. They also attend doll events in various locations. They feel incredibly lucky to make a living doing what they love. “I’m very thankful to the BJD and doll communities for being so supportive and caring from the beginning. It’s wonderful to witness the excitement of our customers when they receive their dolls,” Garijo said. “I’ve been able to offer my creations to the world for more than 14 years now. It is a dream come true, and it means a lot to me, so I just want to thank everyone.”
Fajardo echoed this sentiment, saying, “We have a great community built around Irrealdoll, and I’d like to thank them all for their passion and love for Irrealdoll. I believe there always will be people who value art made by humans, with care and with purpose, that surpasses copies or illegal lifeless hybrids. It’s essential that everyone keeps supporting their favorite artists, even if it’s other than Irrealdoll. As long as the art you enjoy wasn’t spit out by AI, you’re on my team!”
The pair have many plans for the future. Garijo hopes to keep making dolls for many years to come. “I love my job!” she said. “I’m currently designing a new doll, but I’d like to try it in a bigger size this time. I’ve been thinking of doing a book about Irrealdoll as well, but it’s difficult to find the right moment with so many doll projects vying for attention in the back of my mind. I want to do too many things at once!”
Without giving anything away, Fajardo said, “We’re working on diversifying our catalogue of products a little bit. Can’t share any details yet, though. You’ll see!”
