A Designer’s Dream: Barbie Models Outfits From Top Names in Fashion
When Barbie was introduced at Toy Fair in 1959, Ruth and Elliot Handler, the creators of Barbie, already knew the di¬rection they wanted to go with the doll.
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Category: Fashion Dolls
Everybody’s Talkin’ Barbie!
The big news in toys back in 1968 was the release of a talking Barbie! This had been on the drawing board for several years — Mattel’s 20-inch Chatty Cathy from the early ’60s could say several different phrases. But it was hard to adapt the talking mechanism — a miniature record player, complete with speaker — to fit inside Barbie’s 11.5-inch body.
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Island Dreams: Alena Amicus Settles Into New Life in Britain
Fashion and fantasy BJD artist Alena Amicus (Elena Kochurova’s professional name) won an Industry’s Choice award in the Teen/Adult Doll category in last year’s Dolls Awards of Excellence. Late last year, the Russian artist and her husband were able to move to Great Britain. Alena is continuing her dollmaking and working on new designs as they both settle into their new home.
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1950s Ginger: The Darling of the Doll World
Nearly every American doll company around in the 1950s tried to capitalize on the stellar success of Ginny, Vogue’s charming 8-inch toddler doll. Ginny reigned as queen, but Cosmopolitan promoted 8-inch Ginger as “the darling of the doll world” because she was also made from high-quality plastic and wonderfully dressed. Today, Ginger has finally come into her own among collectors after taking a back seat to Ginny for many years.
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A Well-Turned Ankle: Madame Alexander’s Elise Could Wear Shoes for Any Occasion
By 1957, Madame Alexander’s fashion-doll lineup had never looked better. The 1957 dolls had a new peaches-and-cream finish to the faces with a perfect blend of blush — the company’s offerings were indeed spectacular. One outstanding new addition to the legendary company’s designs that year was Elise, a 16.5-inch fully jointed doll.
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Curious Collector: 1971 Mattel No-Bangs Francie
I got into an online bidding war with someone over this 1971 Mattel Francie because I had looked for years for one and have not been able to find one. Why is this doll so rare and expensive?
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Lovely Little Lissy: Madame Alexander’s Follow-up to Cissy Became a Favorite
In 1956, Madame Alexander issued Lissy, a 12-inch doll with a stunning face and sleep eyes. Her body was jointed at the elbows and knees. Her age was not precisely defined.
Lissy was a perfect fashion doll for a lower price than the 21-inch Cissy.
Fashionable Flexibility: British BJD Design Duo Focuses on Beauty, Posability
This is a sneak peek at Emperis Dolls’ upcoming new generation male sculpts. By Wil Peterson...
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