Integrity Toys Luxe Life 2018 Convention: Style Lab

This year's Style Lab concept centres around  Tulabelle True™ as she helps promote the new Rufus Blue™ fashion label called MISS BEHAVE. Each doll in the Style Lab is sold nude and outfits are sold separately, as always. What’s new this year is that every doll and each outfit include a bonus "build-a-doll" component that allows people who buy the entire collection to build an additional, complete Poppy Parker dressed doll when the entire collection is purchased. More further down in the post. Let’s see the 2018 MISS BEHAVE Style Lab Collection

Item # 88037

Gavin Grant™ Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

Wearing

Item # 88045

Graphic Content Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88038

Rufus Blue™ Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

Wearing

Item # 88046

Punk Rock Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88039

Janay® Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

Wearing

Item # 88047

Not Your Puppet Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88040

Alysa® Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

Wearing

Item # 88048

Hot Chick Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included)

Item # 88041

Jade® Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450
Wearing

Item # 88049

Soft Focus Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88042

Lark Lawrence™ Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450
Wearing

Item # 88050

Cherry Bomb Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88043

Ellery Eames™ Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450
Wearing

Item # 88051

Glitterazi Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88044

Hollis Hughes™ Doll

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450
Wearing

Item # 88052

The Remix Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88055

Bellamy Blue™ Fashion Figure

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450
Wearing

Item # 88057

Amplified Male Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450

(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

Item # 88054

Milo Montez™ Fashion Figure

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450
Wearing

Item # 88056

Metal Head Male Fashion

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 450
(Doll and outfit sold separately, no doll stand included).

This year’s collection also includes two accessory packs, which, when combined, create a complete additional fashion for the girls. While they create another look for the dolls, these two accessory packs are sold separately and do not include components to create the secret Poppy Parker doll.

Item # 88058

Top This Accessory Pack

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 350

Item # 88059

Skirt the Issues Accessory Pack

2018 THE INDUSTRY™ Style Lab: The Miss Behave Collection

Edition size: 350

The Poppy Parker Build-A-Doll:

As explained when this year's Style Lab was first announced, those who purchased the entire Style Lab collection receive the added bonus of being able to complete an entire dressed doll free of charge for the first time ever. Collect all of the components and you get to own an exclusive Poppy Parker doll. Poppy comes with two lower sets of legs and two pairs of shoes.

Note: All dolls pictured in these photos are prototypes; final colors and textures may vary slightly. All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2018 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing

Charlotte Olympia exlusive Barbie doll now available on Net-a-Porter

The much anticipated Charlotte Olympia Barbie doll is now available to order on Net-A-Porter.com. The doll is supposed to be released through the Charlotte Olympia website on the 6th of September. The renowned accessories designer has also designed a capsule collection of real life shoes and bags to go with the doll, which you can shop here.

Update: Now available at Barbie Collection.

I love the accessories but the €202 price tag is quite high. The american price is $125 on the designer website.

They even included the leopard Bruce that is a fixture in the Charlotte Olympia shops.

The accompanying description: An absolute must for collectors, Charlotte Olympia's Barbie® is inspired by the original 1959 doll, right down to her elegant feline facial features and perfectly coiffed hair. This Collection Gold Label® edition is wearing a leopard-print dress and 'Dolly' pumps and carries the 'Bogart' tote with matching gloves. Inside the box you'll also find some miniature 'Kitty' flats, an 'I Love Shoes' tote and the brand's big cat mascot, Bruce.

Below is the back of the box, with all the details. And the designer's inspiration?

"A childhood dream come true, Charlotte Olympia and Mattel collaborate on a very special collector's Barbie® doll. Taking inspiration from the original 1959 Barbie®, Charlotte Olympia styles her in a two-piece leopard print outfit with a pair of signature red Dolly platform pumps on her feet, accompanied by the iconic red Bogart leather handbag and matching leather gloves. A lady of true glamour and refinement, her hair is set in blonde retro waves and she comes with a closet's worth of Charlotte Olympia signature accessories, including the brands leopard mascot. The Barbie® capsule collection features a range of Pretty in Pink Kitty Flats, ultra-girly platforms pumps and sandals and Barbie® themed clutches for a fun and timeless flash-back look".

The box includes the doll carrying her accessories plus two additional signature pairs of shoes; the Kitty Flats and the Eve platform sandals, the Pandora clutch box complete with insert, the Banana bag, the Web fascinator, 1950’s inspired cat-eye sunglasses and a Charlotte Olympia shoebox with dust bag and polaroid. For the adult collector.

Body Type: Shani
Facial sculpt: Vintage Barbie
Fashion Sewn On: No
Fashion: Fitted leopard-print dress with matching jacket
Accessories: Shoes: Red ‘Dolly’ pumps, green ‘Eve’ heels, ‘Kitty’ flats, leopard ‘ Miranda’ wedge; Purses: Clear ‘Pandora’ clutch, ‘Kitty’ purse with real gold chain, ‘Banana’ bag; Others: ‘Bruce’ leopard statue, shoe box with dustbag, sunglasses, spiderweb earrings, shopping tote
Doll Stand: Yes
Package Dimensions (H/D/W): 13.5“ ; x 3.0“ x 12.

 All photos courtesy of Charlotte Olympia and Mattel.

Third strike: Dolce & Gabbana feature dolls in their Spring/Summer 2015 fashion show

It seems fashion dolls finally hit their stride with the catwalk. After the Lagerfeld Barbie, soon to be unleashed to the world (or more precisely to the very few lucky people who can get her) during Paris fashion week beginning immediately, and Moschino's all out fun Barbie extravaganza, along comes that incredible Italian duo, Dolce & Gabbana, and feature dolls in their Spring Summer 2015 fashion show in Milan.

The dolls were in bag-like boxes with a clear front, dressed in the same outfit the model carrying them was wearing. Detailed accessories were completing the outfits. The dolls look like archetypal Dolce & Gabbana women, more Mediterranean than fashion like. I would love to have them for the accessories and the outfits as well as duplicates to keep for display.

This Dolce & Gabbana collection had Spain as the main inspiration, so all outfits and accessories drew heavily on the rich cultural and historical treasures of the Iberian peninsula. Combined with a strong theme of catholic church artifacts incorporated into accessories like bags and shoes, it made for a very strong show. Red of course was the dominant colour, combined with lots of black.

I would love to have some of these outfits translated to doll size, along with some of the intricate accessories. The bags alone were more than 10 different designs.

The Guardian reported that Vogue's Editor In Chief Anna Wintour "grinned broadly when models marched down the catwalk holding fashion dolls in perspex boxes. Dressed in typically Dolce & Gabbana black, tailored skirt suits with widow's veils and crucifix necklaces, the toys, said Gabbana, were "ironic and funny", inspired by princess dolls in the Disney store and those sold at train stations in 1950s Italy".

Below is the video of the entire runway show - you can see the dolls in their bags too.



Photos: Yannis Vlamos / Indigitalimages.com from Style.com

My extremely talented friend Maria and her Habillis Dolls Creations

Being a fashion doll collector means, among other things, meeting people all over the world that share the same interest/hobby/obsession. That can lead into a beautiful friendship, which is my relationship with the wonderful Maria (from Habilis Dolls), my dear Greek friend. There are not many Greek fashion doll collectors but I am happy that I met her and we share such a wonderful friendship. Apart from being a wonderful human being, she is also a talented maker of clothes and accessories for fashion dolls! I have been meaning to dedicate a post to her extraordinary work for quite a while (you have to see her craftsmanship up close to understand the high level of quality in her work). I managed to convince her to give me an interview, which you can read below.

Fashion Doll Chronicles: Let's start with a few words about you

Maria Habilis Dolls: My name is Maria, I am 48 years old, a teacher of Ancient Greek and Latin, teaching in High school for 25 years now. I live in Syros, a beautiful island of the Cyclades in the Aegean Archipelago, am married and have a 15 year old son and a 13 year old daughter.

FDC: Tell us how you discovered fashion dolls?

MHD: That was by accident, on-line, where else? Specifically, I was looking for clothes for my Barbies (that was way before I started making myself clothes for dolls). When I saw the first Fashion Royalty I was speechless. She was Eugenia Overachiever and immediately after Eugenia Going Public. Then I knew that I had to step up a level (collecting). That was the beginning. Later on I discovered Sybarites (I own two), Tonner dolls etc. It was a road with no return. Now my collection has more than 60 Fashion Royalty dolls.

Outfit based on my own design and made by Maria

FDC: How did you decide to start making clothes for your dolls?

MHD: Along with Fashion Royalty dolls, I also discovered the very talented creators that were already part of the fashion world for dolls. I was impressed with their work and, because I can sew, I slowly started to make clothes for dolls on my own. Six years later I can say I have experience and an easy to do it. But I dedicated lots of time and was very patient and insistent. I am more proud about my insistence than about the results of my creativity (LOL)!

FDC: When did you start selling doll clothes and accessories made by you?

MHD: From the moment I started collecting dolls obsessively, I thought it would be nice to cover my spending to enrich my collection in one way or another and not incur that on the family budget. From the moment I started uploading the first photos of my creations on flickr (www.flickr.com/photos/habilisdolls), it was really encouraging that many friends asked me if I sold my creations and where they could find them.

FDC: Were there any obstacles in this endeavor?

MHD: My main desire and concern when taking those first steps were if the people who were the first to trust me and bought my creations would be completely satisfied. Generally I did not have any problems, on the contrary it is something that gives me inspiration, joy, creativity and allows me to add to my collection which is my passion.

FDC: How and where do you sell your clothes and accessories for fashion dolls?

MHD: I started selling them on eBay and that was important because in this way you become well known and many people that ignored your activity in this sector can see you. Two years later I created my own site  http://habilisdolls.com and now I do most of my selling from there, since by now I have loyal customers that love my work. With many of them I also have a really warm communication, we're almost friends. I mention this as it is something that gives me great joy and I an glad that through this interview I can publicly thank them.

FDC: Where does your inspiration come from?

MHD: I am mainly inspired by my favourite creators and through the various blogs I follow. The materials themselves are also a great source of inspiration. I have a large fabric collection that I have been adding to for a while. As I observe them I imaging the outfit that can be made of them at the same time.

FDC: How long does it take you to complete an outfit so that it is ready to be sold?

MHD: That depends on the design and the fabric. If for example the fabric demands a complete lining, it can be very time-consuming. Other times the outfit is simple but has intricate accessories. Generally five to six houts is the norm, but never without interruptions as I do not have that much free time available. I also make many designs and try-outs, it often takes time for me to say "this is it". Don't forget that I do not want to miss out on the fun, as I also like to play at the same time. Trying out hair dos, I also need to see the outfit worn by a blond, a red-head and a brunette as well. So time flies by really quickly. I never stopped playing with dolls feeling satiated by it.

FDC: Favourite fashion designer:

MHD: Alexander McQueen was always a favourite and I love what Burton is doing with the house, continuing his work. If I must set someone apart it would be Karl Lagerfeld whose clothes I almost always like. Lately I like what Salvatore Ferragamo does too.

FDC: For which dolls do you prefer sewing?

MHD: Mainly I love sewing for FR because I love the way they pose. The new bodies especially are a delight to dress. I also have done stuff for 16" dolls like Sybarites and recently I fell in love with  Tulabelle και Poppy Parker Fashion Teen 16’’ girls.

FDC: Which is your favourite doll and why?

MHD: My most beloved doll is and will always be Going Public Eugenia cause she was the first one I bought, love at first sight. I got her in the summer of 2008, a gift to myself for my birthday.

FDC: Tell us you favourite and also your most "despised" fabric/material to work with.

MHD: There is no particular favourite or despised material. I generally favour soft and elastic fabrics as they are easier to sew and fit better on the body. I avoid too delicate fabrics that can slip and make it hard to sew.

FDC: Which has been the greatest reward of this work?

MHD: From this activity I have been rewarded in many different ways. First of all with the money I made I was able to add more beautiful dolls to my collection. It is also a creative endeavor through which I express my self as well as get feelings of relief and restoration.. It is also very important for me being in touch with people, getting to know each other and also a great joy and recognition for me seeing photos of other collectors or friends' dolls wearing my clothes.

FDC: Most difficult thing in making doll clothes?

MHD: I think it is making the outfit come out properly in this small scale. I have noticed the difference between having the outfit in your mind and really making it. For example a pleated or draped outfit is not the same when made in this scale. You have to be picky about fabric or use tricks to give a real feel to the outfit.

FDC: What details do you always incorporate in your clothes and accessories?

MHD: In outfits I am really interested having the seams really well made and the finishing being careful and professional. I do not want people to think, when they have them in hand up close, that it was not worth the price they paid. I also want the collector that buys my clothes to have available all the comfort and ease to dress the doll without too much trouble or get annoyed doing so. I am also careful to use quality fabric so that it will not stain the doll's body. For accessories, what is important to me is that they look as realistic as possible and not doll-like. I am not sure I can always get away with it.

FDC: Favourite outfit until now and why?

MHD: I love almost all the designs I have made so far and usually I keep a copy for me. One I will always cherish is a dress inspired by Alexander McQueen.

FDC: Any advice you'd like to share with the rest of the doll-world fashion designers?

MHD: Be patient, make this with love and never miss out on the fun and the mood for play. This can also protect us from bad antagonism and jealousy that unfortunately also exist. I will never forget, when I first started sewing for dolls, the kindness and encouraging words of Kathi(aka FrauE) in some e-mails we exchanged, where she advised me exactly this, never miss out on the fun in this whole thing. Thank you so much Kathi, you are always an inspiration and example for me.

FDC: What else would you like to tell us about you and your work with dolls?

MHD: I am proud for all the things I have done for dolls and being a respected member of the doll community. It has given me immense joy, creativity and I can say it has changed my life, in the sense that being a clothes-maker for dolls is one of the things that defines me almost as much as my profession. Also very important are the acquaintances I have made, the very remarkable and interesting people I have been into contact with, the friends I made like you. Stratos my friend. If it wasn't for our dolls we probably would never have met and we would not have had the chance to spend such lovely moments in Syros! I suggest to all people to try and find something to love and amuse them as we all do with our dolls. Stratos thank you from the bottom of my heart for having me in your wonderful and remarkable blog, it is a great honor. Hugs and love to all of you. 

All photos, outfit and accessories designs courtesy of Habilis Dolls, used by permission.