The new W Club year - and by extension the new year for Integrity Toys releases - begun on the Saturday 14th of March, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, not a good omen for the future. But yes, life must go on and we should keep on dreaming. Plus, with more and more people worldwide confined in their homes due to the virus, we doll aficionados turn even more to our passion for relief and enjoyment. This weekend brought the release of a new line for Integrity Toys, designed by Vaughn Sawyers. It’s name is Meteor and the story line involves the opening of a trendy nightclub by three friends. Three new characters, with new sculpts, were unveiled in a collection made up by five dolls, four available from Integrity Toys dealers and one for W Club members as an event doll. All are priced at $150.00. The dealer dolls arrive in the last week of March, while the event doll will arrive by the end of summer.
My thoughts on the line: I love the concept and that they are all from West Africa. The new sculpts are beautiful and will give us some really interesting dolls. I’m not crazy about all the outfits I’m seeing, but more about that in each doll’s comments. The vibe is certainly au courrant with the fashion trends as seen in the latest catwalks, particularly the decadent bourgeois trend evident in major fashion brands. The price is high, placing the dolls on a par with NuFace and near FR. I’d rather see a new line begin on a lower price level to lure people in, especially when it has a body that’s new to collectors. Better to start low, and when you see that there’s a healthy demand, raise prices. Also, releasing all dolls at once, and badly timed with people paying for older preorders, is not boding well for sales. It’s the same mistake they keep doing with East 59th and it seems they are simply not getting it.
As for the new body: in a video interview sent to Club members, Vaughn said he wanted the dolls to have a curvier body but had not time to develop a new one. So he created a new one by combining parts from other types of bodies. Here’s what Integrity Toys said about the new body:
We know that for many customers, compatibility between brands is extremely important. After careful consideration, Meteor ladies feature a newly assembled doll body composed of the following components:
East 59th upper torso;
Slightly re-engineered Color Infusion lower torso;
Fashion Royalty/NU. Face arms and hands;
Newly developed legs compatible with Fashion Royalty and NU. Face shoes.
With this fantastic body combo, these beautiful fashionistas will be able to easily borrow outfits and shoes from other dolls in your collection! You don't need to wait for more outfits to be released, you'll be able to dress, re-dress, pose and play as soon as you receive them!
The upper torso of East 59th is not the best choice for modern dolls. That body looks good for period fashions but is not aesthetically close to current fashion. They could have used the FR upper body. The lower part is a modified Colour Infusion torso. I guess that was for having a more curvy bottom. The legs are new but they say that they can share shoes with FR and NuFace. If that’s the case, why design a new foot at all? Just use existing ones. I am happy they are compatible though as the main reason I did not collect CI was their incompatibility with FR. That and their larger heads.
Let’s check each new doll and see how they look.
Item # 46000
Night Falls
Keeki Adaeze™ Dressed Doll
Meteor™: The Launch
Limited Edition: 525
Available: Last Week of March 2020
Suggested Retail Pricing: $150.00
AVAILABLE ONLY FROM IT DEALERS
Head Sculpt: Keeki Adaeze
Body Type: Meteor 1.0
Foot Sculpt: High Heel
Skin Tone: Nubian
Hair Color: Midnight Brown
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
Included:
12.5" fully articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;
Ultra-feminine, brilliantly pleated and draped burnt-orange satin blouse featuring a sophisticated asymmetric neckline;
Fashionable high-waist cuffed shorts;
High-gloss taupe belt featuring an intricately designed oversized "gold" buckle;
Deep-burgundy handbag with delicate, shimmering texture;
Faux-suede over-the-knee / slouch high-heeled boots that can be worn in multiple ways;
Baroque-inspired earrings with cloisonné detailing;
Matching baroque-inspired cloisonné cuff bracelet with jeweled detailing;
Oversized yellow "diamond" ring;
Pair of long manicured hands;
Alternate pair of grip hands;
Acrylic doll stand and pole;
Certificate of authenticity;
Signature designer packaging.
First one is Keeki, a beautiful lady in Nubian skintone, with lovely natural hair in a series of ponytails and whisps of baby hair on her temples. It’s a nice detail that complements her hair. I love the doll. Her make up is fresh and stylish and I really like that the lips look well defined without too many paint layers. Her outfit? The blouse needed more work on the sleeves, this type of sleeve in this scale either needs a lighter fabric or gathering at the wrists, to show off well. Now they simply look like lumps. I like the shorts and the versatility the boots. The colours are gorgeous. And her accessories are beautiful. Love the burgundy bag and the Byzantine jewellery which were done a lot by Chanel, and in a more artistic style by Yves Saint-Laurent and Christian Lacroix. And did you notice the detail on her manicured long nails? Wow. I preordered this one despite my dislike of the sleeve style, as I love the rest.
Item # 46001
In This Skin
Zuri Okoty™ Dressed Doll
Meteor™: The Launch
Limited Edition: 525
Available: Last Week of March 2020
Suggested Retail Pricing: $150.00
AVAILABLE ONLY FROM IT DEALERS
Head Sculpt: Zuri Okoty
Body Type: Meteor 1.0
Foot Sculpt: High Heel
Skin Tone: A-tone
Hair Color: Chocolate Copper
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
Included:
12.5" fully articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;
Deconstructed, asymmetrical lightweight faille blouse;
High-waisted, faux-crocodile skirt with dramatic side slit;
High-contrast, multicolored faux-fur boa;
Short gladiator lace-up sandals;
Oversized "tortoiseshell" sunglasses;
Newly developed spiral-ring earrings;
"Golden" molded necklace;
Pair of "golden" finger rings;
Scaffolding inspired oversized "golden" cuff bracelet;
Two-toned, micro-suede handbag with magnet closure;
Pair of long manicured hands;
Alternate pair of grip hands;
Acrylic doll stand and pole;
Certificate of authenticity;
Signature designer packaging.
Zuri reminds me a lot of Suri from Black Panther, and not just name-wise. She’s a fierce looking doll with the air of those legendary Yves Saint-Laurent catwalk models of the 80s, Katoucha Niane and Mounia. And that gap toothed mouth is gorgeous. Her outfit is the embodiment of one of Vaughn’s sources of inspiration, the Real Housewives Of… reality series. My objections: first of all, the sleeve does not drape well with this fabric in this scale. It should have been narrowed at the armpit, meaning a more difficult execution. Or else discarded completely. Secondly, the skirt is pleather, which means eventual destruction. I tend to avoid pleather as much as possible. Accessories are again gorgeous, especially her jewellery. If the dolls were more spaced out as releases, I’d get her too. I will later, if she does not sell out.
Item # 46002
Breaking Dawn
Amirah Majeed™ Dressed Doll
Meteor™: The Launch
Limited Edition: 525
Available: Last Week of March 2020
Suggested Retail Pricing: $150.00
AVAILABLE ONLY FROM IT DEALERS
Head Sculpt: Amirah Majeed
Body Type: Meteor 1.0
Foot Sculpt: High Heel
Skin Tone: New Hispanic
Hair Color: Honey Ginger
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
Included:
12.5" fully articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;
Intricately draped charmeuse blouse;
Pale blue faded skinny jeans, featuring rhinestone appliqués;
Faux-snake pumps;
Oversized faux-suede and faux-leather tote bag with name tag detail;
Newly developed, oversized "golden" sunglasses with sculpted floral detail;
Oversized hoop earrings with "jeweled" accents;
Extravagant "golden" sphere ring;
Chunky giraffe print inspired cloisonné cuff bracelet;
Pair of long manicured hands with delicately hand-applied crystals;
Alternate pair of grip hands;
Acrylic doll stand and pole;
Certificate of authenticity;
Signature designer packaging.
Amirah is the sculpt I like least of all three. And the make up does not do her any favours here. Or the hair. The blouse she’s wearing tries to incorporate so many different things that ends up being a cacophony. And have I said I really hate torn jeans?
Her accessories are nice but not with the wow factor the two previous dolls have and ditto for the jewellery. Hard pass.
Item # 46003
Edge of Night
Amirah Majeed™ Dressed Doll
Meteor™: The Launch
Limited Edition: 525
Available: Last Week of March 2020
Suggested Retail Pricing: $150.00
AVAILABLE ONLY FROM IT DEALERS
Head Sculpt: Amirah Majeed
Body Type: Meteor 1.0
Foot Sculpt: High Heel
Skin Tone: FR White
Hair Color: Ebony
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
Included:
12.5" fully articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;
Elongated, menswear-inspired, textured chiffon shirt;
"Micro-suede", deconstructed, denim-inspired jacket;
Pleated kilt with contrasting plaid overlays;
Faux-leather handbag with shoulder strap detail;
Chunky high-heeled military-inspired boots;
Satin striped necktie;
Faux-silver dangle earrings;
Oversized "silver" ring;
Pair of long manicured hands with black rhinestone appliqué on one nail and glitter French tip on the thumb;
Alternate pair of grip hands;
Acrylic doll stand and pole;
Certificate of authenticity;
Signature designer packaging.
The second version of Amirah is much better than the first. The combination of pale skin and dark hair is very attractive, especially combined with the cool toned makeup she has. Too bad she has a boring hairstyle and a version of a Thom Browne that looks and feels overworked but unfinished too. She is missing the oomph of Browne.
Item # 46004
Afterglow
Keeki Adaeze™ Dressed Doll
Meteor™: The Launch
Limited Edition: TBA
Available: Approx. Late Summer 2020
Price: $150.00, $25 deposit with preorder and $125 + S&H when doll arrives
IT DIRECT EXCLUSIVE, available only for W Club members
Head Sculpt: Keeki Adaeze
Body Type: Meteor 1.0
Foot Sculpt: High Heel
Skin Tone: Sunkissed
Hair Color: Ebony
Eyelashes: Yes, Hand-applied
Quickswitch: No
Included:
12.5" fully articulated doll with rooted hair and hand-applied eyelashes;
Shimmering mini dress with criss-cross harness detail, worn over a sheer, long-sleeved mock-neck top;
Show-stopping, extravagant, oversized, parka-inspired, quilted-satin and faux-fur hooded evening coat;
Thigh-high, sheer micro-sequined boots with intricate "chrome" heels;
"Jewel-encrusted", molded necklace (magnetized);
Leaf inspired, chandelier earrings;
"Jeweled" ring;
Pair of two-toned, long manicured hands;
Alternate pair of long-manicured hands;
Acrylic doll stand and pole;
Certificate of authenticity;
Signature designer packaging.
The event doll is easily the best of the bunch. Vaughn said his inspiration for this one was Cardi B, but the doll reminds me of the Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie (see below)! She could easily stand next to the Retrofuture ladies too. The sequinned boots and intricate manicured hands are the cherry on top
Photo courtesy of Mattel Inc.
So, let’s recap what is available and from where.
Available from IT Dealers
Already in-stock/Shipping approximately the last week of March 2020
Item # 46000 Night Falls Keeki Adaeze™
Item # 46001 In This Skin Zuri Okoty™
Item # 46002 Breaking Dawn Amirah Majeed™
Item # 46003 Edge of Night Amirah Majeed™
IT Direct Pre-order
Ships approximately late Summer 2020
Item # 46004 Afterglow Keeki Adaeze™
Final fabrics, colors, and textures may vary slightly. For adult collectors ages 15 and up only. All photos and information contained herein, unless otherwise stated, is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. ©2020 All rights reserved. METEOR, EAST 59TH, FASHION ROYALTY, NU. FACE, COLOR INFUSION, and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc., Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. ©2020 All rights reserved. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.
Doll Photography by Jayme Thornton; Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing
Kimora Lee Simmons Barbie Doll photo courtesy of Mattel Inc.
