Fashion Dolls 101

by KATHRYN DARDEN   I got the Picnic Set outfit and the little basket and LOVE THEM! It is an absolutely adorable set with the cutest little  accessories ever. I usually like the ball gowns and formals, but this set is possibly my favorite yet. The shoes are a little hard to fasten, but they are so cute and NO RIBBONS! The little bracelet with the tiny cherries matches the pin and the trim on the little hat -- very, very cute. Of course it comes with a picnic basket which contains tiny flatware, four plates which look like bone china, and four exquisite linen napkins. The red gingham lining the basket matches the red gingham trim of Gene's outfit.  I give this one an A+

by Kathryn E. Darden     As a new millennium dawns, one doll steps out of the vinyl throng to possess the spotlight and launch a new era; that doll is Robert Tonner’s Tyler.      Robert Tonner has become a household name among doll aficionados for his award winning dolls and fashions. After graduating from the Parsons School of Design, Tonner’s career took off when he became the head designer for legendary Bill Blass (who recently announced his pending retirement) and had the opportunity to hone his skills as a fashion designer.      In 1991, Tonner combined his fashion experience with sculpting and design talents to produce the beautiful dolls which have brought him to the forefront of the doll collecting world. “The first dolls I did were 16" porcelain dolls, jointed; they were very expensive,” Tonner told me in a recent interview. “Then I came out with a larger porcelain fashion doll for around $300.” These exotic porcelain beauties soon catapulted Tonner to the attentio

Brenda Starr © 1999 by Kathryn E. Darden and Marianne Smith.   KATHRYN'S VIEW If you have not ordered Brenda Starr yet, my advice is DON'T order the expensive LE. While the LE has a beautiful face, lovely hair and an intriguing gown, the vinyl did not have the porcelain appearance of Gene's  (it reminds me of a baby doll's vinyl), her limbs are not tight enough, and her arms and hands make her look ape like to me -- they are not dainty like Gene's. Her fingers made me think of stuffed sausages! For that reason, I put her black gloves on to hide those big hands. The gloves do help, but I am afraid they will stain. Of course, her cheaper vinyl may not absorb the dyes like Gene's would. Brenda's shoes are beautiful to behold but they won't stay on her feet -- even with the NASTY STICKY STUFF they put inside the shoes to hold them on! Then I put her on her stand. It is a fairly nice stand of a similar design to Julia's, but whereas Julia's

Daisy Milkmaid Wedding by guest blogger Pam Albrycht I was highly impressed with the doll's wigs, and facial painting. The quality of the outfits, fit and detailing and accessories is amazing for the cost. Knickerbocker really outdid themselves. I ended up keeping Milkmaid Daisy doll and her outfit , and the outfits for Trafalgar Square Daisy and Autumn Willow and selling the nude  Trafalgar Square Daisy and Autumn Willow dolls. I have to limit the number of dolls I keep of each kind, as I am running out of room, even with the two curios. Daisy is my favorite of the two dolls. Her skin tone is super and her face paint really enhances the color of her skin. They did a terrific job on her eyes in particular. The tiny fake eyelashes add a lot. I took off Daisy's Milkmaid cloak as I can see her better without it. She is lovely. I will wait a few days before I put on the other outfits. If they offer a doll later with different wigs, I think that would be wonderful. I have Daisy

© 1999 by Kathryn E. Darden      The old man shuffled down the street, face downcast, trying to ignore the bitter wind that tore at his overcoat, trying to ignore his bitter disappointment over the latest ... and last ... meeting with his bank. The once dapper coat which he knew how to throw around his shoulders with a theatrical flair was now carefully mended. There was no money for frivolous things like coats. Frederick Gurling had given everything he had to keep his Maple Street Community Theater open.      Once one of the leading community theaters in the country, the Maple Street or "The Maple" as it had been called in the Good Days, had fallen upon hard times. But Frederick remembered it as it had once been in the Good Days. Frederick Gurling had been considered one of the best acting coaches of his day, a peer of the rich and famous, a mentor to the young.  "Herr Frederick" they had respectfully (and fondly) called him.      Ah, the young men -- how dash

Easter Parade © 1999 by Kathryn E. Darden "No wonder they call it the windy city," she said to herself as she hurried down the busy Chicago street, clutching her fashionable straw hat.  Trimmed with exquisite colorful flowers, ribbons and tulle, Gene more aptly referred to it  as her Easter bonnet having worn it two weeks earlier. Two weeks earlier she was home for Easter with her family. After a delicious breakfast she helped prepare with her mother, Gene went with her parents to the small church they had attended since she was a baby for the Easter service, wearing the same ensemble she now wore. Gene Marshall, already a legend at this fairly early stage of her career, loved Easter and spring. She loved decorating colorful eggs with her mother to put in a basket with coy blossoms peeping out from amid the eggs. She loved the attending the special Easter service with her family, dressing up in her "Sunday best," wearing hats trimmed with flowers. A

Gene Goes to Pittsburgh  Gene in the limelight at the 1999 Barbie© doll convention in Pittsburgh © 1999 by Kathryn E. Darden      The National Barbie convention was held August 4-7, 1999 at the Hilton and Towers Hotel in beautiful Pittsburgh, Pa,  organized by the Western PA Doll Club. With the theme ìWe Can Do Anything, Right Barbie?î this yearís convention paid homage to one of Pittsburgh's own, the famous female reporter of the late 1800's/early 1900's, Nellie Bly. The Hilton was full of glamor and glitz with two sales floors full of dolls and a lobby with other items: Hallmark ornaments, posters, Millers and Barbie Bazaar magazines, and other additional booths. Barbie was the uncontested 11 1/2 inch queen of the hour... but a surprising number of booths featured a strong Gene contingent.      Many Barbie dealers have already added Gene in as a sideline, and a growing number of booths had regular line Genes in prominent display alongside her smaller vinyl cousin.