Fashion Dolls 101

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...

Hayley - Shooting Star of the Fashion Doll World       Hayley, a Gene clone, appeared on shelves briefly in 1998 © 1998 by Kathryn E. Darden      On the horizon of the doll collecting world, visible for a brief time, a small, bright star that quickly disappeared... was it Haley's comet? No, just Hayley.      During the first couple of weeks of November 1998, doll collectors who haunt the aisles of toy stores noticed a new girl on the shelves of a few select Toys ìRî Us stores. A few inches taller than Barbie, manufactured by the Soft Luv company, Hayley came in eight different outfits with three distinct facial styles. Those of us who are Gene aficionados immediately recognized the similarities.  For those of you who have not been paying attention, Gene was created in 1991 by Mel Odom, an award-winning New York artist and illustrator. Ashton-Drake, an affiliate of The Bradford Exchange, began marketing the Gene...

Casa Blanca Nights © 1998 by Kathryn E. Darden Casa Blanca nights, a hint of mystery in the air. Piano music, smoky bar, romantic savoir faire. Bogart looks into the eyes of a regal movie queen To tip his hat and raise his glass: "Here's looking at you, Gene." Those perfect, pouting lips invite; the eyes remain aloof. The essence of Tierney and Lamar embodied in their youth. She has the power to beguile, to be each man's fond dream, For when they close their eyes at night, the face that haunts is Gene. Women emulate her sense of style, her poise, her grace, For sisterhood can sense the power that lies behind the face To live life to the fullest, carpe diem, share the dream. Look deep in amy woman's eyes; you'll find a trace of Gene. Casa Blanca nights --not just a figment of the screen, A way of life captured in timeless elegance by Gene. previously published in the HLAYG newsletter