JamieSHOW dolls released a new Gene Marshall doll just in time for the holidays, and she looks magnificent. The doll is one of the most beautiful Gene dolls ever, I love her make up and hairstyle. The outfit reminds me a bit of the Silkstone Boater ensemble, it is stylish, elegant and very chic for a shopping spree down 5th Avenue. Below are photos and the doll description and details from JamieShow. Preorder her here. It will ship in mid-January 2017.

Gene Marshall is the fashion doll that did for 16" dolls what Barbie did for the 1/6 scale ones: established the fashion doll rules for the particular scale and made every doll thereafter compare to it. Since JamieShow took over the line and collaborated with the creator Mel Odom, the doll reached new heights of quality and sophistication. For its 20 year anniversary (and the 5th of JamieShow dolls) the dolls did not disappoint - and we got some added bonus as well.

The convention doll was none other than Gene Marshall in a Lady Grey resin version. The concept had first been done by Mel when the doll was produced by Integrity Toys for their 2007 Gene Marshall convention design contest and now she's in resin, even more glamorous and sophisticated, with her tiara and evening gown, inspired by a Charles James original. I like the concept better with this hair colour than the ashen blond used in the previous version.

All photos courtesy of George Gonzales and JamieShow dolls

It was obvious that the new Gene Marshall doll line from JAMIEshow would feature the well known and popular Madra Lord and Violet Waters characters since the beloved Mel Odom fashion dolls re-appeared on the scene after a small hiatus. Today the company releases the two dolls for preorder.

Madra & Violet will both go on sale tonight Friday April 4Th at 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. A clock with the local time in New York has been placed right under our phone number on the top left side of the website so you can tell what time it is here locally. The Edition sizes are 150 for Madra and 50 for Violet. The link to shop for the dolls: CLICK HERE - UPDATE - All sold out on pre-orders

The price of each doll is $525.00. There will be 3 payment options available, you can choose to pay 30% Down (157.50) , 50% Down ($262.50) or Pay in Full at the time of ordering. The dolls are expected to ship in two waves, first wave at the end of April and the rest by mid May. Paid in full orders will ship first. You can contact JAMIEshow Dolls at 800-557-5939. Have in mind though that the lines tonight will be busy. You can also email them here.


Madra Lord makes her comeback premiere to JAMIEshow dolls in a Dior look, an off white silk dress with faux animal print, and a belt. Her heels are also made of animal print fabric with one strap. Her jewellery comprises of emerald green Swarovski crystal earrings, necklace and bracelet.


Her wig cap is a red updo. She also comes with a hard cap for regular wigs, and a doll stand. She is the same skin tone as Gene and Grace from JAMIEshow. All JAMIEshow dolls are hand made and hand painted in their exclusive J-Resin. Madra is lovingly sculpted from the original sculpt by Mel Odom. Madra will not be produced again. This will be her only incarnation.

Violet Waters makes her comeback premiere to JAMIEshow dolls in a satin silk dress with peplum, with an violet in her updo rooted wig cap. She wears violet strappy high heel shoes and soft pearl earrings and necklace. She also comes with hard cap for regular wigs and a dolls stand. She is the Lena/Sabina skin tone from JAMIEshow. Violet is lovingly sculpted from the original sculpt by Mel Odom. Violet will not be produced again. This will be her only incarnation

Photos and information courtesy of Jamieshow Doll USA

I have an Instagram account and only post doll portraits from my collection, plus the first photos I shoot when unpacking my newly arrived dolls. Since many blog readers do not have an account there, I thought I would post some of them here for you to see. Playing with filters and effects there is not as complex as Photoshop but it is fun and I love people's reactions to them as many who see them are not collectors. Hope you like them.

Ghost Of Christmas Future by Tonner Doll

Irresistible In India Poppy Parker by Integrity Toys

DAE Dolls Glamour Gal Vivien wearing Portrait by DAE

Reluctant Débutante Poppy Parker by Integrity Toys

Holiday Grand Brenda Starr by Effanbee Dolls and Tonner Doll (no filter used)

Pas De Deux Gene Marshall by Mel Odom and Ashton Drake

Versace Barbie by Mattel

Ready For Wardrobe Joan Crawford by Tonner Doll

Star Of The Red Carpet Daphne Dimples by Effanbee Dolls and Tonner Doll

Take The Picture Jo Stockton by Integrity Toys (here still in her box)

Think Pink by Integrity Toys

Manhattan Grand Sydney Chase by Tonner Doll

Grace Kelly by Franklin Mint

Poppy Parker "The Happening" by integrity Toys

Mel Odom is a living legend in the fashion doll world. His Gene Marshall doll actually established the niche, when it first came out back in 1995. It was Aston Drake that manufactured the dolls then, and quickly Gene was a collector's favourite. Years later, in 2005, Gene and Mel moved on to Integrity Toys. Gene was improved in many ways and the flame kept on for a while until, again, the life cycle of the doll came to an end in 2010.

Now Gene is back, in her third incarnation, a Phoenix (the doll's name) rising from the ashes. Mel collaborates with JAMIEshow to bring us a mew Gene, as a resin BJD (ball-jointed-doll) in a very limited edition. So limited in fact that the doll is sold out. There was 100 dolls ready for sale at IDEX, where she was presented in a special event by Mel himself. another 50 dolls were available on-line after the presentation at the JAMIEshow website but no more. These 50 will be ready to ship in early May.

The doll looks a lot like the Gene we know and love, maybe a bit softer.She is a 16" ball-jointed resin doll, with an interchangeable rooted wig cap system (hence the different hairstyles and colours you see in the photos). She is dressed in a powder blue silk gown, wearing gloves and special gloved hands. She comes with an extra pair of regular skin tone hands as well. Her accessories include a blue Swarovski pendant necklace, earrings, and a bracelet; blue matching shoes; an adjustable JAMIEshow stand; and two rooted wig caps in differing styles and colours, one platinum short cut and another brown chignon, as well as a hard wig cap so she can wear standard doll wigs. She is a collaborative effort designed by Mel Odom and JAMIEshow, with the dress designed by Maddie Rose Couture.

The doll looks amazing, a gorgeous Gene to be added to all the rest. It is very expensive but so are most resin dolls at her size and quality and edition. I love the dress, fabric and colour are exquisite. I would like to see the hands up close to see how they look in their gloved version. Welcome back Gene and Mel, we missed you!

Update: You can see the gloved hands in this post by Terri - and also more photos of the doll with various outfits and wigs in that and other posts.

I photographed Jason Wu's Androgyny Avantguard doll dressed in Mel Odom's Gene Marshall Criss Cross gown - wig by Facets by Marcia, jewellery by ...(if anyone recognizes these, I got them ages ago from a great lady in Prego and lost her card, cannot remember her name), shoes by Joe Tai, chair by Bella! Studios, ornament on her hand by Depot in Dusseldorf.

Mel Odom has officially announced that he will not continue the Gene Marshall doll line any more. Read his letter below, where he explains his reasons for this and announces his plans for her farewell.

This year, we've had a really wonderful collection, with awards and popular triumphs and a great sense of energy among you guys. I've really enjoyed it. It's been amazing. And the Hollywood Royalty minis being a hit was just the sprinkles on the cupcake for me. I just think it's always better going out a winner, while you are on top.

This is the thing...I want to do something else. I'll be (gulp) 60 next year and feel like there are other things I can accomplish if I can devote my full attention to them, like I have done with Gene. I've practically ignored my first loves, drawing and painting, for far too long. For twenty years before Gene, I was known as an illustrator and graphic artist. I don't think I can go back to being an illustrator; that's over for me. But I'd like to be known as a painter and I'd like to maybe teach art. As some of you know, I've been knocking on the doors of art galleries with my paintings for the past few years and am not about to give up on that particular dream of mine. I feel like I have enough time for one more great phase in my career, even though I'm not positive what it is.

Gene is in my head and heart and nothing I can ever do will change that. She's always been with me in some form and will stay with me and very probably morph into another phase of whatever it is I do, paintings maybe. But I've always had to change every so often, like when I stopped focusing on illustrating and created a fashion doll. This is one of those times. So Gene and I are pulling a Garbo, and retiring, but not without a fabulous send-off.

I have gone over my plans with Integrity and we all want to make sure that we have a proper celebration for Gene and her friends (both plastic and human). I have really enjoyed working with Integrity and making these past few years some of Gene's best ever. The Integrity team and I are planning one last, big blow-out for all of us- a 15th Anniversary convention to celebrate Gene and all her friends, to be held in early June in Philadelphia. And for this special party we're creating one more collection, "The Stardust Collection", a curtain call of sorts for all of our characters, and get this... including Trent. Ashton Drake is graciously allowing us to use the original molds to create one more classic Trent for the party. So, Trent will be there and Oona and Ivy and Violet and Madra. I'll be there and hopefully everyone will be there, to celebrate 15 years of the coolest thing to happen to fashion dolls since high heel feet.

Facts and forms will be forthcoming, but I wanted to tell you all this personally. There will also be a special Gene happening in early 2010; you'll be privy to the information later on. It'll be fine, you'll see. Gene will be a perfect 15-year long phenomenon in the doll world, a story with a humble start and surprise ending- a beautiful arc of stories, characters and costumes that changed the doll world. And as long as Cher and Barbra Streisand are in this world, there's always a chance of a comeback somewhere down the road.

I'll still be blogging; the W Club has happily agreed to continue to send all of you my "Mel Mail updates", right through the big party in June. Later on, I'll be blogging from my own website www.melodomart.com, which should be completed and up soon. Any of you who are interested can come along with me for the rest of the journey as well. You're all invited. Thank you for everything and remember to always....