The Fashion Doll Chronicles: Robert Tonner

Showing posts with label Robert Tonner. Show all posts

Sunday, February 12, 2017

Tonner Doll introduces Jazz Jennings doll at 2017 International Toy Fair

Since last year's news that Tonner Doll was changing in a big way, there was nothing more - not even an inkling towards the new direction the company, actually the two companies now, Tonner and Phyn and Aero, will take. Until now. Next weekend, during Toy Fair 2017, Tonner will present a new doll, Jazz Jennings. But it is not just a doll. It is one based on a real person. A transgender person.

Tonner unfortunately did not even bother to email their client list about the doll, posting instead on their Facebook account the article about their press release from another website. The doll photo is from Jennings' own Facebook page. All we know is that it was approved by Jazz and her parents and it will be an 18" vinyl doll sculpted by Robert Tonner, available in specialty stores and on www.tonnerdoll.com in July, 2017. So who is Jazz Jennings?

16 year old Jazz Jennings, transgender star of TLC's docuseries "I Am Jazz", is an honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation. Jazz speaks at universities, medical schools, conferences, conventions and symposiums all over the country. She's also a You Tube Vlogger, a youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign and an advocate for GLAAD. Jazz is the youngest person ever to be recognised in The Advocate Magazine's, "Top Forty Under 40" annual list. She was named as one of TIME Magazine's Most Influential Teens for 2014 and 2015. She is also listed on Huffington Post's 14 Most Fearless Teens of 2014.

Friday, December 23, 2016

The transformation of Tonner Dolls and a new company: Phyn And Aero

Yesterday Rober Tonner e-mailed registered Tonner Doll members the following letter:

Tonner’s 25th Anniversary Year re-cap:
2016 has been, perhaps, the most momentous year of my life. Celebrating 25 years of creating dolls and accessories was really kind of humbling. Culling through photographs of past events and seeing the faces of people getting so much joy out of the dolls and events we’ve produced was truly heartwarming. It reminds me yet again of how lucky I’ve been to enjoy a hobby that turned into a career and a business.
I’ve frequently been asked what have been the greatest accomplishments of my last 25 years in this business and there are definitely some standouts:
-My first New York Toyfair, sitting at a single table in our tiny booth and selling out everything I brought in the first few hours.
-The first Tyler Wentworth dolls arriving at our warehouse and eventually shipping to retailers.
-The Betsy McCall and Mary Engelbreit licensed products that were so cherished and charming.
-Being the only company to produce Harry Potter dolls for six years.
-Ellowyne Wilde and the creation of Wilde Imagination, which allowed me to move in an entirely new direction.
-All of the employees who have supported me along the way, whether they believed in what I was doing, or not!
Currently, I’m spending a great deal of time learning (and hopefully mastering) some very new computer sculpting programs that, combined with state-of-the-art production capabilities, provide an entirely new method of creating dolls. I call it the “New Art of Doll Making™” and I’m really excited about what we’ll be doing in 2017 and beyond. It’s also awakened a pioneering spirit in me again and I’ve decided it’s time to completely re-think what we offer to collectors. Therefore, although Tonner will continue to make all of our established licensed products such as DC, Gone with the Wind, Outlander, etc., all of our proprietary lines, as well as those of Effanbee and Wilde Imagination, are being discontinued.
A new company is being launched and it’s called Phyn & Aero. We will be introducing three new lines in 2017 in collaboration with innovative (and incredibly talented) new designers. I really feel it’s time to broaden our perspectives and see what some fascinating (and younger!) designers create for our collectors. I believe the collector market needs a major shake-up and I’m quite sure this will be it!
As always, I’m so grateful for all the love and support you’ve shown to me over the years. I am also terrifically excited about the direction we’re heading in and hope you will join us along the way in this new, incredibly exciting adventure!

It looks like the company we knew and loved is no more. It will continue to produce only the licensed dolls (who know for how long, until the licences expire? And will we finally see Empire dolls?) but no more fashion dolls, no more Tyler Wentworth, Marley or any other fashion doll line. It is quite an unceremonious end for Tyler and family and it makes me feel sad as she was one of my first, if not the very first fashion doll I got. The new company, Phyn and Aero, will probably have new fashion dolls, so I am curious to see how that goes.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Spring Release 2016 by Tonner Doll

It seems that the merging of Tonner with One World Doll has put the company on hold, otherwise I cannot explain why the Spring 2016 release consists only of ten items, out of which only eight are dolls (one of them not even a fashion doll). Fashion doll wise there are four Deja Vu dolls, two De De Denton dolls, one Marley Wentworth outfit, one Scarlett O Hara doll and a doll carrying case. I like the De De Denton dolls but not enough to buy them, while the Scarlett doll is interesting but not a must have unless you're a completist. You can order now, some are in stock (see below) and some will be in a month, from Tonner or your favourite dealer.

De De Denton Power Play Dressed doll

Face includes hand-painted details
Fine quality vinyl and hard plastic
DeDe Denton head sculpt
17” Athletic body
Bisque skin tone
Green painted eyes with applied black eyelashes
Mink rooted saran hair
Grey knit dress
Brown faux leather belt with antiqued “gold” buckle
Grey faux fur shawl
Antiqued “gold” hoop earrings
Natural-colored mesh pantyhose
Brown open-toed booties
Stand
LE300
$179.99 - in stock

De De Denton Producer's Lunch Dressed doll - Expected to arrive 4/1/2016

Face includes hand-painted details
Fine quality vinyl and hard plastic
DeDe Denton head sculpt
17” Athletic body
Bisque skin tone
Blue painted eyes with applied black eyelashes
Strawberry rooted saran hair
Burgundy cowl neck knit dress with 3/4 sleeves
Burgundy faux leather jacket
Burgundy stretch knit headband
Burgundy hoop earrings
Black sunglasses with black lenses
Burgundy faux leather strappy heels
Stand
LE300
$179.99 - pre-order

Marley on the Move - Outfit Only

Fits 16" Chic body
Cream coloured cotton twill jacket with matching zipper
Cream coloured cotton twill skirt with matching zipper and brown faux leather skirt lacing
Black cotton t-shirt
Pink faux leather purse with gold hardware
Multi-coloured brocade booties
LE300
$99.99 - in stock

Deja Vu - Warrior Woman Dressed doll - Expected to arrive 4/1/16

Face includes hand-painted details
Fine quality vinyl and hard plastic
Déjà™ Vu female head sculpt
16 ” Déjà™ Vu body
Cameo skin tone
Light blue painted eyes
Pale blonde rooted saran hair
Tan linen dress with “gold” chain maille bodice
Off-white crochet lace long vest with brown faux-fur and faux-leather trim
Tan pants
Brown belt
“Gold” helmet with white resin horn accents
Brown faux-suede and faux-leather boots
Painted brown wood spear with “gold” painted tip and thread decoration
Stand
LE500
$229.99 - pre-order

Deja-Vu Innocence - Expected to arrive 4/1/2016

Dressed doll
Face includes hand-painted details
Fine quality vinyl and hard plastic
Déjà™ Vu female head sculpt
16 ” Déjà™ Vu body
Bisque skin tone
Brown painted eyes
Light brown rooted saran hair
White cotton dress with white striped accents and white lace trim
Natural pantyhose with white attached panties
Gold-colored chain necklace with gold charm
Gold-colored beaded earrings
White striped cotton headband with gold decoration
Purple chiffon scarf
White faux leather shoes
Stand
LE300
$179.99 - pre-order

Deja Vu Afternoon Walk Dressed doll - Expected to arrive 4/1/2016

Face includes hand-painted details
Fine quality vinyl and hard plastic
Déjà™ Vu female head sculpt
16 ” Déjà™ Vu body
Cameo skin tone
Violet painted eyes
Pale blonde rooted saran hair
Gold chiffon dress with gold and purple lace and ribbon
Purple shantung coat with purple bow, multi-colored dots and gold lining
Natural mesh pantyhose
Gold-colored faux pearl earrings
Purple, gold and green - feather, ribbon and flower hair decoration
Purple shantung shoes
Stand
LE300
$189.99 - pre-order

Deja Vu Penelope's Cover Up Dressed doll - Expected to arrive 4/1/2016

Face includes hand-painted details
Fine quality vinyl and hard plastic
Déjà™ Vu female head sculpt
16 ” Déjà™ Vu body
Bisque skin tone
Blue painted eyes
Golden blonde rooted saran hair
Faux suede black sleeveless top
Grey flannel wool skirt
Cream and burgundy knit & faux suede poncho
High black faux suede boots
Stand
LE300
$159.99 - pre-order

Gone With The Wind - The Lost Barbeque Dressed Doll

Face Includes Hand-Painted Details
Fine Quality Vinyl and Hard Plastic
Scarlett O'Hara/Vivien Leigh Head Sculpt
16” Tyler Bending Wrist Body
Green Painted Eyes
Mink Rooted Saran Hair
Cameo Skin Tone
White Printed Dress with Forest Green Velvet Belt and Bodice Trim with Faux-Coral Decoration
Pantyhose
White Petticoat
White Gloves
Brown Ribbon Bracelet with Coral Decoration
Faux-Coral Earrings
Wide Brimmed Straw Hat with Fern Decoration and Green Satin Strap
Green Faux Leather Shoes
Stand
LE300
$214.99 - in stock

Leather Look Carrying Case

Red in color and faux crocodile in texture, this case boasts antiqued gold hardware and an ivory satin interior to safely and stylishly transport your 16” doll.

$49.00 - in stock

Friday, December 4, 2015

Tonner Doll merging with One World Doll

Yesterday the holdings company One World Holdings announced the merging of One World Doll with Tonner Doll. What does that mean? Probably access to cash and resources for Tonner Doll and access to insider know how and resources for One World Doll. Will it provide for better dolls? It remains to be seen. Below is their press release.

ONE WORLD HOLDINGS, INC. – Houston, Texas – December 3, 2015. One World Holdings, Inc. [OTCPink:OWOO] and Tonner Doll Company, Inc., today announced that their Boards of Directors have approved a definitive agreement for The One World Doll Project (a subsidiary of One World Holdings) to merge with Tonner Doll Company. The agreement was entered into on December 2, 2015. The agreement is a friendly, stock-for-stock transaction in which 100 percent of Tonner Doll Company’s 145,200,000 shares outstanding will be converted into an equal number of shares of One World Holdings. Each Tonner Doll Company share will be exchanged for 1 share of One World Holdings common stock, resulting in Tonner Doll Company shareholders owning approximately 15% percent of One World Holdings common stock upon closing. Also following the closing of the merger, The One World Doll Project will change its name to Tonner One World to reflect the combined business of both companies. Under the definitive agreement, all assets, licenses and contracts of both companies will become the property of Tonner – One World, which will remain a wholly owned subsidiary of One World Holdings, which will file with FINRA and the state of Nevada to change its name to Tonner One World Holdings, Inc.

As a component to the merger, a Connecticut based private equity firm that has been a primary funder of One World Holdings for the past three years has agreed to fund the company with an additional $750,000, and plans continue to fund One World Holdings until it completes a proposed $5,000,000 round of private equity financing. In connection with the definitive agreement, One World Holdings will increase its authorized shares to 1.6 billion shares, which management believes will facilitate the merger transaction and permit One World Holdings to collateralize the $750,000 funding, as well as provide shares potentially needed to facilitate the private offering.

“The combination of The One World Doll Project and Tonner Doll Company creates an exciting opportunity for our company, for our customers, and for our shareholders,” said Corinda Joanne Melton, President and CEO, One World Holdings. “In addition to creating a world-class toy company, this is a compelling financial and strategic transaction for our shareholders,” she added. “Robert Tonner and his team have created a multi-million dollar collector doll company that, combined with One World, has the foundation for massive future growth, new product development and maximization on current licenses to create product for some of Hollywood’s biggest television and film projects.”

“This combination creates a company that delivers maximum value for us and we are thrilled to be joining forces with the amazing team at One World,” said Robert Tonner, CEO of Tonner Doll Company.

Management of both companies believe that the new toy company, which will be led by CEO Corinda Joanne Melton, President Robert Tonner and COO, Jack Kralik, will generate multiple benefits, including an accelerated deployment of products into big box retail stores and innovative ventures into ancillary properties ” such as character licensing, children’s television programming, apparel, accessories and publications.

Through the merger, Tonner – One World will acquire Tonner Doll Company’s approximately 15 thousand customers. The merger agreement between The One World Doll Project and Tonner Doll Company has received board and shareholder approval from both companies, and is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close during the first quarter of 2016.

For more information about the merger, hear interviews with company executives about Tonner One World, log onto tonneroneworld.com.

About The One World Doll Project: Established in 2010, The One World Doll Project, a subsidiary of One World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: OWOO) is committed to changing the retail landscape of the doll industry. The Prettie Girls!™ (Positive Respectful Enthusiastic Talented Truthful Inspiring Excellent), The One World Doll Project’s debut collection, is a line of fashion play dolls that are diverse in culture, interests, and style. Founders Trent T. Daniel and Stacey McBride-Irby, a former Mattel® designer who designed Mattel’s first authentically designed African-American dolls, developed the Prettie Girls! to capture the essence of positive values and attributes that every little girl can embrace.

About Tonner Doll Company: Tonner Doll Company, founded by Robert Tonner in 1991, is an established collector doll enterprise based in New York. The company has earned an esteemed reputation for creating the highest quality and most detailed collectible doll and accessories. Tonner’s products have been displayed in the Louvre complex and his immaculately proportioned creations have earned him the rights to bring: The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, The Big Bang Theory, Twilight, Avatar, Superman, Spider-Man, Gone With the Wind, and myriad other film, television and comic book characters to exquisite life worldwide.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Tonner 2015 convention: Guilty Pleasures

The last weekend of May was when Tonner had their annual convention. This time it was held in Dallas, Texas, and was named "Guilty Pleasures". They presented most of their lines there, but we will of course concentrate on the fashion dolls. As was to be expected, Marley was prominently featured, so it seems the company is pushing towards having this line as the main fashion doll line for the company, which is fine by me, as long as they can make more relevant and richly accessorized outfits for these dolls. So while early on the first day (29th of May) the first dolls appearing were Ellowyne and Evangeline, dinner was the first two ladies made their appearance, matching the theme of the night: Rockabilly. Please note that prices are those at convention, the Tonner Direct prices are about $10 higher.

Dixie
Re-Imagination
Centerpiece
Estimated availability: 8th of June 2015
Limited Edition of 200, $165.00.
Available to order from Tonner Direct

Dixie is a dressed doll whose face includes hand-painted details such as green eyes. She is crafted of fine quality vinyl and hard plastic. Her Kit head sculpt and Chic body were fashioned with a bisque skin tone. Her chestnut saran hair is swept-up with a red faux flower hair decoration. Her red and white checked halter dress is adorned with black flower embroidery and a patent leather belt with silver ribbon trim. Underneath, a black tulle petticoat and nude pantyhose with attached white panties are the foundation of this garb. Black lace gauntlets, black beaded earrings, and black faux leather shoes with a racy red and white polka dot ribbon flower decoration round-out this outfit. Dixie arrives with a stand. Cute doll but nothing special for me.

Maxine
Re-Imagination
Souvenir doll
Estimated availability: 8th of June 2015
Limited Edition of 200, $165.00.
Available to order from Tonner Direct

Maxine is a dressed doll whose face includes hand-painted details such as her blue eyes. Bisque skin tone is the colour of her fine quality vinyl and hard plastic CW-1 head sculpt and Chic body. Her raven rooted saran hair is styled in a kitschy retro do with a modern twist. Her red beaded earrings match her polka dot pleated chiffon bodice while her black ribbon choker and gauntlets do the same for her black dress. Black lace thigh-highs atop nude pantyhose complete this attire. Her black faux suede shoes come with a bow decoration. Maxine arrives with a stand. She looks great, probably the best looking doll of the convention.

Saturday again started with other lines (Patsy etc) while the ladies below were featured at dinner - the theme was Manhattan Sleek. The dolls do not look like New Yorkers to me but I guess everyone has a different image of what a New Yorker is in their mind.

Marley Grand Entrance
Centerpiece
Estimated availability: 8th of June 2015
Limited Edition of 150, $199.00.
Available to order from Tonner Direct

Marley’s Grand Entrance is a dressed doll with a face that includes hand-painted details such as light blue painted eyes with applied black eyelashes atop her bisque skin tone. She is crafted of fine quality vinyl and hard plastic with a Marley Wentworth™ head sculpt and a 16" Chic body. She has mink rooted saran hair. Her wine and gold lace dress with satin trim and faux flower decoration shares the same design roots as her wine and gold lace hat also with faux flower decoration and veil. Her matching beaded earrings, gloves and satin shoes tie the ensemble together. Nude pantyhose and panties finish off the ensemble. Marley’s Grand Entrance arrives with a stand. I do not like her lip colour - not with this riot of fuchsia in the dress. The hat is a disaster.

Marley Mad for Accessories Gift Set
Souvenir doll
Estimated availability: 8th of June 2015
Limited Edition of 250, $275.00.
Available to order from Tonner Direct

Marley’s Mad for Accessories Gift Set includes the glamorous Marley Wentworth™ head sculpt with the 16" Chic body with graceful hands. The gift set also includes two other sets of hands: Déjà vu hands and holding hands. She is crafted of fine quality vinyl and hard plastic with a bisque skin tone. Her face has hand-painted details such as searing blue eyes with applied eyelashes. Her two wigs have different colours. The 1st wig is flame coloured blended with chestnut. The 2nd wig is platinum. She comes adorned in a daring black satin coat dress, with rhinestone charm decorations, a black satin belt with a rhinestone buckle, black skirt with ruffle trim, black tights, and black satin pumps. Her additional outfit components include a red satin dress, blue satin pumps, a black lace bodysuit, black sunglasses and a fuchsia pink satin purse with rhinestone decoration. The gift set comes with a stand. I'm guessing she is trying to channel a youthful Anna Wintour. The doll looks great but the outfit is not what I'd like to see on her. Completely mismatched accessories are ok but not special as should be the case for such a giftset and at this price. Great idea to have two wigs although I'd ditch the underwear and have a third, raven wig added instead.

The breakfast on the 31st brought everyone together for the last time in the convention and was dedicated to the Déjà vu line.

Déjà vu Dame de Loisirs
Convention doll (?)
Estimated availability: 8th of June 2015
Limited Edition of 200, $175.00.
Available to order from Tonner Direct

Dame de Loisirs (Lady of Leisure) is a dressed doll with a face that includes hand-painted details such as blue eyes with applied black eyelashes. Her Déjà vu™ head sculpt and 16" Déjà vu™ body are crafted from fine quality vinyl and hard plastic in a cameo skin tone. Her red rooted saran hair is accentuated with pink faux flowers and feather hair decoration. Her light blue dress is highlighted with pink bows and an attached petticoat. Her pink tights bring out the blue in the matching taffeta shoes with bow accent. Dame de Loisirs arrives with a stand. Lovely hair. For the era represented, this outfit is undergarments actually.

She also came on a new Tonner furniture piece, a chaise, styled appropriately for her era. I thin we have not seen furniture from Tonner since the Tyler heyday. It was sold out soon after appearing on the Tonner Direct on-line store. It was priced at $100.

As Tonner does not have a club like Integrity, there were no informative emails about the convention and the dolls, so all my info and photos are from their Facebook page and website.

Thursday, March 19, 2015

The Tonner 2015 Mainline Collection

Tonner Doll just released their 2015 mainline collection on their websites. We are going to have a look at the fashion dolls from the release and any other doll that could be described as fashion doll as well. First up is the Marley Wentworth collection: Tyler's younger sister is all grown up and has taken her place as the fashion plate of the Tonner universe. She has her own sculpt (which looks good, especially with certain make up colours) and the 16"Chic Body which is a variation of the Antoinette body, with broader shoulders and a fuller bust. It was first seen on the Carmen Dell'Orefice doll (which we are still waiting to see as a commercial release).

Positive/Negative Marley Wentworth Dressed Doll
Suggested retail price: $189.99
T15MWDD01

Marley is a doll with a face that includes hand-painted details, made of vinyl and hard plastic. She has the Marley Wentworth™ head sculpt with the 16" Chic body in the Bisque skin tone. She has green painted eyes with applied eyelashes, chestnut rooted saran hair. She is wearing a black and white stripe sequin knit dress, accessorized with nude pantyhose, a pair of rhinestone earrings and silver faux leather shoes. She comes with a stand. LE of 500 dolls.

I like her, I really do. So much so that I am pre-ordering her. She looks great. Her face strucks a nice balance between conventionally beautiful and model style, and this colouring fits her well. I have not ordered a Tonner fashion doll since Short n' Sassy Peggy Harcourt back in 2013. The dress is not perfect (at least in the production photo) but the doll looks so good I can get over it if it is not good. No earrings shown in the photos and the pumps look like someone photo shopped the heels). That's not the way to do promo shoots Tonner. And it has been like this for quite some time now.

Skyline Blue Marley Wentworth
Suggested Retail Price: $189.99
T15MWDD03

Skyline Blue Marley is a dressed doll again in the bisque skin tone, with blue painted eyes and applied eyelashes. sporting raven non-removable wigged saran hair. She is wearing a royal blue dress under a matching royal blue coat with assorted blue gauntlets. Her accessories include nude pantyhose, pink metallic shoes and a purple metallic bag. Stand included. LE 500 dolls.

Not bad but not exciting like her previous incarnation. She looks half done, as if the person making her suddenly decided they had better things to do.If the lapels were normal and the hair in an updo, she could very well have come out of the latest Prada catwalk show - without the luxurious accessories of course.

Rose, Rouge Marley Wentworth
Suggested Retail Price: $179.99
T15MWDD02

The third Marley dressed doll has the bisque skin tone, with hazel painted eyes with applied eyelashes and strawberry rooted saran hair. She is wearing a pink and red knit dress with flower trim, which comes with a white tulle petticoat. Her accessories include nude pantyhose with attached panties, black faux leather shoes, a green faux leather bag and black sunglasses. Stand included. LE of 500 dolls.

This one looks good. I love the outfit and the doll. If she had earrings and a bracelet/watch, she would be perfect. Her colouring is gorgeous. It seems that red hair in any shade fit Marley well. Can anyone explain why she is $10 cheaper than the previous ones when she has more accessories than they do?

Marley Deluxe Basic
Suggested Retail Price: $119.99

This is the basic doll version of Marley Wentworth. She has a face with hand-painted details, she is made in vinyl and hard plastic, has the Marley Wentworth™ head sculpt on a 16" Chic body in the bisque skin tone, with blue painted eyes with applied eyelashes, She comes with two wigs: short raven saran wig and long platinum saran wig (that's nice!)/ She is wearing a black lace slip dress over nude panties and black faux leather shoes. She comes with a stand and is a LE of 500 dolls. A nice basic doll but wigged - which does not always go well with collectors. Coming with two wigs though is a plus. Pity they did not include a face close up shot - come on guys, this is a basic doll, don't show me the pumps! Her face makes or breaks her.

Cool Chic - Outfit Only
Suggested Retail Price: $99.99
T15MWOF03

The collection includes two outfits but only this one was photographed. They have put up a sketch for the other one (a black sequin and net dress with gladiator boots called Crazy Nights) but I do not like that - if you are pre-ordering something, it has to be at least upon seeing a photograph of the finished product. This outfit consists of a black faux patent leather coat with white faux fur collar over a white knit bodysuit and a black faux patent leather skirt. It comes with a pair of black boot tights (veeery fashionable right now, Karlie Kloss rocked a pair a while ago), a white and black faux leather bag and black sunglasses. LE of 300. I do not like the fastenings but the rest looks great. Wonder how well the boot tights will look in real life.

Re-Imagination
Bianca Lapin dressed doll
Suggested Retail Price : $189.99
T15FTDD02

Re-Imagination is the Tonner Doll line where dolls are inspired by fairy-tale characters with a twist. Some times they are gorgeous (Vassilissa, The Christmas Carol ghosts come to mind) and sometimes not. This time the collection has Alice In Wonderland as inspiration (again) with quite a twist. Bianca Lapin is of course the White Rabbit (Bianca is white in Italian and lapin is the rabbit in French). She is a dressed doll with the Duchess head sculpt on the 16" Chic body (it seems this is the main body for fashion dolls with Tonner now) in the lily skin tone. She has light blue painted eyes and platinum rooted saran hair. She is wearing an off white knit coat with faux fur trim over a matching faux leather dress with belt over nude pantyhose with attached panties and off white faux leather knee high boots. She comes with a stand. LE of 500 dolls.

Courreges meets Bjork. Quirky and eccentric, like the White Rabbit always should be. If the outfit is finished well, she will rock. I love the boots. Hope the ties don't tear the faux leather apart when put on.

Tweedle DeDe Dressed doll
Suggested Retail Price $169.99
T15FTDD01

This one has the Jon head sculpt (from Cami & Jon) on the 16" Chic body in the honey skin tone. She comes with brown painted eyes and mink with red rooted saran hair. She is wearing a white and black stripe knit bodysuit under a black shantung dress with attached red tulle petticoat. Her accessories include white and black stripe knit thigh highs, a black and white choker, nude pantyhose and black faux leather boots. Stand included. LE of 500 dolls.

Of course this one is a fashionable, Gaultier-esque version of Tweedledee, one of the twins in Through The Looking Glass. She looks really nice but where are the boots?

Haddy Madigan dressed doll
Suggested retail price of $219.99
T15FTDD03

The third dressed doll of the Re-Imagination release is a twist on the Mad Hatter character from Alice In Wonderland. She has the Liu Liu head sculpt on a 16" Chic body in the cameo skin tone, with blue painted eyes and mink rooted saran hair. She is wearing a black multi-coloured top with ruffle trim over a matching multi-sequin chiffon skirt with ruffle trim. Accessories include a hat (not mentioned in the description - THE important accessory of the Mad Hatter), black faux leather shoes and nude pantyhose. Stand included. LE of 500 dolls.

The Asian of the group is the most extravagantly dressed, aptly enough for this Mad Hatter inspired extravaganza. Pith her shoes are black instead of rainbow striped coloured. She sports one net gauntlet since the jacket has only one sleeve. Would be lovely to see her with a tea-pot shaped bag and a pair of opera binoculars.

Charlie Dodgson dressed doll
Suggested Retail Price: $189.99
T15FTDD04

The only male character this time, he has his own Charlie Dodgson head sculpt on the 17" Matt O'Neill™ body in the Tyler skin tone, with blue painted eyes and sandy blonde non-removable wigged saran hair, He is wearing a blue stripe shirt under a dark grey suit. He has grey knit socks and black molded plastic shoes with laces. Stand included. LE of 500 dolls.

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson is the real life name of the famous Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass and other beloved books. Here he becomes a dashing young man in a suit, a bit too plain compared to the rest of the line up. I know he's supposed to be taking on the Alice role in this re-imagined version of the story but he could have been styled a bit more eccentric. After all, Tonner has released tons of male dolls in plain suits. He looks fit to take Marley out for drinks! Handsome face though. Tempting.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Tyler Wentworth's 15th anniversary

My own Signature Style Tyler Wentworth, dressed in a Gene Marshall outfit.

Photo by Stratos Bacalis

Dressed to the nines. As Tyler Wentworth should always be. Ready to celebrate her 15th anniversary. as dear Tommy Courtney (who spend a decade with her, making her look glamorous and fantastic through his photographs for Tonner Doll) kindly reminds us in his lovely commemorative article. On the 14th of December 1999, the first Tyler Wentworth dolls shipped to retailers. And thus begun a dream story, with a core idea so simple, yet so powerful: The power of play.

A version of Tyler that became a classic throughout her career - and embodied her "life" and story more than any other is the Signature Style Tyler. The first one, in 1999 (above), had some problems at first, but quickly became the darling of collectors. And while the doll progressed through the years. the style became a staple that kept on being re-released as a basic dressed doll version of Tyler - and a great entry doll for those seeking to discover Tyler's world. Fashion designer extraordinaire. She even got her own design desk and atelier accessories. I hope I will be able to find a set one day for my signature style Tyler. Yes, my one and only Tyler Wentworth doll is a BW (bending wrist) Signature Style with raven hair from 2004.

Signature Style Tyler through the years

Of course through the years she came with a magnificent wardrobe, lots of accessories, many friends (and a boyfriend, who finally married her) and furniture - even a piano! She even got released in a resin BJD version (with inset eyes even). She got to wear some of the best designs Tonner has ever released, from suits to gowns to casual wear, from pret-a-porter to haute couture - even goth! I am a proud owner of some, even one from the first ever collection in 1999: the Central Park Benefit Luncheon suit, exquisitely made.

Central Park Benefit Luncheon, outfit only, 1999

Even her body evolved. From the original one with articulation only at the shoulders, hips and knees, she gradually became articulated at the elbows, waist, wrists, bust and even got interchangeable feet: high heeled, flat and even ballet arched ones. She even got a new sculpt in 2007, with a slightly more angular face. The power of play indeed.