Saturday, June 24, 2023

Gay's Pride

It's that time of year to be proud of who you are, of your authentic self, of your true being. Who better to make this celebration supreme than the ultimate icon of film, the one and only - and most unique - Gay Carrington? 


Star of the unforgettable Bates Motel!


Gay Carrington!

For this exclusive Dolldom Gay Pride entry, Miss Carrington chose a tremendously pink gown by La Rosa Punzó with a fantasy hat by ValeyofDolls






Dolldom thanks Gay Carrington for allowing us to use the unofficial, fan made Gay Carrignton Doll. 
Hair and lashes by Pink Bubbles Doll Spa




Monday, June 19, 2023

Enchantée

In 1965, the French company Bella, under license from American Character, produced and sold the Tressy doll and fashions. In later years, the company produced dolls using  the same body sculpt with two different head molds: Marilyn and Nancy.  Marilyn was the company's version of Mary Make-Up, whereas Nancy was...

That's were all past similarities end, for Nancy had no antecedent in Tressy's history, but she did have a face to sink a thousand ships. Not that Tressy is not an iconic sculpt, but we at Dolldom appreciate a doll sculpt that conveys intention, challenges expectations of beauty (which is as relative as success), and focuses on character, attitude, and individualism, something that Nancy, with her side-glacing eyes, well-defined philtrum, and fleshy, pulpy lips with a hint of smile (no sour-puss expression, thank you very much) exemplifies. Nancy (most surely conceived by sculptor José Cotaina) was produced and sold in 1966 and only appeared in the company's catalogue for that year, as a Black doll, modeling a fashion called "Martinique".  

Dolldom conjectures that perhaps Nancy was a doll sold directly to department stores, just like Bellas' Bellita, at a lower price point as neither had the growing hair mechanism. Was Nancy, then, only found at Monoprix and other stores of the same type during the final quarter of the 1960s? How many were made? How many survived play? As Nancy seldom makes an appearance on the secondary market, we surmise that few did. But thanks to a generous Dolly Angel, Dolldom is able to feature Nancy wearing her original sheath in this exclusive entry. Thank you, Dolly Angel! 

For more information on Bella dolls and the history of Tressy, make sure that you visit Tressy and Orasée vous racconte la vie des poupées Bella. If you would like to share any information on Nancy by Bella, Dolldom would be delighted to learn more. 

Je m'appelle Nancy!




















Thursday, June 8, 2023

Ellowyne and Neema: We're Back!

The ever delightful Ellowyne Wilde and her friend Neema by Robert Tonner return just in time for Virtual Doll Convention's TonnerFest, a celebration of all things Tonner and the presentation of new collection! And what a collection it is with four very different looks for Ellowyne and the reprise of Neema's"Life's a Beach" issue with a new make-up palette and wig colors.

Dolldom's editors were honored to collaborate with Virtual Doll Convention and Tonner creating the photo portfolio as well as writing Ellowyne's journal and poems. Believe it in the power of play? You bet we do! 

The dolls will go on sale tomorrow Friday, May 9 at Virtual Doll Convetion's Ellowyne Wilde Boutique.

“Life’s a Beach”

Behold the utterly fabulous “Life’s a Beach” basic Neema! Basic, you say? We are not sure of that! Neema’s long, luxuriously soft, wavy hair looks windblown and is perfect for creative styling. Neema’s short and ever-so-sassy sky-blue and white striped romper boasts three to-scale decorative buttons down the front, a cotton canvas belt with gold tone buckle, and white high-heeled sandals. Long, flirty eyelashes add even more depth to Neema’s sable-colored eyes.
 





"Life's a Beach"

The sea, the sun!

I love the fun 

Of going to the seashore.

As water sparkles

And seagulls circle,

I gaze at all the blue.

My hair is dancing,

In the breeze prancing! 

The beach! I just adore!

Whenever someone’s sad I’ll say: 

“Come on, oh, love, what’s up? 

Bring that pretty chin-up!

A little joy’s within our reach

Cause, baby, ‘Life’s a Beach!’”

Dear Diary, 

Dr. Bantam, for several years now, has advised me to keep you as close to my heart and feelings as I can muster. And I've been, I guess, consistent with my efforts. Well, in all truth, there's been an occasional gap here and there...

At our last session, to which I arrived on time this time, Dr. Bantam suggested that capturing moments of my emotional life, be it in prose or poetry, could have benefits other than the obvious. She explained, teacup in hand, that as notebooks pile up, a second book of my musings could be in gestation. Aghast, I opened my eyes! My expression must have alarmed her, for she immediately added that it was not a matter of sharing again a poetic anthology of my intimate explorations of mood and emotion, but rather of using it to write fiction, to create a character and give her life, a life with travails, doubts, and conflicting emotions, and also revelations and even a little light. I left the session feeling playfully interested in the idea. Ellowyne Wilde, a writer of fiction?

What I find oddly exciting, dear Diary, is that since this session with Dr. Bantam, I have noticed that life already resembles fiction...

Just the other day—and what a day it was, as drearily misty as days can be in this almost-always foggy hometown of mine—the greyness flooded the living room. 

There is something about this old Victorian house surrounded by fog—cool fog that drifts in from the Pacific Ocean—that does exacerbate my innate moodiness. I let myself fall on the chaise lounge, and simply stared into what seemed to be ever-multiplying shades of grey. Where's the sun? Is there a sun? Just when I was about to shed a tear, I caught eye of a most-magnificent happening! Next to the fireplace, underneath the landscape of Lands’ End, I saw a ray of light divided! 

One of my hanging glass prisms had gotten playful with this little escapee of the sun, and they both created a magical instant of seven colors! As small and ephemeral as it was, I understood this moment to be a metaphor for life. Why sit still and immersed in the vapor of sadness when I could be searching for rainbows? No matter the fog or the rain, when least expected, light is bound to appear. Excited, I texted my revelation to Pru! She texted back "Are you okay?" and a winking-face emoji...






"Chasing Rainbows"

My hometown is so often riddled 

With banks of fog from the Pacific.

One day the gloom was so prolific

That I sat blue with thumbs that twiddled.

I wished from the sun to get a token

That would have such dreary grey broken!

When suddenly a playfully glow

of seven colors gave a show!

A metaphor, I understood,

As every day we always should

Up in the sky be "Chasing Rainbows"!

Speaking of whom, she and I and Neema, we've gotten quite tight. After last year's misunderstandings with the berries and the ballgown fiasco, we've been able to find commonalities in not only our interests, but also in our personality . Neema is truly talented, and her artistic expression is taking her places. Last week, she invited me to the opening of her first solo show. As I could not be prouder of her, I accepted the invite... only to regret it later. For as you know, dear Diary, I am not a big fan of crowds! In fact, large numbers of gathered people tend to make me want to retrieve, to go home and sit with Sibyl by the fire. But as Dr. Bantam advises, I cannot allow myself to miss out on life. To hype myself up for the outing, I decided to visit one of my favorite hangs on Valencia Street for something vintage for the event. As the evening for Neema's show approached, I started to get the customary butterflies in my stomach, so before leaving I grabbed a bucket hat—a necessity for protecting my hair in the fog and for covering my face in case of an anxiety attack. The gallery was a scene with a crowd that overflowed onto the street. I thought of turning around when suddenly – and it may have been the combination of my plaid get-up and my trustworthy hat – I heard myself whispering: "Carpe diem, carpe diem, carpe diem!" I passed the crowd by, entered the exhibit space, and gave dear Neema a strong congratulatory hug! She had sold every piece already! 





"Artful Ease"
So many times, I 've gone to art
to give my heart a fresh new start!
Portraits, Pop-Art, what fascination!
Hours I pass in contemplation.
Today, I 'll go to a friend's show:
It's Neema's first solo endeavor!
My suit so rad in kicky plaid,
My blonde short shag, I feel well-clad
Beneath a cute brown bucket hat!
Despite the artful crowd I see, 
so loud and proud, I do not freeze,
As I fit in with "Artful Ease",
The moment I decide to seize!

Are coincidences really accidents, or is there a book or plan written for each of us? And if so, by whom? Are we characters in a story ignorant of our fictional nature? I am starting to believe that I may be indeed one after what happened to me prior to the fashion gala at the SFMOMA. I felt lost in a whirlpool of doubt as the invitation requested that guests dress in monochrome. I started to hyperventilate, triggered by the assumed limitation. I laid down and closed my eyes...waves of green washed over me, then clouds of orange surrounded my head, then a sandstorm of purple came from behind, followed by a waterfall of blue that startled me out of the hallucination. As I moved frantically around my crafting room, I bumped against a pile of books and folded fabrics. Plunk! On the floor, a forgotten bundle of bright-red pleated Swiss dotted net told me to go red or else! An added bonus: if I dressed in red, I could blend with the carpet and feel invisible and go unnoticed. Alas, no red carpet at this event! So red I was amidst a sea of partygoers who had opted to be clad in the essential hues of evening wear! So many approving looks from black ties and white gowns make me wonder: was that bumping incident mere chance? 





"Bright Ideas"

The invitation read in all caps:
"YOU MUST BE DRESSED IN MONOCHROME."
Only one hue? I ask myself,
How shall I meet this limitation?
Creative sparks direct me to
Explore so many hues' emotions.
Shall I go green? Yellow or blue?
When suddenly my eyes connect
With a forgotten stash of pleated crimson
That'll make a dress of great distinction!
Once I get to the fashion fest,
Amidst a sea of black and white
I shine in my cerise confection,
Cause "Bright Ideas" can be yours
With just a little cerebration!

An exercise in pathetic fallacy is what I will name this next entry, dear Diary! In my studies of art, I learned that to a certain Mr. John Ruskin, the Romantic painters were making a huge mistake by bestowing nature with human emotions. I'm glad that they prevailed since, to me, nature and I are in perfect unison. For it's not possible that my moods and the weather just coincide day after day! Earlier this spring, Pru invited Neema and me to a concert in Napa Valley at the vineyard of friends of her parents. Classical music and a respite from the fog? Count me in, as I can always lose myself in the melodies and the fragrance of trailing jasmine everywhere. I chose a dress of utter delicacy, as its print, to me, evoked the beauty of Degas' Impressionism! Flowers amongst flowers? Why not! As excited as I was,  I would have never anticipated what the evening had in store for me. We arrived at sunset and immediately I felt awash with the sun's golden glow, and I couldn't but feel—classical music aside—that "Wildest Dreams" by Taylor Swift was being hummed by the same gentle breeze that played with my wavy curls and the ruffles of my dress. I will go ahead and entertain this moment of emotional alignment as a veritable Romantic possibility!




"Romantic Possibilities"

An evening filled with spring perfume,
A concert in a vineyard setting,
Call for attire ever-so-fetching. 
Inspired by Monsieur Degas,
A blissful dress with sky-blue blossoms
To wear tonight will be so awesome.
When I arrive, in golden light,
I seem to float in the soft breeze.
Tonight's so grand! I feel such ease!
Flounces and waves define gracility;
I sense "Romantic Possibilities".