Couture: AFD Group Style

Ever since Mattel and Robert Best announced the introduction, the demise, and then the return (never say "comeback", as per Norma Desmond) of the line that brought Charlotte Johnson couture cachet back to the Barbie doll, independent designers have been creating complementary fashion designs to inspire collectors who love to play redressing their dolls.

Since 2011, AFD Group has been a leader in the milieu of fashion dolls specializing in exquisitely rendered likeness of the who's who in celebrity land. Their OOAK characters are much sought after for the awe-inspiring precision of execution, bold vision, and ultra-realistic design. (If you are familiar with the popular Schwabichen on Instagram, you have already fallen under AFD Group's spell!) Produced by Vasily Barbier and Sergey Amelkov, AFD Group's offerings have expanded to include red-carpet designs created with the same expert eye for detail, fit, and refinement.

AFD Group's Etsy boutique is a not-to-be-missed destination for all Barbie Fashion Model Collection and Integrity Toys connoisseurs who are seeking to build and enhance a collection with splendid gowns for their most pampered dolls.

Barbier explains that the process begins with the careful study of images of couture by the likes of Cristóbal Balenciaga and Christian Dior. He then focuses on designing and sewing a reimagined and refreshed creation. The current "Secret Garden Collection" of gowns feature luxuriant chiffon flowers inside the skirts, giving the impression of what Barbier calls an inverted bouquet, neatly gathered with a bow at the waist. For the "Flora Collection", Barbier plays with the exterior placement of blooms on willowy textiles. All AFD Group's creations pay special attention to how the dress sits on the doll, so each body sculpt (Silkstone, Poppy Parker, Fashion Royalty) has its own version of the dress.

Dolldom is honored to present three must-have gowns by AFD Group. Modeled by three uniquely special Barbie Fashion Model Collection dolls, this exclusive entry celebrates AFD Group's enthusiasm and talent for doll art.

AFD Group Design

Barbie dolls' restyles by Pink Bubbles Doll Spa

Day Number One

Dolldom celebrates the new decade commemorating the past - 1959 to be exact- year of the introduction of the vinyl blonde bombshell, the Barbie doll. And on this first day of the year 2020, two beautiful evocations of the alluring style of the Number One Barbie doll grace our virtual pages.

Several readers asked for comparison photos of the two most recent reinterpretations of the iconic doll: Mattel's 75th Anniversary Silkstone Barbie doll and 2009's My Favorite Barbie from 1959. Here they are delighting us with their mysterious gazes!

This exclusive portfolio is meant to illustrate the differences as well as the similarities. What it is not meant to elicit is a comparison of superiority as any choice made would be based on subjectivity and as such would be the product of the eye of the beholder.

For Dolldom, both reiterations of the Number One Barbie doll represent the vision of Ruth Handler, one that combined with - we assume- serendipitous occurrences yielded a doll with white irises, heavy black eyeliner, arched eyebrows, deep red lips, curly bangs with ponytail and a silhouette made to compliment the couture of the times.

Our wish is that you enjoy the photos in peace, health, and a sense of childlike wonder!

Best of best for the new decade!











Note: My Favorite Barbie 1959 from 2009 was restyled by Bobby Taylor of Pink Bubbles Doll Spa. We thank him again for sharing his talent with Dolldom.

Like a Hot Toddy

This winter, stay warm and cozy in a HillCrestBarbies sweater dress. Expertly knitted by Henrietta Lockhart, the sweater dress goes from office to party and keeps the wearer comfortable and chic.


A delectable trio made with fine yarns and ingenious patterns.


Blues and pinks abound in a dynamic play of vertical and horizontal lines. Hair by Pink Bubbles Doll Spa.


A patchwork-look pattern imparts an evocative 1970s vibe.


A beautiful neckline accompanies the shorter hemline of this eye-catching number.

To learn more about HillCrestBarbies, 

visit Ms. Lockhart's boutique on Etsy.

Tweed in the City

2017's Barbie Fashion Model Collection heads back to the atelier. At the very least, this year's line is serving dollectors a well-thought out menu of delights. Starting with the beautiful brunette version of "Classic Black Dress" and now moving into a timeless fashion staple: the tweed suit. "Black and White Tweed Suit Barbie" forecasts an elegantly beautiful spring with its dose of high glam.

The double-breasted jacket and skirt are accompanied by a coquettish and perfectly scaled polka dot bow.



Accessories abound: a white straw hat, golden pearl cabochon earrings, black gloves, black leatherette purse with golden lock charm, and a new shoe design adorned with gold painted chain.



Barbie is a redhead in this iteration. A simple pulled back hair style ends in a short ponytail gathered neatly by a matching hair net.  Barbie's make-up is lush: creamy coral lips and joyful Caribbean cyan eyeshadow complement her brown eyes.



To Dolldom, "Black and White Tweed" Barbie is a total look doll, not unlike its predecessor "Walking Suit" Barbie. But undoubtedly, dollectors will redress and restyle this eye catching, fully articulated beauty.



Black and White Tweed Suit Barbie

Timeless

The Barbie doll is the undeniable icon of the fashion doll world. Since her inception in 1959, she has been transforming and adapting, changing and modifying in order to reflect the zeitgeist of the times. But Robert Best's Barbie Fashion Model Collection is perhaps the line that most beautifully morphs the past and the present. The sacrosanct Silkstone body is now re-energized with articulation and in 2017, Classic Black Dress Brunette Barbie makes her appearance as the first offering of the year. With beautifully smooth and well finished seams, the articulated Silkstone doll is a treat for collectors.

In this Dolldom exclusive, Classic Black Dress Brunette Barbie goes from chic fashionista to classic mannequin de mode, circa 1947, in the also-designed-by Robert-Best 1997 tribute to Christian Dior's "Bar Suit".  For, ladies and gentlemen, there is one truly timeless doll and her name is Barbie.

Eu fallo portuguès!

Last April 9 and 10, 2016, The Portuguese Doll Convention took place in Lisbon. The fun event, organized by The Portuguese Doll Collector Club, also raises funds to support SOS Children Village, a non-profit organization that aims to prevent family breakdown and that also cares for children who have lost parental care, or who at risk of losing it. Beautiful OOAK creations were donated by many freelance artists as well as Mattel's Bill Greening. With SOS Children Villages in Bicesse, Guarda e Gulpilhares and three Strengthening Family Programs in Guarda, Rio Maior and Oeiras, The Portuguese Doll Collector Club maximized their fundraising potential of this event by auctioning a small number of of their Official Barbie Convention Souvenir Doll - a variation of The Barbie Fashion Model Collection's Classic Black Dress. Mattel has created variations for doll conventions around the world including Japan, France, and Italy, yet Dolldom believes that the Portuguese version is extra special. Strongly evocative of the classic look of vintage Barbie, this sunny blonde boasts gorgeous red lips, mesmerizing green eyes, and a creamy sun kissed articulated Silkstone body.

Her LBD variation evokes vintage Barbie's PAK sheath with the amusing placement of the bow at the back instead of the front. Classic black high heel pumps complete the forever stylish ensemble, one that is beautiful as-is but that can also become the foundation on which to build diverse looks for The Barbie Doll.

In this Dolldom exclusive,  The Official Barbie Convention Souvenir Doll models her LBD and coats and hats ranging from vintage made-in-Japan treasures to the more recent BFMC.

Classic Barbie beauty for today and for always. Para sempre, Barbie!

Dolldom thanks María Margarida Salvado Campos for her kindness and support in the production of this entry.




Olà! Barbie never looked more fetching. Lariat belt by Joy Jarred.


High Color! The palette used for her make-up is rich and delectable.


Urban Jungle. Barbie models a OOAK recreation of her classic Red Flair coat and a black version of her Commuter Girl flowered bandeau.


Sobriety Above All Else. Barbie can be both sober and stylish. This time she wears Fashion Editor's bouclé car coat over her sheath and carries all important documents in her classic purse.


Lo rouge et le noir. With Fashion Designer's red faille coat and necklace and Roman Holiday's braided bandeau, Barbie is ready to teach her fashion designer apprentices.


In Manhattan! Robert Best-designed orange wool coat for The Breakfast at Tiffany's Collection by Mattel  pairs perfectly with the classic sheath. An orange feather straw bandeau by Maryann Roy completes the fall look. 


Tribute to Charlotte. Barbie dresses like Charlotte Johnson, the famous designer of her early wardrobe, in the often-overlooked Peachy Fleecy coat. A print scarf from Winter in New York and Boulevard's jeweled pin add more layers of vintage style. A portrait of Ruth Handler looks up in approval.



For more information on The Portuguese Doll Collectors' Club Convention for 2017, visit their beautiful blog.

A New (Silk) Stone Age

The Stone Age gave way to The Bronze Age. As 2016 begins, changes rock the quintessentially classic Barbie Fashion Model Collection, made of Silkstone.

Evolution is the name of the game in the world of fashion dolls too and as lines begin to stagnate, designers go back to the drawing board to see where improvements may be made in order to keep a beloved character fresh and relevant. The Barbie doll is the ultimate example of this constant self-actualization. But at Mattel, home of the Barbie doll, changes are sometimes unsettling and abrupt. Back in 1967, children were invited to abandon their 1965 and 1966 dolls in order to get the new and improved Twist-and-Turn model.

 After fifteen years of designing the best that Mattel could create for the Barbie doll,  head designer of the Barbie Fashion Model Collection Robert Best introduces a new era of Silkstone dolls featuring more complex articulation than the six-points with which the lined debuted in 2000. The new BFMC dolls boast thirteen points of articulation promising the beloved vintage-inspired line to give the Barbie doll the ability to increase her posibing abilities. A big task to fulfill given the fact that the original dolls - although frozen at the elbows, wrists, and knees- were given sculptural bodies that evoked the movements and poses of the most iconic flesh and blood fashion models. A right hand that perfectly fell on the right hip now gives way to the promise of two hands on hips or of a hand that can hold a bag by twisting the wrist.



But this transformation has not been without growing pains. The first doll in the line, "Classic Black Dress", has been much examined on social media sites. Condemned by many for the rough seams and stubborn joints,  2016's BFMC  "Classic Black Dress" Barbie has ignited a veritable revolution but mostly for the wrong reasons. For not only has the articulation changed, so have the body dimensions.



The sacrosanct and ever-so-elegant body that so ideally illustrated mid 20th century ideals of feminine beauty gives way to s slimmer physique. Slimmer as in a reduced bust line that challenges the proper fit of fashions designed on previous years. Will "Classic Black Dress" Barbie be able to fit in a legacy of gowns and suits? Yes, of course she will. But will these fit her properly? Not at all. The new body changed proportions and will now require its own line of fashions.



"Classic Black Dress" is a classic Barbie style. Is it BFMC style? Not necessarily. What it is is an invitation to play with a new concept. A thinner, less curvaceous doll that will usher a period of more youthful fashion designs for the line. Just look: Barbie is wearing a little black dress. But the dress is a mini. Instead of high heels, the doll wears tall boots. It's not difficult to anticipate what else will come from Mattel and Robert Best for this line. So it's time to say good-bye to the line as it debuted and to consider accepting the new look.





The doll is fun to redress and even begs the collector to do it. Wearing nothing but the dress and the boots, the doll comes alive with small touches such as black opera net stockings (that hide the unfinished knee joints), and a simple necklace and Chanel-inspired cuff from "Dusk to Dawn." The plastic boots will be great for wet weather fashions as for this dress nothing but platform pumps will suffice. The turquoise suedette pumps by e-Bay seller Paul Zhangby bring an unexpected touch of color and much needed finesse. And for that touch of whimsy - Barbie carries a reproduction Enid Collins purse made by the amazing Liz Retros for her Retros line. Little things mean a lot. 




Dolldom looks forward to seeing where this new iteration of the Silkstone line goes. Hopefully, design and production issues will be addressed and maybe even both bodies will be offered in future years. As  it stands, the new BFMC is defiantly breaking away for its origins and proposing a new way to play with our beloved Barbie doll.

In a Category All Her Own

Ever since 1994, when the Barbie Doll turned thirty-five years old, Mattel has been producing reproductions of vintage dolls and fashions. Fast forward to 2015, twenty-one years later, there is a doll that successfully captures the essence of the original 1959 Barbie concept. Black and White Swimsuit Barbie Doll, designed by Bill Greening, comes in a slender shoe box-style box in a swimsuit and sunglasses, ready to come out and model. But some may ask: "Hasn't Mattel done that many times?"  Yes, the toy giant has indeed released many dolls in swimsuits including the most recent Let's Play Barbie, but not at all like this one. We'll explain...



Black and White Swimsuit Barbie has it - that elusive quality abundant in vintage dolls. It's presence and attitude. A face, big, broad, enhanced with a Technicolor make-up palette. The head sculpt is generous, the curly bangs tiny and tidy, brows are placed just right on her forehead, a red shiny pout, and much to our surprise, the perfectly scaled ponytail boasts a tidy hard curl.  Although never to be confused with a Barbie doll from the 60s - Black and White Swimsuit Barbie has a different rooting pattern with lower placed hairline and bangs and a different formulation of vinyl - she possesses an integrity of construction and execution that places her in a category all her own.


Dolldom feels that this time the focus has been placed on the actual quality of the doll as a mannequin rather than to the design and graphics of the packaging and the inclusion of multiple accessories. Black and White Swimsuit Barbie is a well-made doll the result of attention paid to details that echo back to the exquisite production standards of the early 1960s dolls  in Japan. She even comes in a beautiful pink and black cardboard box (no plastic windows through which to look but not touch) clearly saying that here is a mannequin to wear the surplus of fashions in your collection. Or perhaps the perfect one with which to being a collection!


Once released from her pink silhouette box, Black and White Swimsuit Barbie is ready to do what a teen-age fashion model does best: model! But first Barbie hangs out by the pool with Ken.


What shall I wear?


Country roads await! Barbie models a Retros sweater and slack set under the "Peachy Fleecy" (#915) coat and hat before driving away in her Austin-Healey.


Summertime outings call for cool cotton separates from the PAK line.  Accessories? "Open Road's" hat, sandals, sunglasses, and a cheery attitude.


A professional woman faces the day in the Chanel-esque "Commuter Set (#916) navy suit and Busy Gal's (#981) body blouse. White gloves, a Silkstone BFMC bracelet, and red petal hat are luxe touches.


A quiet evening with Ken is spent in a PAK sweater and cotton slacks and the halter top and pearl choker from "Mood for Music" (#940).



 Who is that girl in the portrait?

Black and White Swimsuit Barbie is elegant in "Junior Prom's" (#1614) gown and fur.


How to close the fashion show?


With a classic that in spite of having been reproduced and re-issued many (many) times never falls into the depths of triteness. "Solo in the Spotlight" (#982) remains the most sensationally sophisticated fashion that Barbie has ever worn. Some say she whipped it up in Home Economics class.





Dolldom congratulates Mattel and Mr. Greening for a job well done. This is the direction in which to take future issues and to pay respect to vintage Barbie's heritage  - focus on details, integrity of quality of the mannequin, and a popular price point. Could we have (please?) Black and White Swimsuit Barbie dolls with brunette and Titian red hair now? Thank you!