Francie's Groovy Day

 Mattel's recent reproduction of the Black Francie doll reignites Dolldom's passion for the styles of the late 1960s. And "Floatin' In" Francie is the perfect model muse to star in a little adventure into the world of Crest of the Hill Knits' (formerly Hill Crest Barbies) hand crafted fashions.

Associated with the homemade, knitted garments are often overlooked and under appreciated by collectors of fashion dolls. But Dolldom is sure that this Black Francie and Crest of the Hill Knits combo will surely whet your appetite for a little yarn. Knitted specifically for the slender silhouette of Barbie doll's MODern cousin, the looks reference Flower Power, YSL and Emma Peel. Isn't that groovy?

Crest of the Hill Knits on Etsy

A Flower a Day...

This saturated marigold yellow dress features a single cornflower blue blossom producing undeniable graphic impact. 

Museum Piece...Not!

The reference to YSL's famous Mondrian dress is there but with a glittered driving cap by Maryann Roy and her swinging attitude, Francie takes the look out of the museum and into the streets of Swinging London. 

The Emmapeeler

Cause a gal needs to have a black catsuit! Knitted to fit like a glove, Francie's jumpsuit features shot-with-silver-thread black yarn for extra glam. 

Credits:

All fashions by Crest of the Hill Knits on Etsy

Driving cap and "apostrophe" chair by Maryann Roy

Table by Darren Cole for LizRetros

Note: Francie's hair was restyled for these photos. The restyling consisted of washing, hot water straightening and then careful trimming of the ends. 

Earth Loving Ebony

The Fresh Dolls introduce a new character in its diverse line of African American, Afro-Latina, Latino/Hispanic, Caucasian, and Mixed-Race/Bi-Racial identities. Her name is Ebony. 

"Ebony loves caring for the Earth. She is an activist for the environment and passionate about nature and the ocean. At Fresh Prep, she helped start the first Community Clean-Up Program. You can find her organizing recycling programs, leading beach clean-up, planting organic vegetable and herb gardens, and restoring neighborhoods. She’s always looking for ways to reduce the carbon footprint and do her part to save the earth, so you’ll find her riding her bicycle out and about in Fresh Springs with her beautiful brown natural curls peeking out from under her helmet. She is in the Fresh Springs Aquarium After School Program where she learns about marine life. Ebony aspires to be a Marine Biologist."

In this Dolldom exclusive, Ebony models her denim jeans and marine aqua-blue halter top and blue wedge heels as well as designs by Brani Mladenov, HillCrestBarbies, and Criscrash. 

Meet Ebony!










Gown by Brani Mladenov

Knit dress by HillCrest Barbies

Dress by Criscrash

Cherish the Day

It's a new day for Barbie. A colorful and shiny kind of day. Fashionistas number 90, aptly named "Rainbow Bright" arrives just in time for summer -wearing a soon-to-be classic T-shirt dress with horizontal bands of saturated hues - all the colors of the whole-light spectrum, a welcome metaphor for diversity and inclusiveness, ideals that although constant components of Barbie's world's, have reached their apex with the Fashionistas line.



"Rainbow Bright - Fashionistas #90 - is, consequently, causing quite the stir among collectors, not only for the fashion but also because of the beauty of the model. Utilizing the same sculpt as "Patchwork Denim" and "Rosey Romper", "Rainbow Bright" debuts a dark and beautiful skin hue that reminds collectors of some latter versions of Malibu Christie, Nichelle Model of the Moment, and Princess of Africa dolls. But since this is a new day for Barbie, "Rainbow Bright" breaks ground as the first Fashionistas offering to bring yet another definition of beauty to playtime and children (and yes, collectors) the world over.

In this exclusive Dolldom feature, "Rainbow Bright" poses in a selection of dresses from the current Fashionistas line.

Cora and Caleb

Sister and brother? Or neighbors? Schoolmates? Sasha doll's Cora and Caleb are beautiful and unique characters with which to create many a narrative and enjoy a few hours of unadulterated play. For this Saturday evening entry, Dolldom imagines Cora and Caleb enjoying a day out in a forest. Cora, in her playful dress by A Passion for Sasha is quick to point out that there's a slew of mushrooms on the forest ground. Better not touch them, Caleb! Caleb, in his original fashion, listens to Cora's wise advise. Soon it will be dinner time and a mother or a father's voice will be calling them to come in, for the cold of the night approaches...

 Cora and Caleb! Cora, circa 1985, and Caleb, circa 1974, enjoy a walk in the forest after the rain.

 Cora dons a sweet-as-maple-syrup tutti-futti dot dress and bloomer dress by A Passion for Sasha and her original shoes and socks.

 Darling girl Cora. Her perfect hair is the delight of Dolldom's stylists.

Caleb, in his 1970s form, is made of an exquisite dark ebony tone vinyl.