Decadent Dolls?

The dolls of Julian S. Kalinowski  are all the rage, as the British doll maker continues to delight collectors with new faces and experiments. At first glance, it could be easy to say that Mr. Kalinowski's S-Girls, with their three distinct sculpts and OOAK fashions, are the best example of decadent exuberance. Yet, to enlighten our understanding and eliminate these superficial perceptions, Dolldom went right to the source - the doll maker himself. 

Dolldom: Aren't the S-Girls' Stella, Sable and Sylvain your current experiment in decadence?

Mr. Kalinowski: My work is not about decadence. I work within the limitations of my ability and in what's available for me to use. I'm restricted within the discipline of my own limitations. In that regard, my work is the opposite of 'decadent'. My dolls are not fashion dolls. They are 'anti fashion' dolls. Fashion is transient, it's part of its definition. I take inspiration from pre-existing 'classic ' ideas, appropriate everything, and put it together in a new way to create a 'dolly bricolage '. I learned my craft by copying the classics. That is the oldest, established method of becoming an artist. I cut my teeth by painting two thousand Lilli dolls and that taught me gestural painting; the discipline of a factory worker. After that I applied what I'd learnt to Séverine, my first 'original' doll. She was my mood board and my opportunity to experiment with ideas. Now, with the S girls, I'm working consecutively in two different ways; Sable and Stella are orthodox dolls, they are pretty and generic. But Sylvain is my first art doll as she is at odds with the accepted notion of what a doll is about. Everything about her is intentionally ambiguous.

In the end, it is up to collectors to decide how they wish to characterize their dolls. Mr. Kalinowski enjoys the fact that those who acquire his dolls project their own fantasies when photographing and playing with his creations. For that is the power of the doll as a receptacle for one's hopes, dreams, and perspective on life. 

Volupté
Sylvain, Stella, and Sable overpower the salon with their unique fashion tastes.  Fashions by Debbie Farne Sang and Mode de M.

Mad Dash

Having gotten lost in the forest, Stella, Sable and Sylvain make the most of the natural surroundings. Fashions by LizRetros, Rosina Haskell, and Clare Duncan.

Links to resources:

The S-Girls by Julian Kalinowski
 

Retros, your one stopshop for *B&G

Rosina's Fashions

Debbie Farne Sang

ClareDuncan

Who Are Those S-Girls?

Their names are Stella, Sable and Sylvain. And they are the newest creation by the master of the hand painted hard plastic doll - Mr. Julian S. Kalinowski. Following the smashing success of his now mythical Séverine doll, Mr. Kalinowski decided to enrich the formula with not one but three new face sculpts that share the same body. The S-Girls are not your run-of-the-mill fashion models and they come ready to challenge our preconceptions of beauty, age, and sexuality.

Mr. Kalinowski explains: “Stella is like a young, happy-go-lucky but unstable Liz Taylor. In her mid 20's. Thick, dark eyebrows, quite naive blue eyes. Always single, Stella can only really connect to gay men. She's an ingénue. A confused character, she is prone to bouts of depression and quite insecure. But she also can be a real laugh, the life and soul of the party. Then there’s Sable. She's Jean Harlow and Carol Baker. In her early 30's. She's glamour, both trashy and elegant. She likes the John Waters look with a good dollop of Mary Vivian Pierce. She's uncomplicated, Elsie from Chelsea. Goodbye Berlin. She's a healthy character who is very happy with her sexuality. She wears Biba, Ozzie Clarke, chiffon, silks, fur, and feathers. Finally, Sylvain! Early 40's. She's Alpha. She’s my idea of a jolie-laide doll. In Sylvain I'm seeing Marlene Dietrich, Anna Kavan, Greta Garbo, and Shari Lewis. Lots of Fassbinder style in her. She's single, perhaps asexual. Maybe she worked in the sex industry as a stripper at some point, but she doesn't like to be touched. Doesn't connect well to people. Needs sleeping pills.”

The new dolls are 1cm shorter than vintage Barbie and feature a brand new formulation of hard plastic with a resin feel that Mr. Kalinoswki compares to bisque. Many of the dolls will feature permanently set wigs such as wavy 1930s looks, side part bubbles, very curly styles, and Louise Brooks bobs with bangs. Like Séverine, the dolls’ hips are bigger than their bosoms. Their molded shoes and well-defined ankles pay tribute to bondage and fetish illustrator Eric Stanton.

Mr. Kalinowski sees this line as totally punk. He explains: “In an age of BJD's and all their sophistication, one could liken these wonderful dolls to the adult oriented rock of the 70's that featured long guitar solos and over-the-top production. The S-Girls, by contrast, are three chords banged out on a cheap electric guitar. Five basic points of movement. Back-to-basics simplicity. The Sex Pistols of the doll world.”

For more information about the S-Girls, contact Mr. Kalinowski.


Sylvain

Stella



Sable



Sylvain



Sable and Sylvain



Sable and Stella





Sylvain



Sylvain



Sable

Sylvain



Stella




Fashions by LizRetros, Debbie Farne Sang, Rosina Haskell, Tania Lawrence, Criscrash, Joshard, and Bruno Farfallo pour homme by Lu Bodaczny

March of Dames

March beings at Dolldom with a celebration of the handmade beauty of the Séverine doll. Painted by hand, her hair hand styled, and her fashions handmade, the Séverine doll is a very couture creation.

First off - The Sév Files!
There have been reports of alien sightings. Séverine's lips are sealed. Suffice it to say that her dress by Liz Cole for Retros is sufficient documentation on Séverine's encounter of the third kind.





Then there is The High Priestess. Dressed for a ceremonial procession in a terrific gown by Rosina Haskell, Séverine's expression reveals her spiritual connections to higher powers.







We close the show with a golden touch: La Bionda. Séverine sports golden tresses and a gold and orange (what an intoxicating palette) cocktail dress by Debbie Farne Sang. Necklace by VJT Desingns.





For more information on Séverine, visit her boutique.