On The Town

On the town, tonight. An elegant town. With elegant folk. Dolldom remembers the days when mothers and fathers would leave the suburban ranch all decked-out for a night on the town!

To bask in the soft glow of such sweet memories, Dolldom features a most scintillating fashion: On The Town, designed by New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology founders Jay E. Watkins and Edward Roberts for Marx and Co.'s Miss Seventeen doll.



As fashion doll scholar Beauregard Houston Montgomery writes in his not-to-be-missed tome Designer Fashion Dolls (Hobby House Press, 1999): "Though herself poorly executed, Miss Seventeen is ravishingly redeemed by her brillinatly conceived wardrobe."

Imagine then what occurs when a superbly executed doll like JAMIEshow's J'adore Gene does the modeling? Fireworks. Created by fashion maven Liz Cole for Retros, this unabashedly vintage fashion is all dramour!
dram  our
dramər/
noun
 1. the exquisite and rare libation born of drama and glamour that makes certain people special.

Enjoy!

Basic Luxury

Gene Marshall, the doll star that brought back freedom of play to adult fashion doll collectors, once again goes basic. The basic, as opposed to the dressed doll, is meant to be dressed and redressed, wigged, and yes, even repainted. Dolldom is happy to welcome JAMIEshow's White Orchid Gene Marshall. Mel Odom's Gene doll's return (thank you,  Norma Desmond) in resin allows the entire fashion doll world, once again, to enjoy play.

In this exclusive feature,  White Orchid Gene Marshall is a true-to-form basic doll and transforms via dress and wig to exemplify, not only the beautiful essence of the fashion doll, but also the sheer exquisiteness of a truly luxurious doll.



Mel Odom and JAMIEshow's approach is wise - not one of the three Gene Marshall dolls issues so far (Phoenix, J'adore, and now White Orchid) have the same exact visage. Subtle differences make each issue unique. In the case of White Orchid, the right glancing gaze immediately calls attention. An evocative sky blue eyeshadow adorns the upper eyelid and a very subtle transparent wash covers the brow bone. Yet, more eye-catching is the change in lip shape, as White Orchid boasts what Dolldom would qualify as the ultimate Gene Marshall pout. Haughty? Perhaps. Different? Sure. Dramatic? Absolutely! To illustrate the point, Dolldom asked Miss Marshall to model several well-known fashions and costumes produced by Ashton-Drake and infuse new life into these classics. Clearly, the hard cap wigs of Italian artist Ilaria Mazzoni of Time of Doll, make these transformations much more dramatic.

Dolldom commends Mel Odom and JAMIEShow for offering basic doll luxury with White Orchid.


In "Stolen Moments", designed by José Ferrand, and Ilaria Mazzoni's blonde pompadour, White Orchid gives Barbara Stanwick a run for the money.


Friendly Connection? Yes. In this George Sarofeen design, White Orchid is mannequin de mode supreme.


Screen test. White Orchid poses for the camera in "Afternoon Off", designed by Doug James.


Time of Doll's perky Louise Brook's bob allows Miss Marshall to incarnate Joan of Arc in "Spirit of Truth", designed by Eryn Machnica.


Gala Gal. The mythical "Holiday Magic" ensemble is the perfect vehicle for White Orchid to test hairstyles for several upcoming projects. In Time of Doll's "Red Waves", she is simply spectacular.


 In JAMIEshow's pale blonde wigcap, as restyled by Kathy Johnson, she is positively a Hitchcock heroine.


In Phoenix's updo wigcap, White Orchid reveals her haughty pout.


In Time of Doll's "Curls on Cascade", it's all about unabashed glamour.


In Time of Doll's raven beehive, White Orchid cuts an imposing figure.

Titian Titans

ti·tian adjective, often capitalized \ˈti-shən\
Definition of TITIAN : of a brownish-orange color
Origin of TITIAN
Titian (Tiziano Vecellio)
First Known Use: 1892
From The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

A head of red hair evokes fire and passion. And thanks to Titian and Botticelli, the hair color is part of the cannons of Western art. Italian artist Ilaria Mazzoni, pays homage to the masters with two hard cap wig creations featuring the spirited hue, modeled by Mel Odom's Gene Marshall, as produced by JAMIEshow.

Curls on Cascade is based on a coiffure worn by Rita Hayworth.








Vivacious style perfect for 1940s styles.

Red Waves is an elegant coiffure based on a Théâtre de la Mode mannequin. 








Elegant and classic.

For more on artist Ilaria Mazzoni, visit Time of Doll.

Suits Me Fine

Mel Odom's Gene Marshall as produced by JAMIEshow continues to evolve and in so doing enchant collectors and fashion aficionados.  With J'adore, an exclusive dressed doll offered by Fashion Doll Quarterly, Dolldom ensues its exploration and enjoyment of the most iconic in mid 20th century fashion as modeled by this most recent iteration of the famed star of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

J'adore Gene features left side glancing eyes and an enhanced treatment of her eye make-up with high color blue on the brow bone and a touch of gold to the lid. The lips are a deep red luscious and her titian tresses, elegantly coiffed in a chignon wig cap, impart a different feel from the first issue - Phoenix- offered at IDEX 2013 at a special luncheon with Mr. Odom.




Patricia Henry, editor of FDQ, chose to dress Gene in a suit. Miss Henry explains: "I immediately thought of Dior as inspiration for the fashion. JAMIEshow, did, too, so it seemed an organic step to move from Phoenix Gene, a cool blond in ice blue, to J’adore a fiery redhead with a suit to match." Lucky Gene once again is dressed by master designer and doll creator Doug James in this immaculately executed suit.





Dolldom's exclusive photos of J'adore aim to highlight her exquisite beauty and personality. If Phoenix Gene comes across as ethereal, J'adore, with her slightly higher-arched eyebrows, communicates a bit more temperament and attitude.  The fact that JAMIEshow dolls are hand painted by artisans, it is possible to anticipate that no two J'adore or Phoenix Gene dolls look exactly alike.


To expand on the theme of the suit that Miss Henry chose for her exclusive Gene, Dolldom gathered the very best in suits for this exclusive spread -from Ashton-Drake fashions to the very best by Retros. Styled to enhance the cut and fit of this sartorial staple, these suits allow us to examine a woman's allure and power in what used to be considered male-only fashion.

Let the adoration begin!


Ashton-Drake's The Perfect Gift, circa 1947, was designed by Regina Ganem.  Dolldom's stylists traded the flower bandeau for a silk turban by Liz Cole for Retros and a long faux fur stole by Tonner Doll Company. 


The corsage was originally intended as a pin for the suit's lapel. Now, it adorns the turban. Notice the gold drop on Gene's upper lid.


Following the Barbie doll's suit, Gene wears Gold and Glamour, a Charlotte Johnson design from 1965.


Gold and Glamour reproduction photo courtesy of Mattel.



Juli in the United Kingdom designed the set using vintage textiles to match the patina and feel of the vintage original. 


The 1940's film noir vibe is the realm of fashion maven Liz Cole whose Retros line of clothing graces many Gene collections. Only Retros will hand bead a suit with such artistry. The kimono sleeves and functional buttons exemplify the talent of the artist. The turban is made of knit fabric with Lurex threads. Earrings by Chez Manu, Dolldom's exclusive joaillier.


To top the suit, Retros crafted a full length mink coat using recycled mink. Even the lining is recycled from the original garment. Gene's attitude fits the mink crown hat perfectly.


A coquettish silhouette for a suit?


Why not!


Pink with Envy, circa 1952, was designed by Bob Lange for Madra Lord's debut collection. J'adore owns it now.


Of course, Dolldom had to revisit Love, Paris, produced by Ashton Drake. The very first New Look look for Gene was released in 1999 and was accompanied by a sweet storyline: the master himself, Mr. Christian Dior, was a Gene Marshall fan and gifted her with the luxurious ensemble.

Love, Paris, circa 1947, was designed by José Ferrand.

In the movie Montage, Gene is spectacular in a Balenciaga inspired dress and jacket wonder crafted in red wool and silk jacquard lining and cravate. Gene's painting is an original artwork by Mel Odom and was part of the ensemble.


Smart Set, circa 1948, was designed also by Mr. James.

Dolldom congratulates Fashion Doll Quarterly and JAMIEshow for giving collectors yet another dreamy take on the legend of Gene Marshall.

Now, the anticipation begins for JAMIEshow's White Orchid!