Rie-chan's Song

Flight attendant Rie-chan is Licca-chan's sister and was introduced by Takara in 1972 with a storyline that is as rich as the doll's fashion style.

The websites Barbgirl and Cutiedolls mention Rie-chan reuniting with her mother Orie on a plane as the latter was on her way to a fashion design competition in Paris. Orie, suddenly not feeling well, was attended by Rie-chan whose specifically placed beauty mark quickly brought memories to Orie and the realization that the kind flight attendant was indeed her daughter. A storyline not unlike one enjoyed in a telenovela.

Early advertisements by Takara show Rie-chan's professional wardrobe options along with her younger sister following her footsteps. Others offer a colorful variety of dresses and gowns that capture the fun vibe of early 1970's fashion. But the ad that captures the joyful repercussion of the chance encounter on an airplane to Paris shows both Orie and younger daughter, Licca-chan together with Rie-chan. A happy family reunited at last.

Rie-chan's availability on the market was brief, from 1972-1974. Barbgirl conjectures that Takara reconsidered how the dramatic reunion would lead to questions as to why the daughter and mother had been separated for a considerable period. The same ambiguity that created the drama was perhaps the cause of Rie-chan's disappearance from the market. Ironically, the character's unexplained departure left dollectors in the same situation as her mother Orie had been prior to the coincidental meeting.

Dolldom wishes to play at extending Rie-chan's story and offers a photo portfolio showing the beautiful young woman, whose eyes are as full of dreams and illusions as ever, as a famous singer wearing a unique array of dresses designed for the Blythe doll (with whom Rie shares body dimensions) by the sensational Endangered Sissy.

Rie-chan is now free to sing melodies of love harmonious, of familial bonds, and of understanding one's role in the story written by fate.

Dolldom thanks Endangered Sissy and Pink Bubbles Doll Spa for making Rie-chan shine. 

La fabulosa Fabiola de Hollywood

 No todos los días llega a Dolldom una muñeca puertorriqueña y ese evento no se deja pasar sin una gran celebración. Fabiola de Hollywood, la nueva muñeca de modas creada por Mike Buess, se une como tantos otros puertorriqueños a la diáspora boricua en los Estados Unidos.

For it's true that not every day, Dolldom has the pleasure of welcoming a Puerto Rican doll and it was about time! Diversity and inclusion are musts, no matter if you are made of vinyl, resin, porcelain, or flesh and bone. 

Mike Buess' vintage-looking diva comes with a fanciful storyline, all done with a light-hearted, elegant approach. Packaged in an exquisitely evocative heavy stock box, Fabiola arrives ready to display and play. No detail goes unchecked and this meticulous attitude impresses the collector upon receiving the fabulous Fabiola. 

Dolldom had the pleasure of interviewing Buess over virtual cocktails - Don Q rum, neat - to discuss his inspiration for this fabulous new character in the world of fashion dolls.

"My mother was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and moved to the US in the 50s. She is one of 16 children - 8 girls and 8 boys. Fabiola's last name is my grandmother's maiden name. Fabiola's look is my recreation of the fab fashions of the time that my mom and her sister rocked when they moved to Brooklyn. They did it all with bold Puerto Rican flair. My mom studied fashion and worked in a sweater factory after school, so she educated me on cool 50s and 60s fashion and clothing. Like her, I'm obsessed with old movie glamour and studied fashion at Parsons School of Design.

My mom also used to shop at Frederick's of Hollywood. The manufacture of their clothing from that period was magnificent. Frederick designed the first push-up brassiere and brought never-before-seen glamour to the front door of of Middle America though his catalog. That is how Cedrick of Hollywood, Fabiola's fashion designer, was born."

In this Dolldom exclusive, a titian Fabiola de Hollywood, styled by the one and only Bobby Taylor of Pink Bubbles Doll Spa, takes you on a tour of her glamorous life! 

¡Qué viva Fabiola y que viva Puerto Rico!

To get your very own Fabiola, visit her boutique. 

Old San Juan Stroll

In a beaded sheath by Cody Thompson and a vintage straw picture hat, Fabiola meets friends for café con leche and mayorcas at La Bombonera. 

Jardín de flores solo pienso en ti...

A sculptured sheath in a delicate print by Criscrash reveals las curvas famosas for which Fabiola is known. 

Fabiola Flounce

This exuberant look by Aleida Ortiz made Fabiola famous and earned her the title of "La Muñeca Bailarina".

Get Up and Go-Go!

For her appearance in the Luis Vigoreaux show, Fabiola donned three looks.  With "Black Licorice" she one opened the show with her rendition of "Piel canela". 

Noche de ronda

In a silk and tulle creation by the joyful Tania Lawrence, Fabiola sang and danced for an adoring television audience.  

Quizás...

In LizRetros' maraschino cherry red gown, Fabiola closed the show with the ultimate interpretation of Osvaldo Farré's hit. Even Bobby Capó applauded! 


Chez elle

Fabiola relaxes in a comfortable Lurex mini with beaded detailing, also by LizRetros. 

Guaracha-Time

For dancing, nothing beats a dress that allows for leg movement and is figure-hugging at the same time. Kudos to LizRetros for attaining the impossible! 

Verde Luz

In Sylvia Campbell's interpretation of Vintage Barbie's Japanese market exclusive gown, Fabiola closes this Dolldom fashion show. 

To get your very own and very fabulous Fabiola, visit her boutique. 

Francie and SquishTish

Joana Costa, owner and designer of SquishTish, is known for her handmade clothing for dolls. SquishTish always surprises with a well-curated selection of textiles unlike anything else in the market. SquishTish's designs are exemplars of classic simplicity with clean lines, youthful silhouettes, and a most precise fit.

MODenr cousin Francie, in her "Kitty Corner Silkstone" iteration (restyled by genius extraordinaire Bobby Taylor of Pink Bubbles Doll Spa) models a pitch-perfect ode to the 1960s: two darling dresses that evoke the art of Vera Newman - fresh, new, joyful.

Dolldom wishes to thank Joana Costa and SquishTish for another inspiring collaboration. Muito obrigado!

From Wild to Styled

--> “After many a summer dies the swan…” or so the saying goes, but not when she wisely books an appointment with Vera here at the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa!"
-BobbyTaylor, proprietor and lead stylist at PBDS

If one ever were to interview dolls on what constitutes a lifetime of fun and joy, it could be anticipated that many would attribute their existential success to having been on many an adventure. An adventure to the park where she enjoyed sunning in the sand box. Or an adventure to the neighbor's pool where she learned to dive. Or an adventurous weekend spent at grandma's home on the range during which horseback riding was de rigueur. Perhaps it was a day of hard work modeling gowns and suits and dresses. Or maybe the adventure was as uneventful but no less intense as being released from the box. Regardless of the nature of the adventure, the vintage and not-so-vintage doll will at some point in her life need to have her hair redone and in some more extreme cases, her face reconstructed. For such is the nature of play - what was pretty and fresh out of the box fifty years ago, will show today the signs of an adventurous life fully lived. And that is when a visit to a spa is a very good idea.

Luckily, restoration services abound these days and most basket-case dolls can be returned to their factory-issued perfection. But few spas do it with the expertise, elevated taste level, and charm as Pink Bubbles Day Spa does. Proprietor and lead stylist, Bobby Taylor, of Taylor Made fame, is the heart of this fantastic operation where dolls go on glamorous adventures and come out looking like the most sensational butterflies.

Mr. Taylor is assisted by a most enchanting crew:

Vera - Front desk receptionist in charge of booking of appointments and the first face you meet when you walk in! Runs a tight ship and doesn't like any monkey business!


Daffy - Main floor assistant, in charge of hair prep, Pink Bubbles beauty baths and making sure clients are well cared for when not in Mr. Taylor's chair. Daffy is in fact, Mr. Taylor's left arm at the spa and responsible for the ever-flowing Appletini's' served throughout the day!


Beatrice - Gift shop operator extraordinaire, Beatrice assists all clients in the selection of all beauty products, replacement pearl or hoop earrings, wigs, and other beauty essentials. She has loads of experience in retail and works on commission, so at times, she can get a little aggressive!


Upon arrival and after their stay at Pink BubblesDoll Spa, every client gets her photo taken to document the dynamic transformation. These, in turn, provide behind-the-scenes glimpses from inside the pink velvet and golden foiled flocked walls of Pink Bubbles Doll Spa.

Come along with us on this exclusive as dolls from all vintages embark on the ultimate beauty adventure at Pink Bubbles Doll Spa.

A Very British Girl

No longer looking like what the cat dragged in, a vintage Pedigree Sindy regains her composure with a resetting of her original factory look. 

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Monstrous No More

A vintage brownette Bubblecut Barbie will no longer be cast only in zombie films. Revived and beautified, she is now an example of what happens when time stands still. 

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This Is How She Met Ken

Too many years spent in a vinyl case is a surefire way to get a case of ongoing bad hair days. But at Pink Bubbles Doll Spa, a Number Three blonde Barbie doll is once again ready to meet her beau. 

American Woman

Having driven her convertible Austin-Healey around Malibu for five decades, an American Girl Barbie was in dire need of a reset. Now, in her classic bob and original face paint with oxidized pale lips, Barbie is the quintessential sophisticate-next-door.  

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Star Turn

Even Hollywood stars need a day at the spa. Mel Odom's "Red Venus" Gene Marshall trades her gorgeous me-Tarzan-you-Jane mane for a most versatile side swept style, perfect for a queen's court or a cocktail party. 

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Repro or Not!

A reproduction 50th anniversary Number One Barbie defines out of the box prettiness. On her return from Pink Bubbles Doll Spa, she is stunning. 

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Will I Enchant This Evening?

A vintage brunette Number Three Barbie doll certainly does after her Pink Bubbles Doll Spa visit.

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Blonde Ambition

A reproduction 50th Anniversary Number One Barbie aspired to be as fabulous as her 50-year old iteration. With miniature curls on her forehead and a hard curl at the end of her ponytail, she now can bask in the glory of being Miss Barbie Millicent Roberts. 

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Victoire's Victory

"La Grande Séduction" Victoire Roux will certainly leave everyone longing in her new and ever-so-chic Diana Vreeland-inspired do. 

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The Doll They Loved to Restyle

Vera, Daffy, and Beatrice adore vintage Tressy's gravity-defying up-do and her luxurious silk dress by Marirose.