A Wig a Day...

Keeps the stylish girl - stylish.

Having seen the fabulous 3-D printed, airbrushed wigs made for the 1/4 scale dolls, Séverine, the iconic doll by Julian S. Kalinowski, asked her dear friend LizRetros for a little pick me up. And the ever-generous LizRetros was happy to oblige not only with an enviable wardrobe of always-perfectly-coiffed wigs in luscious colors but with sensational 3-D printed and hand-decorated sunglasses and a fit-to-impact halter cocktail dress in vintage knit.

Collaborations yield visionary dolls.

For more information on LizRetros' world of B&G, visit her boutique and pick up something unique for your beloved dolls.


Séverine, the groundbreaking doll by Julian S. Kalinowski, arrived at Dolldom's studios already made-up and wearing a LizRetros cocktail dress. Her straw hat would soon be replaced...


"Moutarde" is a classic blonde look that pairs surprisingly well with "Collige, Virgo, Rosas" sunglasses.


"Baby Powder" is as soft as an angelic kiss.


"Orange Is the New Orange" is a color-saturated look, perfect for a tropical vacation, along with "Once in Vegas" sunglasses.


"Crow, Crow!"is a go-to look for evening sleuthing.


"Goldenrod" is an airbrushed wonder!


"Double Bubble" is sweetness for upcoming summer days.

LizRetros

Visual Literacy

It's important to know how to decipher what one is seeing.



But as critical as how one sees - is how one looks while seeing. And we are not talking about wearing a pair of sunglasses to hide dark circles or to communicate the message that eyes kept in secrecy allow no window to the soul.

Today's lesson is taught best by the formidable Peggy Guggenheim. Eyes she had, trained and skilled to understand the artist's message. And it was she who best exemplified that, regardless of what one wears on the body, it is what frames the face that speaks volumes about one's character.





LizRetros shares this sense of exuberance in design. For more than two decades, the Retros label has exemplified the golden standard in the handmade doll fashion cottage industry. Which presented no surprise when Dolldom learned that soon the doll world would enjoy the pleasures of much needed eccentric sunglasses for all sizes of dolls. The legacy lives on in LizRetros' 3-D printed and hand decorated miniatures. Now any doll can join in Miss Guggenheim in that rarefied realm of inspiring mavens who know how to look at art while defining it.


DAE Originals' "Sugarplum" Vivette goes all-out Tiki on her co-workers. Suit by Marirose.


Prototype Sylvain, by Julian Kalinowski, captures the essence of Miss Guggenheim - it's all about the spectacle of her spectacles.


Julian Kalinowski's Little Miss Lolita (aka Lalka 2) relaxes in her Venice palazzo while watching gondolas pass by through her "Aquarius" sunglasses. Coat by Rosina Haskell.


Contract negotiations will go Ivy Jordan's way. No ones messes with her flamingos. Suit by JK Clothier. JAMIEshow wig cap restyled by Kathy Johnson.


"Check This Out" Esmé by Tonner Doll is mermaid supreme in this under the sea fantasy.


Serious art collector Sofía, by JAMIEshow Doll, goes to a gallery opening and sets the scene ablaze - with one look!


The party got to be very swell once Tonner Doll's Tiny Kitty Collier walked in in her red bubble dress and Retros' "Tikilandia" frames. Mai Tai and Zombies for everyone!


A walk down Fifth is never a mundane activity when invoking tropical climes. It's happy hour at any hour of the day for Tonner Doll's Miss America dressed in Kitty Collier's suit.


Society gals like Tonner Doll's Miss Kitty Collier know how to spice things up at balls and fundraisers with chiffon and flamingos!


Mel Odom's "Phoenix" Gene Marshall, produced by JAMIEshow knows how to make an entrance and kill the red carpet in her Retros's "TikiColor" sunglasses.

To acquire your own pair, make sure to visit Retros Boutique!

Rocking the Boondocks with Music and Doll Icon Marie Osmond

I'm a little bit country
And I'm a little bit rock 'n roll



I'm a little bit of Memphis and Nashville
With a little bit of Motown in my soul



I don't know if it's good or bad
But I know I love it so
I'm a little bit country, I'm a little bit rock 'n roll
She's a little bit gentle, she's a little bit runnin' wild



She's a little bit a full-grown woman, she's a little bit of a child
Don't know if I'm happy or sad
My music makes me whole
I'm a little bit country
And I'm a little bit rock 'n roll



I like that peaceful easy feeling of a laid-back country song
And when I sing my rock 'n roll, I can sing it all night long
I love my country with all my heart and my soul
I go out on Saturday night for a little bit of rock 'n roll



I know I'm goin' to feel all right
No matter where I go
With a little bit of country
And a little bit of rock 'n roll


 
Marie Osmond Modeling Doll was made by Mattel in 1976.
Her wardrobe was designed by Liz Cole for Retros

Happy Birthday, Gay Carrington!

It's October 19, Dolldom's beloved Gay Carrinton's brithday. And just like our editors have done every year since making her acquaintance, here is Dolldom's tribute to the star of Bates Motel and other classic films. This year, Dolldom's gifted Miss Carrington with a day of beauty at Bobby Taylor's Pink Bubbles Spa and a fabulous new dress by Liz Cole for Retros. And Gay, elated, posed for our photographers with her lush lashes and sensational new hairstyle.







Happy birthday, Gay Carrington!

Dolldom thanks Miss Carrington for allowing us to portray her with the unofficial, fan made Gay Carrington doll.

Doll repaint by Vincent Anthony Repaints.

The Martian

Zippy the Chimp, Howdy Doody's pal, has been on a secret mission to Mars. Now that NASA has divulged the news that there is water on the red planet, Dolldom is able to post photos of Zippy on the surface of Mars in this historic adventure.

Wearing a NASA-approved astronaut suit by Beauty and Glamour maven Liz Cole for her Retros label, Zippy meets his very first Martian.













Retros for Dolls

Smooth Operator Cowboy

Trent Osborn's ready for a new kind of western, one in which the cowboy trades his boots for shiny patent leather lace up shoes and in which, in his silk satin get-up, he romances up a storm. No one is immune to his Marlboro Man charms in his sensational Retros suit. 


The following wardrobe test flicks show Mel Odom's handsome Mr. Osborn in his latest iteration produced by JAMIEshow dolls for the company's Le Jazz Hot Convention. Sporting a good amount of salt and pepper on his hair, the forever attractive star of Monolithic Studios is a testament to the benefits of a good eating and exercise regime.









For more on Liz Cole's unique doll fashion creations, visit her boutique.

The Visit

DeeAnna Denton visited. The original version of the Tonner Doll Company doll in all of her voluptuous uniqueness stopped by to talk make-over talk and to model. For what else do fashion models do?

DeeAnna Denton was manufactured by TDC in 2008 as a seventeen-inch tall doll using the company's Lara Croft athletic body, crafted in fine vinyl and hard plastic, hand-detailed eyes, and high-heel feet. Later, the line of dolls was reduced to sixteen-inches and although still voluminous, the magical sex-appeal of the first body sculpt was somewhat diminished. Needless to say, the original seventeen-inch size is much coveted by collectors. 

When DeeAnna arrived, we noticed that she had had some work done. She confided, "Liz Cole of Retros not only sews by hand the most amazing fashions but she also enhances faces to complement the look of her fashions. So why not, I said to myself?"

DeeAnna's new look boasts a seductive bee-stung mouth, a strategically-placed beauty spot, and character-heightening eyebrows. The subtle changes have quite an impact. 

To make the transformation even more dramatic, DeeAnna changed into a Retros' re-interpretation of the Miss Seventeen doll's most iconic look: "Rage of Paris"! The rest is for you, dear readers, to enjoy! 

For more on Liz Cole and her work, visit her boutique, Retros!

Artist's Proof

Vintage Skipper had many detailed fashions. Some were girl versions of her sister Barbie's most iconic looks while others were original designs that reflected the interests of a girl in the mid 1960s. One activity never portrayed was an artist's get-up. Following the sentiment of our previous "What If...?" post, a vintage titian Skipper doll from 1965 models Retros' version of the never produced artist's fashion.


Skipper's smock is made of vintage print fabric. Her turtleneck striped sweater goes over sparkly black knit cigarette pants.


Her perky felt beret is classic French style.


Liz Cole also created the paint palette and brush miniatures so that Skipper can indulge in her artistic impulses.