The United Federation of Doll Clubs said, “Doll collecting is one of the three largest hobby groups in the world, vying with stamps and miniatures for first place. The study of dolls is truly the study of mankind. Few artifacts reflect our history as accurately as those of dolls. From food to fashion, dolls and their accessories provide a fascinating window to the past and provide a record for the future.”

A Florida collector agrees with that statement and said, “Through the world of doll collecting you journey from the past, through the present and into the future. You become one with your dolls. This journey lets you run free in a world of true happiness with no sense of worry.”The value of childhood play has long been understood and accepted by society. Child psychologists tell us of the importance of play in the development of imagination and creativity through role-play and a child’s exploration of a world they will one day play a part in. Let’s consider the value of play in adult life.

While contending with the day to day of “real life,” play can become an important survival skill keeping us balanced as well as recharging our creativity. This is a “Secret of success” in life realized by doll collectors.

Chances are, if you ask any group of doll collectors why they started the hobby, you will get a variety of reasons as diverse as the people themselves.

One collector said, “My collection always lets me be that child again and again and as an adult you can afford the dolls that you like.” For many people collecting is a form of nostalgia, which is tangible evidence of fond childhood memories. Often there remains an abiding love of dolls that has never been extinguished and it is suddenly rekindled with the discovery of a beloved childhood doll which was tucked away and half forgotten.

Many love to reminisce about the dolls of their childhood. A glimpse through holiday catalogs rekindles a rush of memories with a thrill to learn of several companies offering reproductions of the very dolls they had once played with. For others looking through a family album and finding a picture taken holding a long absent doll sparks the desire to replace it. Sometimes this happens when a new baby is born or when the last child leaves home.

In any case, once that longing has begun, only finding that doll and holding it again will suffice. The hunt begins. Other collectors enter the hobby as crafters, who enjoy doll making; many enjoy sewing and designing clothes for the many varieties of dolls in their collections.

When an antique or vintage doll is inherited, the recipient is eager to learn more about the little treasure that has stood the test of time. By researching the doll’s history, much is learned about the lifestyle of a little girl who loved her doll. Generations are bridged and family bonds are strengthened.

The Florida collector passed her love of dolls to her daughter. She said, “With the love I’ve always had for dolls my daughter saw the happiness it brought me and the many lovely people we have met through the years due to the love of dolls.

As a young lady with her own career, my daughter has formed a greater love for Lorna Miller Sands and Lee Middleton baby dolls. When I display my dolls at doll shows in New York, my daughter is my helper at the table and is very informative of the collection. It’s a mother, daughter thing that we love and do together.

Dolls are also recognized for their beauty and valued as works of art and are displayed with pride in curio cabinets or glass cases. These are artifacts from a more genteel time never to come again.
Still other people find dolls a lucrative investment, squirreling them away with the hope of cashing in on them as their value goes up. These dolls are often brought out when their owners have company over, so the owners can show off their latest acquisitions.

For this collector, the doll could be one she wanted as a child and is affordable now. “It could be a doll that I might have had or lost years ago. With modern dolls I still love Barbies, but they have to be a true collector’s item, which are limited or the reproductions (old faces 1959-1970’s).

I collect modern dolls from the Robert Tonner’s, Madame Alexander’s (Alex and Cissy Coquette) and Genes all 8” to 16”. I love their outfits, facial expressions and they all have a flavor of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and present day’s look with lovely accessories. They are dolls that express the beauty of being a lady and yes, I have some males with great outfits too.

With vintage and modern day dolls, they just light up your display cabinets and your soul. You never have a bad day or experience with your dolls. It’s good therapy for those who collect dolls, cars and other collectables.”

Whatever the reason, the first step to collecting anything, especially dolls it to learn as much as you can about the antique or collectable dolls available, so your collection will be wonderful to see and share with others. The hobby is so large, that if you are new to it, it can see overwhelming.

There are so many types of dolls to collect; antique dolls, American Girls and vintage dolls. Collect what you like and both your interest and collection will grow. Define your goals. Are you looking for a small collection of rare dolls or simply one pleasing to look at? Is the collection an investment or hobby? Beware of overpricing. This goes along with educating and doing the research. Save yourself time, money and heartache.

Know what you are buying and it’s value. Ask questions at the local doll shop, get appraisals, inquire about the dolls you have and those you want. Many doll collectors and dealers enjoy talking about dolls. A good doll collection has a variety of sizes, styles, ethnicities and values. Remember, dolls of today are the antiques of the future.

Author: Dollsandart

Robert Best has been a principal designer for Barbie Collectibles for fourteen years, in which he has designed over 200 Barbies, including Pink Ribbon Barbie, Crystal Jubilee Barbie Doll and celebrity dolls such as Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean.

He’s is well known for appearing in Project Runway Season Three, which he admits was extraordinarily difficult. We caught up with him for his first ever interview here in Shanghai for a little chat about what girls want, his belief that body standards are “a non-issue” and his brand new Barbie design - the Christian Louboutin doll.

Have you ever had an idea which you eventually decided was too bizarre for Barbie?
I have personal loves, like I’d love to do a doll of Claudia Cardinale from “Once Upon a Time in the West,” but I’m the only person who probably knows or refers to that film. So I have to know that - “that’s a doll you would like Robert, and not necessarily anyone else would even know or care what that means.” But it doesn’t always need to appeal to everyone. What’s great about the collector line is that we’re able to do small quotas, so we can think about things that are more niche or specific to a collector that might be interesting to them, and it might be a small group.

Where do you get your inspiration for your hundreds of dolls that you’ve designed?
It’s very organic; it can be something like a trip or traveling, or movies. I’m a huge fan of movies of all kinds, especially current releases and classic films. I love classic films and I love foreign films, they are just very visual. You’re always drawn to anything visual and cinema is so much a visual experience, it can really inform or be the first jumping off point. I remember once I was watching the movie Darling, a Julie Christie film from the 60s, and it took me on this whole journey. Then, I was exploring London during the time period. So it can be a little thought like that that can set you off on a journey and that can come from anything, whether it’s traveling or friends or just the environment around you.

Is there any time period or era that you’re really interested in?
Oh, definitely. My favorite era is the early 60s. It’s funny because it’s had a recent resurgence and appeal with the “Mad Men” phenomenon. I think it was an interesting time because it was kind of the end of the 50s where everything was common, it was right on the cusp of where things got crazy. There was a ‘best of both worlds,’ more liberated than the early 50s which were very safe and almost boring. There are so many great looks from that era that have inspired me.

Do you notice different responses to the doll in the different countries?
The response is generally universal, which is that of love and appreciation. There are minor cultural differences. Interestingly enough, places like Shanghai and Japan embrace Barbie in the full scope, from the product to the entire experience. The House of Barbie, Shanghai is an example of this. Where else could you have a six floor mega store devoted to this doll? What’s so great is the opportunity to do these things in almost a new frontier in these countries, because they don’t have the view - “oh it’s just a doll in a toy aisle.” It’s great if it keeps us informed and gives us an insight into the culture.

What’s your personal favorite Barbie?
My favorite doll was a doll I worked on called Maria Therese and it was part of the Barbie fashion model collection. It was based on my sister’s wedding dress that I also designed. It was a personal moment and a really great melding of my personal life and my career life. Also I’m very close to my sister, so it was kind of a little tribute to her and I like that it lives in this Barbie eternity. It’s a nice reminder, and it’s not often that you’re able to have an experience like that and I was very fortunate.

You recently said that Barbie is the ultimate fashion model, tell us more…
I’ve kind of always thought that because I’ve always held up that good designs make clothes that are transforming. I think Barbie is the ultimate version of that because when the doll started out in ’59 there was a very simple equation of doll plus fashion, when you change the fashion you change the doll. When she put on a nurse’s outfit she was a nurse, when she put on an evening formal she became a glamorous debutante. Through the simple interaction of changing clothes, the girl or the person playing with the doll is able to transform the doll and transform the situation. That’s what real clothes do. As humans you put on your most comfy pajamas and you feel all comfy, you put on a really well-tailored, well-made suit and you feel powerful and sharp and ready to take on all customers. I think that Barbie has always represented that. Kids get that, they play with the doll in this way that is no limits, she can wear anything.

Have you ever had to deal with criticism of Barbie’s original body?
You know, the funny thing is that conversation is constantly coming up and it’s such an adult conversation. When you see little girls play with the doll, I don’t think they think about that at all. We bring the baggage and want to put it on top of them. Kids don’t have that baggage, they don’t come into the world thinking about things like body image, they just play with the doll and their imagination is what fuels and directs the play. Whether we target them or market them that, this is a princess doll, they’ll cut the hair, they’ll pretend she’s in the army, they’ll do whatever they’re going to do. I think the whole conversation about the body comes down to that, it’s a non-issue and it’s not important. It’s something they don’t think about. It’s something adults want to talk about and discuss, to have media create a big firestorm, and it’s not something interesting to me. The interesting thing about it is that the body has changed several times since her debut in 1959. It’s changed to reflect popular culture. In the 50s the ideal was a very curvy Marilyn Monroe-esque body type. By the 60s it was a Jean Shrimpton, Twiggy, younger, thinner body, the 70s was more athletic. If you charted the progress of the doll over time it is a rational reflection of what is going on in popular culture. But people don’t ever want to do that, they want to have this one kind of conversation about unrealistic stuff and never look at the progression. The face has changed, the legs have changed, there’s been a variety of bodies whether it’s because she’s a gymnast and she’s more flexible, she’s got Skipper which is a younger looking doll. You know, it’s a conversation that will never go away. I don’t have any answers and there will always be critics. With any social lightning rod, and Barbie will always be one, with the good will come controversy and questions.

You were on Project Runway. Did that experience change your design strategy?
It freaked me out a lot. And it made me grateful to be able to design in a normal, healthy, rational environment. If anything it was really interesting to me because it was such a challenge, and the good part of it was that it forced me to think about designing under these incredibly intense situations, and you really have to go from your gut. It’s freeing in some ways because it helps you. It’s easy to get into a comfortable rut, designing for Barbie or real clothes, we in life go to our comfort zones, and sometimes it’s good to have something completely different to really knock you out of it. Project Runway did that in spades because you’re being filmed 24/7, so to live your life under the glare of an intrusive movie crew is an experience like no other, and it is not one I enjoyed much. Then just the pressure cooker atmosphere of being in this intense environment and being creative. I don’t think you can force creativity, I don’t think it’s a good way to come up with the best idea. It’s about the challenge. It comes down to who’s good under those situations and whose not, but not who’s the best.

How do you know what girls want?I don’t know, I have no idea, I just guess. I’ve gotten by on a lot of luck. I tend to think of basing it on the response, you hear good thing. I’ve certainly worked on things that people thought, that’s ugly, or that is a mistake. You take it in stride and try it again. In terms of learning about yourself, you try to learn from things you’ve done. Definitely I have tons of girlfriends, tons of women I know, you listen, you’re intuitive, you talk to them and get a sense of what women are interested in. Then of course you know, being in fashion, you’re always aware of the trends. I read tons of fashion magazines and look online. I want to know everything, you don’t ever want to feel like you’re behind or you missed something. Like, yeah shoulder pads are back. What? Where was I?

Do you have an upcoming project that you’re excited about, or has this been your main focus?This has been my main focus, but there are a few projects, one I can talk about that’s very exciting that we’re launching in December. Christian Louboutin, the French shoe designer, has done a Barbie with us. We partnered with him to do a line of three dolls debuting in December, so Barbie is getting a proper high end shoe designer. Each doll comes with four pairs of new shoes, so that’s exiting.

Do you ever miss designing for people?I miss designing real clothes sometimes when I see certain other designers. Certainly when I see a show that looks really beautiful, or clothes that are really incredible, I think it would be fun to do that. That’s me being honest, it doesn’t make me like my job any less or feel wistful, because I did it. I don’t feel like I missed anything. But it’s a completely different expression of creativity. It would be fun to do from time to time.

VAN NUYS, Calif., Sept 15, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- With kids back in school, many old friends are reuniting and some new friendships are just beginning. Today, MGA Entertainment, Inc. (MGA), a worldwide leader in the toy industry, announced the launch of BFC, Ink.(TM), a new doll line that embraces the excitement that comes from belonging to a supportive group of friends and accomplishing your goals together.

BFC, Ink. (Best Friends Club, Ink.) dolls come with relatable fashions and interactive journals meant to inspire girls to discover their individuality, and focus on the experiences girls go through in life, knowing that friends will be there, forever.

In partnership with Parragon Publishing, the BFC, Ink. dolls also align with a series of tween targeted fiction books featuring relatable topics for girls.

"BFC, Ink. is an educational and interactive brand that focuses on understanding the real life challenges that today's girls are facing," said Isaac Larian, CEO, MGA Entertainment, Inc. "Our research shows that girls seek a role model whom they can depend on and relate to.

Armed with this knowledge, we created a line based on the central idea of true friends and the many ways to experience the power of friendship through doll play, books, journals and more."

BFC, Ink. consists of five characters: Addison(TM), Kaitlin(TM), Calista(TM), Aliesha(TM), and Noelle(TM), each with her own unique personality and story to tell. Within the BFC, Ink. line are two categories: BFC, Ink. 18" Dolls and BFC, Ink. Fashion Dolls.

Included within the box for each line are outfits and accessories, a BFC, Ink. book with lock and key and a BFC, Ink. membership card, which can be used to unlock games on the BFC, Ink. website.

All five characters are available in the BFC, Ink. Fashion Doll line and Kaitlin, Addison and Calista are available in the BFC, Ink. 18" Doll line.

Girls also can visit www.BFCInk.com to read their favorite characters' blogs and to get the scoop on how to create their very own clubs.

In addition to featuring interactive fashions and journals, BFC, Ink. is anchored by a literary program through Parragon Publishing. The program consists of a series of tween targeted fiction books, written in a journal format by each character and features relatable topics for girls 7-12 years old.

The publishing program also gives girls the tools to create their own club through titles such as the BFC, Ink. "Club Kit", to get creative through the BFC, Ink. "Scrapbook", or to keep track of important diary dates in "My Amazing Life" date book.

Other titles due for publication include a BFC, Ink." Beauty Bible" with hints and tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a BFC, Ink. "Party Planner" packed with ideas on how to host a BFC, Ink. book party and a BFC, Ink. "Style Book".

BFC, Ink. dolls are currently available at retailers nationwide. Doll prices range from $16.99 to $39.99 and may vary by location. For more information on BFC, Ink. and the products, games and accessories available, please visit: http://www.bfcink.com/.

August 21, 5:36 PM Nashville Doll Collecting Examiner Kathryn Darden

Photos of Gene Fashion Royalty dolls from Integrity Toys press kit

Stop the presses! Did I just say in my Doll Collecting 101: Who is Gene? article that Gene is a 16 1/2 inch doll? Well, history is being made as a new 12 inch Hollywood Royalty Gene is expected to arrive mid-to-late November!
Gene Marshall, one of the most glamorous movie stars of yesteryear, was chosen to be portrayed as the next addition to Integrity Toys' Hollywood Royalty collection. Gene's early career will be portrayed in a collection of three different 12" dolls, each wearing a fashion inspired by one of Gene's classic movie roles.
As noted in the Who is Gene? article, Gene first debuted in 1995 as a 16 1/2" doll. This new miniature homage to the popular movie star doll is sure to appeal to Barbie doll collectors who have put off buying a Gene doll because of her much larger size. Each official Gene Marshall Hollywood Royalty doll will be done in a limited edition of 250 pieces. Blue Caprice and Red Desire will be available from Integrity Toys dealers while Midnight Lace will be exclusive to W Club. MSRP is $150 for each Hollywood Royalty Gene doll.

When “G.I. Joe” arrived on the scene, says Hasbro’s president and CEO Brian Goldner, who serves as a producer on the film, “the term ‘action figure’ was actually a new one. Boys would never be found playing with fashion dolls, but the idea of an action hero or action figure came along and really stuck.

For a little boy, it was the personification of a hero who could empower him to feel like he was part of the action.”

In “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” there’s Ripcord, an expert marksman and weapons specialist; Snake Eyes, a ninja warrior armed with Katana swords and a Glock pistol, skilled in martial arts, reconnaissance and infiltration; Scarlett, tough and bright, also a martial arts master and skilled with a gas-propelled Crossbow Pistol; Breaker, a specialist in deciphering covert electronics and technology; Heavy Duty, the team’s weapons specialist; General Hawk, who is the team’s commander; Courtney “Cover Girl” Kreiger, a runway model-turned-spy and General Hawk’s assistant; and, of course, Duke, a combat veteran with courage to spare: He’s the G.I. Joe’s leader and soldier personified.

“Each one has a particular skill they’re really good at, and the team counts on that skill,” says Di Bonaventura.

While a hugely-popular animated TV series debuted in 1985, it was a long-running series of comic books that truly helped retool “G.I. Joe” and give it its engaging mythology. The combination of new action figures, comic books and a TV show, helped propel “G.I. Joe” farther than it had ever been.

“They ignited the collective minds of the fans of that era,” says Goldner. “In fact, the “G.I. Joe” of the 1980s was more successful, globally, than the original.”

“G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra” is distributed by United Internatinal Pictures.

2009/05/25
Show your love for Barbie with this black T-shirt with laced sleeves from the Glamorous Barbie capsule collection.

Emulate the current fashion of the world’s most famous doll with six different looks, writes CHEONG PHIN.

The nautical-inspired dress and matching handbag from Jet Set Barbie capsule.


Celebrate Barbie’s 50th anniversary with this special blue T-shirt from the Sports Barbie capsule collection.

APART from diamonds, every girl’s other best friend has to be her Barbie Doll.

According to its makers, Mattel Inc., 90 per cent of girls between ages three and 10 own at least one such doll.

Born in 1959, the 29cm plastic sensation originally known as Barbie Millicent Roberts, turns 50 this year, having reflected the changing role of women in the world.

“Barbie represents the best in women. Over the years, she has shown young girls around the world that they can be anything they want to be — a lawyer, a doctor, or an astronaut — and look fabulously fashionable doing it. She is a modern-day icon,” said designer Kimora Lee Simmons for Baby Phat in the American publication of InStyle magazine.

In a strategic move to reinvigorate the Barbie brand beyond its traditional toy market share, Mattel Inc.

is aggressively marketing Barbie as a fashion brand by embarking on design collaborations with Vera Wang, Jeremy Scott and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

The new strategy kicked off last February at the fashion week in New York with an extraordinary runway show of Barbie-looking models strutting the catwalk in unique designs from 50 invited designers from the CFDA that included Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg, Alexander Wang and Kenneth Cole, to name a few.

Ranging from swimsuits to evening gowns and pink dresses, each look was unmistakably Barbie-inspired complete with thick blonde ponytail or bigteased hair, cat-eye sunglasses and hot-pink strappy Christian Louboutin heels.

The 50th anniversary of the iconic doll was also marked with the opening of the first House of Barbie in Shanghai’s trendy Huai Hai Road recently where girls and women can beautify themselves with a new line of colour cosmetics, experiment with “plastic smooth” skin treatments and shop for clothes for themselves and their dolls.

Mattel Inc.’s fashion interest in Asia was further augmented with a collaboration with Thailand’s No. 1 fashion house, JASPAL, to create a special 50th Barbie Anniversary collection based on Barbie’s style-savvy, boundary-crossing essence.

“We feel honoured to be part of this milestone celebration and hope the special collection captures the essence of today’s fashion.

We have been inspired by Barbie’s innate fashion style throughout her 50 years, and used this inspiration to design a contemporary collection of clothing and accessories for the modern woman,” said JASPAL assistant managing director Viseth Singhsachathet.

Called Barbie by JASPAL, the collection is made up of six mini capsule ranges and was recently launched here at its 1 Utama boutique featuring three Barbie-inspired looks styled by young local fashion designers Nurita Harith, Alexandrea Yeo and Amir Luqman.

Ranging from simple printed T-shirt tops to denim trench coat and edgy separates, you too can emulate Barbie’s contemporary style with the different looks of the capsule collections of apparel and accessories.

GLAMOROUS Barbie
For dress-up nights to parties or clubs, this range includes the brand’s classic dark denim highwaisted skirts and hot pants to match a similar denim trench coat which can be worn over a laced pink top and with strands of pearls.

A black T-shirt with a symbolic love heart in red sequins and Barbie image is given added glamour with short, laced puffed sleeves while a black and white polka dot dress with Barbie images looks hot when teamed with pink stockings and gloves.

JET SET Barbie
This nautical-inspired capsule offers ideal summer holiday styles with striped cotton dresses in red, blue and white, and sky blue knit dresses with playful prints.

A red-and-white polka dot trench coat makes a stylish cover up for cooler days together with white knotted belts and dangling anchor pendant to accentuate the nautical feel to this collection.

SPORTY Barbie
Inspired by outdoor sports and the active side of Barbie, this capsule includes hooded velour jumpsuits in pink and blue T-shirts with 50th Barbie Anniversary logos worn under white cotton rompers and heather grey cotton fleece tops full of miniature accessory prints.

ROCK Barbie
Staying in tune with the current 80s revival, this capsule is inspired by the punk rock of that era and includes midriff off-shoulder T-shirts worn over black tank tops and bleached skinny jeans.

A pair of red heels and a metal-studded belt completes the Rock Chick look.

VINTAGE Barbie
Feminine blouses and short cardigans are given a romantic touch in this capsule with printed little stars, diamonds and ribbons using a wet-onwet technique.

The result is a sweet collection of 50s retro tops and tulle skirts that nod to the early days of Barbie.

CLASSIC Barbie
This capsule is all about Barbie’s classic black and white dresses that include a short, sleeveless cotton satin dress with a ballooning skirt and folded pleats on the bodice.

It is worn with a matching bow belt that is sprinkled with sparkling crystals for a glamorous night out.

Another option is a cotton-satin pussybow blouse with a diamante-encrusted Barbie image on the bow that is worn with pants and pearls.

U.S. sales are down, but the company is rewriting the doll's story for a new audience that loves Western brands.

By ARIANA EUNJUNG CHA, Washington Post
SHANGHAI

Jiang Xiaoyun stared wide-eyed at the pink cupcakes, pink T-shirts, pink purses and pink dolls in the towering new Barbie flagship store and declared the place a dream come true.
"I just thought, 'Wouldn't this be great if this was my home?'" Jiang gushed as she and her cousin snapped photos of themselves with mannequins and talked about how wonderfully "princess-y" everything was.

In the United States, Barbies and Barbie products are considered toys and are marketed primarily for girls 8 years old or younger. Not so in China.
Jiang, a 23-year-old administrative assistant, was part of a crowd of 20- and 30-something women who mobbed the Barbie store on a recent weekend. Few were there for the dolls. Instead, they were browsing the store's animal-print scarves; gourmet chocolate from Laris, one of Shanghai's most exclusive restaurants on the Bund, a famous avenue, and a $10,000 wedding dress designed by Vera Wang.
Like many other multinational firms, Mattel -- the world's largest toymaker -- is looking toward the 1.3 billion potential customers in China to make up for slow sales elsewhere.

Winning over young urban professional women in China like Jiang has become an obsession for such companies. Less concerned about price than their male counterparts but with similar disposable incomes and a love for Western brands, these consumers have the potential to make or break a company's quarterly sales.

Estee Lauder has teamed up with Sony to produce a 40-episode digital sitcom that began in December and includes product placements for Clinique cosmetics and other products. The plot revolves around a college student in Shanghai. And Unilever launched a Chinese version of "Ugly Betty" that features a script about the company's campaign for "real beauty." The first season featured 3,300 seconds of the Dove brand.

U.S. sales stumble

Barbara Millicent Roberts, better known as Barbie, made her debut at a toy fair in New York City in 1959 and has since become a subject of both controversy and adoration. The 11.5-inch doll's va-va-voom figure has been criticized throughout the years as being an inhuman ideal, but she has continued to be so popular that the average American girl owns eight Barbies.
Through the years, Barbie has had more than 108 careers and has worn costumes from 50 nations. But sales have stumbled. For Mattel, the fourth quarter of last year was especially depressing: sales fell 11 percent, to $2 billion, while operating income was down 36 percent.
"When Barbie entered American supermarkets, its brand image was damaged. Mattel is thinking to rebuild the brand image here as a dream, a paradise not only for little girls but for their mothers, too," said Sun Yimin, a marketing professor at Fudan University in Shanghai.

To celebrate Barbie's 50th birthday this year, Mattel organized a glitzy fashion show in New York and a celebrity party at a replica of the Barbie Dream House in Malibu. The Shanghai store, which opened in March, is the cornerstone of the company's campaign to revitalize the brand.

Rewriting Barbie's story

Located on Shanghai's equivalent of Fifth Avenue, the six-story, 35,000-square-foot building includes a luxury spa and restaurant in addition to its vast retail space.
"Chinese consumers barely know anything about Barbie except that Barbie is a pretty doll," said Laura Lai, general manager of Barbie Shanghai. This has given the company an opportunity to rewrite the doll's story. "We're targeting girls of all ages -- no matter whether they are 6 years old or 60 years old."
If the long checkout lines at the Shanghai store are any indication, Mattel's strategy is working. Pan Yangzhou, a 21-year-old who was visiting from the nearby city of Nanjing, bought some blush and lipstick. Tang Xuyu, a 25-year-old Shanghai native who works as an assistant to the CEO of a local restaurant group, purchased a notebook, some chocolates and a card.
Cui Xiujao, a 25-year-old who works for a software company, had bought a pink T-shirt for her sister, who is also in her 20s, and was browsing for something for herself.
"Barbie attracts me because she's very feminine and independent. She's in charge of her own life. And she has many different roles," Cui said, justifying her spending. "But most important are her pretty clothes."

The store was crowded with fatigued parents and their excited kids bouncing from shelf to shelf, fencing with flashing light sabers, tearing around the aisles in their pedal-powered cars and looking imploringly into the eyes of mom and dad as they passed yet another must-have gadget.

The difference last weekend was dozens of 6-year-old girls were dressed as mermaids running around the store in pink glitter and silver crowns. They were all posing in a special booth with a cute doll called Mimi while their parents snapped away.

Mimi World, the company that manufactures Korea’s homemade answer to the U.S. superstar doll Barbie, was promoting the latest incarnation of its product, Mimi the Mermaid Princess. On this day, the Mimi shelves in the store were impossible to miss - you just had to follow the crowd of eager faces.

Mimi and Barbie, who is celebrating her 50th anniversary, have a great deal in common. Both are pink and glittery and cherished by young girls, but there’s a major difference.

“Barbie is more Western and modern, whereas Mimi seems more Asian, just like a young girl from fairy tale,” said Kim Kyeong-ha, 30, who was browsing the store with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.

That’s hardly surprising. Barbie was originally created in the late 1950s for the U.S. doll market and Mimi was designed in the early 1980s to cater to local tastes.

But there’s one other factor that differentiates the two dolls: market share.

Princess Mimi.
Mimi’s crown
You would be forgiven for thinking Barbie is the No. 1 girls’ doll in Korea. She already holds that distinction in the U.S. and has recorded huge sales all over the world. But figures suggest that Mimi might well have a larger slice of the local market. According to Mimi World, Mimi reportedly had more than 70 percent of the girls’ doll market during the 1980s, and maintains a 30 to 40 percent share.

According to figures released by Lotte Mart, Mimi accounted for 38 percent of girls’ doll sales at Toys “R” Us last year. Lotte signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the U.S. headquarters of Toys “R” Us and opened the world’s largest toy retailer in four branches of Lotte Mart across Korea. Juju, another homegrown girl doll, was close behind with 26 percent.

“Sales of Mimi should be higher at other toy stores, because Toys “R” Us sells more Barbie products than any other toy store,” said Kim Min-seok, a PR official at Lotte Mart. “But what’s interesting is that although more Barbie and other foreign products have become available in Korea because of the new Toys “R” Us outlets, Mimi sales continue to be strong.”

According to Mimi World, sales of Mimi were up about 25 percent last year compared to sales in 2007, despite the economic downturn.

Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie, declines to release statistics for sales in the Korean market, but the world’s biggest toymaker said in February that Barbie sales worldwide fell 21 percent in the last quarter of last year, which of course included the major holiday shopping season.

Timeless creations

The secret to Mimi’s success is sticking to tried and trusted formulas.

“Seasons change and fashions come and go, but you can never go wrong with themes like princesses and brides,” says Baek Jae-eun, the marketing manager of the Mimi World in this reporter’s recent visit to the company in Anyang, Gyeonggi, about an hour’s drive from Seoul.

“We believe it’s important to lower our eye level to that of a child and think about a child’s fantasies, dreams and wishes, and not those of us adults,” she said. Baek is also the editor-in-chief of Mimi Girl, a biannual magazine that contains news about Mimi dolls and other merchandise like coloring books and paper dolls.

Mimi has also reflected trends in society. During the 1980s, she assumed roles like a nurse, artist and ballerina, three of the most popular careers young girls desired back then.

In the 1990s, girls became more interested in makeup and personal grooming, so girls were given dolls whose hairstyles could be modified and whose faces could be made up. At the dawn of the new millennium, fashion-sensitive dolls like tank top and khakis-clad pop star Mimi found their way into girls’ bedrooms across the country.

But whereas her rival Barbie wears clothes styled by the who’s who in today’s fashion circuit like Michael Kors, Vera Wang and Tommy Hilfiger, Mimi continues to stick to her decades-old look: puffy dresses with ribbons, flowers and lace.

“The princess theme is the eternal fantasy of young girls,” Baek said.

Mimi World holds an exhibition of its dolls from past to present, last December at the Toys “R” Us store in Jamsil, southern Seoul. Provided by Lotte Mart

Stay true to roots

Several years ago, doll collectors in Korea fell in love with Blythe dolls, strange big-eyed, big-headed toys from the U.S. first made in 1972 and then re-marketed by Japan in 2001.

Online cafes and blogs devoted to the dolls have sprung up, on which Korean doll collectors post pictures of their “babies,” the term they use to refer to their dolls, and exchanging information about adoption, the term for buying. Korean artist Jang Aromi even used the Blythe doll as a muse for her work.

One of the latest stars from Mimi World is Little Mimi, big-eyed and big-headed like Blythe, aimed at a younger market.

“Before our target consumers were girls aged between 8 and 9, but today they’re 5 to 6 year olds,” said Lee Jong-ryeol, a managing director at Mimi World.

“Once they enter elementary school, girls think it’s childish to play with Mimi, but with Little Mimi, they don’t think it’s so childish. So it’s our way to remain in girls’ lives longer.”

All dollmakers have to respond to the kids’ changing lifestyles, and Mimi World said it is planning to launch Mimi stationery and children’s bedding, but it has no plans for making inroads into adult’s brands targeting mothers in the same fashion as Mattel with Barbie, which makes women’s wear and jewelry.

“For now, we’re sticking to the children,” said Baek. “If Barbie is aiming to work top-down to mothers, we will work from the bottom up.”

By Kim Hyung-eun [hkim@joongang.co.kr]

By Christopher Muther, Globe Staff | February 19, 2009

NEW YORK - Perhaps it was just a coincidence that designer Jason Wu took inspiration from antique illustrations of fairy tales for his latest collection, or maybe it was actually a case of fashion echoing life.
Wu, the 26-year-old wunderkind whose fall/winter 2009 collection received across-the-board-praise from the style world here at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, has been living something of a fairy tale himself recently. It was only last month that Michelle Obama, the woman who could be seen as Wu's fashion fairy godmother, chose to wear one of his gowns to the inaugural balls. Suddenly, Wu went from up-and-comer to household name.
"She's given me more than I could have dreamed of," Wu said Saturday afternoon in his midtown studio. "It's pretty amazing that somebody would have given me that opportunity."
Opportunity struck twice when Obama then posed on the March cover of Vogue wearing another of Wu's dresses. For a young designer in a shaky economic climate, the first lady's endorsement has led to an explosion of media coverage, not to mention offers for everything from reality television shows to low-priced clothing lines. Buyers are lining up to talk to Wu about selling his clothes in their stores. (Wu's clothing can be found at Louis Boston).
But despite the fact that Wu looks like he's barely out of high school, he's remarkably mature about his newfound fame. He's eschewing the TV offers and various get-rich-quick schemes and continuing to focus on what's important to him: making fashion for working women. He sees his customer as a woman who works, heads out for cocktails, and then to a sophisticated dinner.
"I think we're all looking forward to seeing were Jason Wu's career takes him," said Hamish Bowles, Vogue's European editor at large. "He's done an incredible amount already, and his work is mature beyond his years."
Wu got his start in fashion early. As a boy, he started sketching women's clothes. He says he has always been fascinated with fashion.
"Before I knew what a fashion career was, I wanted to be a fashion designer," says Wu, dressed casually in a charcoal gray sweater, jeans, and sneakers. "I love the way that clothes are made, I love the way that clothes are constructed. I love pretty things. Fashion encompasses all the things I love - like sculpture and art. I guess it was in my DNA."
Born in Taiwan, Wu and his family settled in Vancouver. He attended Eaglebrook School in Deerfield for middle school, and then went to boarding school at Loomis Chaffee in Connecticut. During those years, he would occasionally sneak to Boston with friends and stroll Newbury Street for fashion inspiration.
It was during high school that Wu started his first job in the fashion industry - designing clothes for a line of high-end dolls.
"The one thing with the dolls is that it heightened my awareness of details, because once you've worked in miniature, that's all it is is little details," he says. "I was clipping little threads off all the time. As a result of that, attention to detail is an important quality for us.
"But dolls weren't my goal. I loved doing it because it was fun, but meanwhile I was always working toward becoming a fashion designer and going to Parsons."
His self-funded label (with help from his parents and earnings from his work with dolls) began in 2006, and since that time he has earned the close support of editors at Vogue, who came backstage after his runway show last week to congratulate him.
Despite rumors that she may be attending Wu's fashion show, Obama was not in the audience, and Wu has yet to speak with her. However, he did promptly send a letter after she wore the now-famous white, one shoulder gown.
"I've always been a note person, so I wrote her a thank you," he says. "I really don't know what I can do for someone who has done so much for me. How could I reciprocate in the same way?"
Wu says he's aware that not everybody liked the dress, but most important to him is the fact that Obama liked it.
"One thing that people need to know is that it's about the clothes for her," he says. "She's not caught up in the designer world and she's not about big names. She wears clothes that she likes. I think that's what's great about her. She has her own rules."
The fact that he designs his clothes for women, and not Hollywood party girls, has helped Wu find a strong and devoted customer base very early in his career. He is now looking at expanding into fragrance and cosmetics. He's even mulling expanding into menswear one day. But he has no plans to start a lower priced line or enter into a collaboration for a one-off collection with Target or H&M.
"I've had a crazy number of offers to work on other projects," he says. "But this is really the focus for me. I've never had a secondary goal. I want to put all of my energy toward making the kind of clothes that women see on the runway and want to reach out, touch, and wear."
Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com

Nuremberg, Germany - Barbie, the original fashion doll, turns an ageless 50 next month and must fight off a string of equally skinny challengers vying for attention from the world's little girls.

Mattel Inc, the world's biggest toy company, is planning celebrations all year marking the anniversary of the March 9, 1959 appearance at the New York Toy Fair of Barbie, who has since developed separate African-American and Hispanic identities and dozens of doll friends.

During the Nuremberg Toy Fair, which opens its doors Thursday for a six-day run, live mdels with outrageously long false eyelashes are showing 50 years of Barbie fashions. The company is celebrating Barbie as a role model who opened up new careers for girls.

Barbie came out in astronaut clothing in 1965, as a dentist in 1997 and dressed as a US presidential candidate on three occasions.

Fashions change, but fashion dolls, which enable young girls to fantasize about what it will be like to be grown up, never go out of date in the toy shops of the world. As if to emphasize that this really is just fantasy, the newest crop claim magical powers.

Among the hopefuls at the fair is Wayne Jacobs, a South-African- born toymaker offering his first-ever doll, Princess Petal.

Sold with her own storytime book for the 3-7 age range, fairy Petal can flutter her wings when touched with a magic wand.

The wand contains a magnet which activates a battery-powered motor inside the doll's body. Lithe-limbed Petal is part of the Sparkle and Friends series which all have 'magic' abilities.

Jacobs, who originally set up his business in Sydney, Australia, moved a year and a half ago to Hong Kong, the centre of the world toy industry. 'My dream was to take this worldwide,' he said in an interview in Nuremberg, where he was looking for distributors.

Giochi Preziosi, an Italian firm that says it is the world's fourth largest toy company, is this month to launch another long- legged fairy doll, Tinker Bell, who dresses in skimpy clothes.

Manufactured under licence from the Disney Fairies franchise, she is being sold as a tie-in with the computer-animated, direct-to-DVD film Tinker Bell, which was released late last year. Disney is set to release three sequels, one per year, into 2011.

Claudio Macchi, brand manager of the company, which is based near Milan, said Giochi Preziosi would follow up this summer with fairy dolls that can variously move their wings, release pixie dust (actually a puff of fine glitter) and even blush.

In the Tink and Terence two-doll pack, 23-centimetre-tall Tink's cheeks glow red whenever she is brought close to male fairy Terence.

Giochi Preziosi is in the process of winding up its distribution in Italy of Bratz, the line of US fashion dolls which were hit by a lawsuit at the end of last year, and is glad of a replacement series that little girls can collect.

Once wildly popular among little girls, the sexily-dressed Bratz dolls face an uncertain future after Mattel won a court case in California against the manufacturer, MGA Entertainment, alleging copyright infringement and breach of contract.

Bryan Stockton, who heads non-US sales at Mattel, said in an interview in Nuremberg, 'We're very pleased with that.'

The court agreed that Bratz creator Carter Bryant was employed by Mattel at the time he developed the idea for the Bratz dolls.

Stockton said this meant that 'Bratz happens to be Mattel's idea.' Mattel is now pursuing a wider claim for damages.

'We are open to discussion of settlement terms,' Stockton said.

MGA Entertainment is appealing and says on its website that it has won a stay till the end of this year in the court order.

Despite the new competition from Petal, Tink and their fairy friends, Barbie, who has been available for ages in a fairy version with wings that flutter, reigns supreme among girls aged 3 to 8 in much of the world.

Stockton explained that Barbie today is more than just a doll: it is a brand.

'If you look at every euro spent on the brand, roughly half is spent on the Barbie toy and nearly half is spent on Barbie-brand products: fragrances, backpacks and so on. So the brand is an important part of girls' lives,' he said.

That appeal continues right through to young professional women in Asia who enjoy wearing the Barbie look.

In 'another first for the brand,' the House of Barbie Shanghai retail store, a clothing and accessories boutique for young women, is opening in China. Its most expensive item is a 15,000-dollar wedding dress.

At 50, Barbie is as fresh as ever. Stockton said Mattel will continue to develop new Barbies that reflect changing dress fashions.

'Our job is to build on her legacy,' he said.

To help others with this search Danusis has created a new line of dolls and co-authored “Sophia and the Seven Goddesses” which came out this summer.

SophiaDolls, 10 years in the making, help young girls and women build self-esteem and tap into their innate gifts of wisdom.

The dolls, in varying shapes, sizes and costumes, are named after seven Greek goddesses and the personality archetypes they represent. Unlike Barbie or the Bratz dolls, the SophiaDolls are realistically proportioned to represent real women’s body shapes, ranging from a size 6 to a size 16.

“The message of the dolls and the book is that whatever hand nature has dealt you, you are perfect as you are,” Danusis says.

SophiaDolls is a division of Nea Matia — Greek for “new eyes” or “new sight.” Danusis understands the power of the idealized images of beauty that women see around them and feel they also must achieve because she spent 20 years in the cosmetics business in Los Angeles, rising “from sales girl to running the company.”

After a friend committed suicide because “she couldn’t be the perfect woman,” and her own daughter repeatedly landed in the hospital as she tried to starve herself thin enough to be a model, Danusis began to re-evaluate her life and her priorities.

Danusis, then a single parent, took two years off. Eventually, she ended up in Monterey, Calif., where she led expensive empowerment workshops for corporate women. But even those very successful women suffered from deep self-doubts based on their inability to live up to unrealistic body and beauty images.

As she pondered how to address these self-defeating attitudes, which women begin forming at a very young age, Danusis had an epiphany. She saw seven dolls, in seven different shapes and seven different sizes.

She decided to name the dolls after Greek goddesses — in part, a tribute to the Greek heritage of her husband. Each goddess would represent a different personality archetype, as theorized by her inspiration, author and psychiatrist Jean Bolan.

The dolls, which sell for $99 apiece, are designed for “tweens,” girls aged 8 through 12 and women. Each comes with a booklet telling the story of how that goddess discovered her talents and developed her powers. Parent guides and workbooks encourage discussions about self-esteem and other issues between parent and child.

Currently the dolls are manufactured in China, but the goal is to find a way to manufacture them in Fort Wayne.

Danusis says she and her co-author and friend Ilene Satala have made empowerment and spirituality a lifetime study.

“I did nine years of research before bringing the dolls to the market (or meeting Ilene) and many of my ideas and concepts came out of those nine long years of waiting and wanting to bring out the dolls and book,” Danusis says. “I met Ilene 2 1/2 years ago at a meeting and purchased one of her amazing goddess paintings. This meeting started a wonderful and exciting relationship and friendship. Ilene took my concepts and ideas along with hers and spun this amazing story.”

Satala also did the vibrant, powerful illustrations.

“I was chronically ill as a child and because of being alone and indoors. I spent my time creating art and then developing stories that went with my original paintings,” says Satala, a Fort Wayne resident. “I started doing this when I was 6 and have never really stopped.”

Satala says when Danusis approached her with the book idea it was a dream come true .

“Working with Beverley and being part of the message of self-acceptance for young girls and women everywhere is a true gift that fills me with joy and delight — I love this book!” she says.

Danusis, working with a professional editor, edited “Sophia and the Seven Goddesses.” It was printed in the U.S.

The goal of the book and dolls is to instill in girls and women the idea that they come in all sizes, shapes and colors and they are enough just the way they are — despite what the media, fashion, cosmetic and toy industries are trying to promote.

“The concept is powerfully simple,” Danusis says. “Everything you need is within. Look inside to connect to your inner beauty and wisdom, to discover the real you, not whom you feel you SHOULD be.”

FAST FACTS:

Web site: sophiadolls.com (featuring an online test to help you find your “goddess style”)

Book: “Sophia and the Seven Goddesses;” 179 pages, color illustrations, $18.95

Goddesses: Athena, leadership; Demeter, generosity; Persephone, intuition; Artemis, independence; Aphrodite, creativity; Hestia, centeredness; Hera, friendship.

Mission statement: To educate, inspire and empower all women, especially girls and their mothers, by providing fun yet educational products and experiences that combine playing and learning, thus facilitating the development of skills that support an easier transition into teen years, ultimately fostering a healthier and happier adult.

Address: Nea Matia Inc., 825 Barr St., Ste. 300, Fort Wayne, 46802

Phone: (260) 423-DOLL or (800) 678-3698

A legal cat fight followed, with Mattel (nyse: MAT - news - people ) seeking a piece of Yasmin, Jade and friends in a lawsuit against rival MGA Entertainment Inc. Mattel has alleged that it's entitled to some of the profits from the Bratz dolls because MGA stole the concept and other trade secrets by luring away a Mattel employee.
If jurors find that Mattel's rights were infringed, the world's biggest toy maker could collect hundreds of millions of dollars in licensing fees from MGA. "The stakes really couldn't be higher for this kind of case," said Jack Lerner, a law professor at the University of Southern California. "The future of this brand is in the balance."

El Segundo-based Mattel filed the original lawsuit in 2004 against Carter Bryant, one of its former doll designers, accusing him of wrongfully selling his Bratz ideas to privately held MGA while he was under contract to Mattel. In a ruling last month, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson said Mattel could claim rights to work done by Bryant. "It comes down to what Bryant did in the time he was with Mattel," Lerner said.

The lawsuit is going to trial during a difficult time for both companies. Mattel recalled millions of Chinese-made toys last year that were found to be tainted with lead. Last month, the company reported a $46.6 million loss in the first quarter with Barbie sales flat and a 13 percent drop in worldwide sales for its Fisher-Price brand.

Isaac Larian, MGA's chief executive officer, has pegged the value of the Bratz franchise at $2 billion, but industry analysts believe its market share has slipped in the past few years because new products such as Webkinz and the Hanna Montana craze have captured kids' attention.

"Unfortunately for Mattel and MGA, fashion dolls have fallen out of favor," said Gerrick Johnson, a toy industry analyst at BMO Capital Markets in New York. "The trend has been toward mini-dolls or animals. Bratz is actually struggling more than Barbie right now."

Bisque dolls were a European design of the second half of the 19th century. They first appeared in France, then the Germans entered the market, as did the Japanese, the Americans and finally, today the Chinese dominate production. The most coveted of these antique dolls were made from about 1860 until World War I in France and Germany.

Two of the more popular French and German dolls produced in that era include the fashion doll and the French Bebe with all of their accessories. Both were made for well-to-do little girls whose families could afford them. The fashion doll was made to reflect the clothing styles of women of the day. The French Bebe was extravagantly dressed to reflect the period's youthful fashions. An entire industry grew around these dolls in that special shoes, accessories and clothing were created to dress them.

These beautiful dolls captured the imagination of 19th century little girls and continue to fascinate today's collectors. Their realistic skin color that comes from their unique preparation is part of the attraction. Other ingredients collectors use to judge a bisque doll include the quality of the bisque, the detailed facial expressions, the body style, makers markings, original clothing, condition and size. Replacement parts on a doll will affect its value, as will cracks, nicks and tears.

Prices for bisque dolls are all over the place. One source quoted a sale of $200,000 yet some of the dolls can be purchased for less than $100. Most dolls tend to sell in the $200 to $600 range with extremes on either end.

Several sources recommended a serious new collector checking out the Armand Marseille dolls, particularly one called Polly #390. It was considered a very nice doll. However, because there were so many of them produced, the price hits a reasonable range for most people.

There are numerous chat rooms, Web sites and books to help the budding collector learn more about this topic. Questions about whether to buy just the bisque head, how can one recognize a reproduction and more should be answered by an expert. Wise collectors should learn all they can about the dolls they love from sources such as these.

Jean McClelland writes about antiques for The Herald-Dispatch.