Products including fashion dolls and play-sets debuting at New York Toy Fair this week.

Nickelodeon Consumer Products has named Spin Master the new master toy licensee for its live action comedy series, Victorious.
The product line-up - which will include fashion dolls and play-sets - is being showcased at New York Toy Fair this week. Highlights include the Make It Shine doll, the Tori doll, Locker Decorator and Microphone.

Since its launch in April 2010, Victorious has been the number one live action comedy series in its timeslot on all TV with kids 6-11, tweens 9-14 and teens 12-17. It reaches 14.4 million kids, 13.7 million tweens and 11.4 million teens each quarter.

The show is a co-production with Sony Music as part of an ongoing global partnership between Nickelodeon and Sony Music.
"The enormous popularity and success of Victorious has led to an overwhelming demand from kids, teens and tweens," said Manuel Torres, SVP, global toys and video games for Nickelodeon Consumer Products. "As the master toy licensee for Victorious, Spin Master will engage the show's loyal and passionate audience and provide them with a line-up of dolls, play-sets and role play items to bring them closer to the excitement of Tori's life at Hollywood Arts High School."

Nicole Perez, VP of girls marketing at Spin Master, added: "Girls love Victorious because it embodies everything important and aspirational to them: performance, self-expression, a relatable and likeable heroine and humour. Our toy line focuses on those key girl triggers. We offer amazing performance based product and we'll be infusing some never before seen technologies."

While buzzing and beeping electronic toys fill the wish lists of kids this holiday season, the humble doll still stands in quiet dignity.
But some dolls are standing taller these days. Toy-makers are increasing the size of dolls in hopes that children will play with the toy longer.

A fashion doll is typically 11 inches tall. But Wall Street Journal toy reporter Ann Zimmerman tells NPR's Renee Montagne that "manufacturers are making dolls 18 to 21 inches" tall now.
Zimmerman says popular Walt Disney princesses like Ariel and Belle are now about 7 inches taller. There is now also a line of private-label dolls at Toys "R" Us called Journey Dolls that are also 18 inches tall, as well as Dollie and Me dolls, and others, she says.
Ten years ago, manufacturers started noticing that girls were growing tired of dolls at a younger age.

"Barbie started appealing to younger and younger girls," says Zimmernan. And now, she says, girls are giving up dolls at around age 6.
It's led to a decline in doll sales. But the classic American Girl dolls have continued to sell well, even during the recession, says Zimmerman.

"These are 18-inch dolls, very expensive [at about] $100 just for the doll," Zimmerman says. "And while sale of toys weren't great, American Girl dolls went up 7 percent in 2008, which is amazing."

Zimmerman says other manufacturers started thinking American Girl dolls have "staying power," which is in part why the toy-makers started making their dolls just as tall.

Barbie: The Undisputed Queen
Barbie, however, is still at her original height. And Barbie and Barbie accessories still dominate toy best-seller lists. Zimmerman calls Barbie the "undisputed queen of the doll aisle," but she says Barbie's growth has slowed.

Young girls have left Barbie and other dolls for computer-based games and social media sites, Zimmerman says. The hope is that making dolls taller will help them appear like pre-teen and early teen dolls, instead of babies and adults.

Speaking to the local media later, Wu said his design for Chow is in a classic, graceful style.

"It is one of my newest creations and I hope it will still be fashionable 20 or 30 years from now," Wu said.

In his meeting with Ma earlier in the day, the 28-year-old fashion designer said he hopes to help bring the local fashion industry into the international limelight.

Wu said Taiwan has had great influence on him and that he looks forward to giving something back to his homeland.

As a Taiwanese, Wu said, he would be very happy if his return could help draw the world's attention to Taiwan's fashion industry.

Responding to a question from Ma about how he became interested in fashion design, Wu said he was "born loving design."

"I don't know how to explain my love for design. It is in my blood, " Wu said. "I began designing costumes and accessories for dolls when I was 5 years old."

Wu said he was grateful for his mother's support, saying that she used to buy him foreign fashion magazines when he was a child, a move that not only helped enrich his knowledge about fashion but also allowed him to become good at English.

The one-shoulder gown he designed for Obama has already become a museum piece. It was donated in March this year to the National Museum of American History, where it joined the museum's collection of 24 other gowns worn by previous U.S. first ladies, including 12 worn on inauguration days.

Wu urged up-and-coming Taiwanese designers to travel extensively and learn from the work of other fashion designers and designers in other fields, which he said will help inspire their own creativity.

On a question from Ma about his design concepts, Wu said he draws from Oriental cultures and colors and that he prefers simple yet elegant styles.

Despite having lived away from Taiwan for most of his life, Wu said he still misses Taiwanese food very much, especially quintessential Taiwanese snacks, and that he will visit Taipei's Shilin night market during his stay. He will also attend his brother's wedding.

Wu left Taiwan when he was nine and moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he learned to sew by designing and making doll's clothes. He went on to study sculpture in Tokyo and later enrolled at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City.

At the age of 16, Wu began to make freelance doll's clothing designs and later traveled around the world studying fashion design. Four years ago, he launched his own fashion store in New York with earnings from sales of his doll's clothes and accessories.

He launched his first full collection in 2006 and won Fashion Group International's Rising Star award in 2008.

In June this year, Wu won the Swarovski Womenswear Designer of the Year award presented by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which is the top honor in the U.S. fashion industry.

Two new lines of the doe-eyed dolls should hit stores such as Toys R Us, Target and Walmart by the end of August.

Bratz, the pouty-lipped, provocatively dressed rivals to Mattel's Barbie, have been scarce as Mattel and MGA battled over their rights. Last week an appeals court overturned a lower court's ruling upholding Mattel's claim that Bratz's designer was actually working for Mattel when he created them and Mattel should get ownership of the trademark. The case may be retried.

The new Bratz have less makeup and more ample clothing and are more flexible than earlier versions, said MGA CEO Isaac Larian. They have been in development since December, when the appeals court put on hold the order for MGA to hand over the trademark to Mattel.

The Bratz franchise was once worth as much as $1 billion and was MGA's biggest brand. But its popularity peaked in 2005 and sales have been sliding since. Meanwhile, MGA launched its "Moxie Girlz" brand. SpinMaster also introduced "Liv" dolls. And Barbie, who long ruled the roost of fashion dolls, has been experiencing a resurgence.

Australian model Miranda Kerr was one of the inspirations behind Barbie's new collection of dolls.

Barbie's new collection has a distinctively Aussie look, with some of the 12 new mini models inspired by Australian beauties.

The rise of Australian supermodels including Miranda Kerr, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Catherine McNeil and Elyse Taylor has inspired leading designers, magazine editors, makeup artists and now Mattel - the makers of Barbie the world's most famous doll.

The Barbie Basics Collection, launched at Australian Fashion Week, consists of 12 dolls styled in the timeless little black dress, each featuring faces inspired by supermodels including our own Aussie beauties.

Unlike their regular counterparts the dozen designer dolls are aimed more at their adult fans.

"It is aimed at a fashion consumer and a consumer who's going to be aware of the kind of girls like Miranda Kerr, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Catherine McNeil who are working and dominating the pages of fashion magazines," says Robert Best, Barbie's principal designer.

To celebrate their unveiling, Australian jeweller Stefano Canturi collaborated with the Barbie design team to create the world's most expensive Barbie doll, sporting an exclusive necklace valued at $600,000 and complete with a pink diamond.

Seeking to keep the 50-year-old doll relevant, Mattel has sourced faces and designers that tap into today's international fashion scene.

"We are always looking at what's going on in current culture," Best says.

"We have to look at girls who are doing covers and we incorporate that by working with our face designers and we give them examples of girls who are tearing up the chart."

"When you see so much of a face in the media, like Miranda Kerr, who is so beautiful, you might pull a tear sheet from her Victoria Secrets campaign and give that to technicians painting the faces as a general inspiration ... and somehow that gets translated into a doll."

Selling Barbies is a big business. With a five per cent rise in this quarter's sales, the world's largest toymaker Mattel has posted earnings of $US24.8 million ($A26.77 million).

Best says using supermodels as inspiration means the dolls will have huge reach.

"The strength of a supermodel is people aspire to her because there is something compelling ... something that appeals universally.

"When you talk about star quality that's what it is, it's not just that she's pretty.

"I think all the Australians have that and that's why they are dominating the industry right now."

California toy and consumer products company JAKKS Pacific is listing its line of dolls made in the image of Taylor Swift among its hottest items for spring 2010.

According to a news release, the corporation’s Swift line is expected to light up sales the way the country-pop singer-songwriter has lit up the charts. JAKKS expects to have fashion and singing dolls dressed in Swift’s signature new outfits at retailers nationwide in spring and fall. Fans of the country sensation will be able to collect and own an all new lineup of dolls nd accessories based on Swift’s most memorable outfits that recreate the life of the young superstar.

Each doll in the Taylor Swift Performance Collection Doll Assortment comes with accessories, including a guitar and hair brush. And each of the dolls in the assortment sings a 30-second highlight of one of Swift’s hit songs, “Our Song,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Picture to Burn” and “Love Story.” They are recommended for children ages 6 and older, at a suggested retail price of $19.99

Earlier this week, Swift earned five nominations for next month’s Academy of Country Music Awards.

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