A selection of festival souvenirs including Superdoll fan!

Well dear reader, as I am now safely back in the UK I thought I ought to put finger to keyboard and right a review of my first Fashion Doll convention. So here we have part 1…

The Paris Fashion Doll Festival 2010 took place at the Novotel Paris Est at the end on the Metro Line 3 in Bagnolet. Which is somewhere you wouldn’t normally find yourself for a weekend in Paris, I shouldn’t think, unless of course you happened to be a fashion doll lover! However the welcome there was friendly enough and the hotel modern and comfortable. We arrived a day early due to my birthday falling on the night prior to the main events but nonetheless there were still some ‘doll people’ already ensconced. My companion was particularly sensitive to spotting them, despite (or because of!) not being one themselves!

The first day’s events began on the evening of the 12^th March with the Superfrock breakout event ‘Disco 3000’. Registration began that afternoon. This is were we discovered that the promised convention exclusive Barbie had failed to materialise due to some error or other at the Mattel end. Instead we got to choose from several of the newer Barbie repros and we ended up with ‘Student Teacher’ and ‘Astronaut’ respectively. The rumour later was that the convention exclusive doll was to have been a colour variation Astronaut. That would make sense, I suppose, given the theme of the festival was ‘Haute Couture of the Future’.

The Superfrock Venus D'Royce medallion

There was quite a wait for that evening’s event to begin but then this was France and it would be rude to be on time according to the local custom! However, with a suitable level of anticipation, it wasn’t long until we were issued with small pink packages and wristband. Theses were the keys to getting our hands on the exclusive Sybarite doll later on that night. The packages turned out to contain necklaces, medallions in fact, of the Venus D’Royce moniker. Venus of course being the most famous of the Sybarite head sculpts. Charles Fegan and Desmond Lingard, the chaps behind Superfrock Ltd, then made their entrance, suitably attired in futuresque disco garb.

The festivities were really on now and as well copious champagne and cocktails we were treated to metallic trunked go-go dancers on the catwalk. Let us just say that there was plenty of audience participation! Then the real meat of the evening came around and TICK, the exclusive Paris event Sybarite, was handed out. She came presented in commemorative shipper decorated with Superdoll motif smiley faces. Plus a welcome handle for the onward trip home! Many of the guests were soon seen scurrying to survey

The Superdoll becomes a smiley!

their doll in the privacy of their rooms. However I chose to head straight to the bar and drew quite a crowd as I inspected my new gal.

She is quite a beauty, I should tell you and I will be making a detailed review and taking more photographs for your viewing pleasure very soon. One of her key points are the compacts concealed in the soles of her shoes which were pointed out to me by none other than Desmond himself. There were to be four dolls in all presented over the weekend, TICK, TOCK, Slipper and Librium. The rest of the evening continued as it began and I can safely say, a good time was had by all!

To be continued…

The exclusive museum Sybarite doll 'Slipper'

Last night was the official opening of the Superfrock exhibition at the Musée de la Poupée in Paris. All delegates from the Doll Festival Luncheon were invited, with a metallic blue wristband as the talisman of entry. A red carpeted entrance with champagne reception and DJ greeted us as well as the Superfrock creators themselves, Charles and Desmond.

The exhibition begins were Superfrock themselves began, the  OOAK outfits designed for other fashion dolls. These are superbly displayed, suspended in midair and secured in place with artery forceps and nylon thread. Clear dress forms, twisted and contorted, held the shape of these majestic costumes.

The exhibition then leads us to the Sybarite dolls themselves from the first studio hand made dolls, chalk whites and production dolls to the very latest, exclusive museum doll ‘Slipper’. Each piece is lovingly displayed and it is a great privilege to see entire collections all in one place. It is also rather sad, but never the less thrilling, to see the “ones that got away”. Those dolls and Couture pieces that I have thus far failed to secure.

Of particular note were the ‘Chelsea Girls’ and ‘The Fashion Victims’, which are perennial favourites amongst collectors, and dolls that I certainly covet! It was also wonderful to see all the pieces up close and to be able to see the extraordinary detail and craftsmanship that goes into them. They truly are works of art well worthy of such a place, in possibly the worlds most famous doll museum.

The exhibition runs until 19th September 2010 and I would encourage anyone who can to attend to do so. See the website here for more details.

STOP PRESS!! Once I am back in London I will be taking more pics and will have a detailed review of Tick. Please check back soon…

I have her cape upside down I think! I was worse for wear today so forgive me!

She has compacts on the soles of her shoes... cool!

Complete with powder puff too!

So stay tuned as the first event is tomorrow with the Superfrock cocktail event ‘Disco 3000′ which commences at 7pm French time.

“Tim Burton brings his unique take on a favorite story to the Disney film, Alice in Wonderland. Here, the Mad Hatter doll wears a costume exactingly re-created from the movie. From his delightful top hat that frames his cartoonish features and curly red locks to his colorful costume, this is one adorable doll you’ll go mad for!”

The polls closed on February 10th and over half a million votes were counted! Barbie® doll’s 125th career, as selected by girls around the world is News Anchor! News Anchor Barbie® doll will make her debut this fall in a pink suite with black accents, a news folder, camera and a microphone and the “B News” logo.

But that’s not all! Consumers loudly campaigned for another Barbie® career. The winner of the popular vote is Computer Engineer. Computer Engineer Barbie®, debuting in Winter 2010, inspires a new generation of girls to explore this important high-tech industry, which continues to grow and need future female leaders.

“All the girls who imagine their futures through Barbie will learn that engineers — like girls — are free to explore infinite possibilities, limited only by their imagination,” says Nora Lin, President, Society of Women Engineers. “As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can turn their ideas into realities that have a direct and positive impact on people’s everyday lives in this exciting and rewarding career.”

To create an authentic look, Barbie® designers worked closely with the Society of Women Engineers and the National Academy of Engineering to develop the wardrobe and accessories for Computer Engineer Barbie®. Wearing a binary code patterned tee and equipped with all the latest gadgets including a smart phone, Bluetooth headset, and laptop travel bag, Computer Engineer Barbie® is geek chic.

Use the link below to check it out…

Visit The Doll Observers

“From her cleverly styled sophisticated up-do down to her couture evening gown, Gene Marshall is a vision that would make the camera of any famous Hollywood movie director point her way! Butterfly Shadow Gene Marshall comes complete with a breathtaking evening gown made of hand-printed fabric. The fitted bodice nips delicately at the waist and has contrasting detailing at the neck and wrists. The gown’s full gathered skirt features a romantic organza overlay that creates sweeping volume. Two ‘flower’ corsages of pink roses used as a brooch and also in the hair give just a burst of color to offset the black and white print. Earrings, high heels, a doll stand and an exclusive certificate of authenticity hand-signed by artist and creator of the famous Gene Marshall Collection, Mel Odom, round out this fantastic offering.”

Peep was the exclusive Sybarite at the 2009 Festival

The Paris Doll Expo site has been updated with an itinerary of the weekend’s events. Needless to say I am getting most excited at the prospect of the Superfrock “Disco 3000″ event on the Friday evening. Especially to see what the exclusive doll will be, given that the theme of the festival is “Haute Couture of the Future”. Charles and Desmond are bound to have a field day with it!

There will be 3 other exclusive makers dolls available, Mattel’s Barbie, Robert Tonner’s Antoinette and Wilde Imagination’s Ellowyne Wilde. Again it will be interesting to see what other designers will come up with.

An added bonus is the recently announced exhibition at the Paris Doll Museum entitled “Nouvelles Icônes – Des Poupées Pandores aux Sybarites” which runs from 14 March to 19 September 2010. There will also be yet another exclusive doll available through the museum named “Slipper” and she will be unveiled at the exhibition opening. Find more information about the exhibition here.