STEAMY STEAMPUNK SHOWS STYLE!!

Yana Emellyanova nails the prize for the Steampunk Challenge making this win number 3 for this talented contender.  But I have to say, she also had some staunch competition.  These designers certainly stepped up their game.

She nailed military Steampunk spot on.  The jacket and pants of her uniform styled fashon were made of silk taffeta, blouse of cotton, and the corset of painted lace.  It also featured all the gadgets we normally see with this style.

I must say I could pick out Yana’s outfit as well as several others.  I’ve come to know the style of particular artists, a style that wasn’t so evident when this competition first began.

But it is in the styling that a designer makes their mark.  Don’t you think of specific things these designers have used time after time while still managing to give their designs a fresh face year after year?  You know, the likes of John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Betsy Johnson, Dian Von Furstenberg.  Whether you like their designs or not – you can always pick them out!!  It’s a thrill to see these new designers accomplishing their own style.

Speaking of style, it’s hard not to think of Robert Tonner – goth for dolls and real life clothing.  And this year we are delighted to not only welcome back the Tonner Doll Company as one of our sponsors, but to also have Tom Courtney, Art Director, as one of our judges! 

The Tonner Doll Company never fails to delight us.  From their online presentations of new dolls through Tonner Direct to their Tonner Doll Collectors' Conventions, there is always a way for doll collectors to experience doll beauty with them!!

I say "them" because it does truly take a village to bring to the public all the wonderment Robert Tonner can imagine for us.  Shining bright as a legend in our doll world, Robert Tonner is the ultimate face of this great dynasty, but his "village," or staff members, are some of the wonderful people from his company we have also met at conventions or online along the way.  You really didn't think Robert, as he is affectionately known by doll lovers, could do all the jobs necessary to bring his many visions to realization, now did you? 

One such member of Robert Tonner's winning team is Tom Courtney.  Tom is a fun-loving, hard-working, crew member who is also a fellow doll collector.  Like many of the designers in our Challenge, Tom not only collects, he also enjoys designing and sewing for his own dolls whenever his busy schedule allows him this pleasure.  Among his other avocations are cooking, gardening, and photography.

 Tom’s professional life began after college interning for the Department of Navy as a Contracts Specialist, culminating in a 12-year career of cost analysis, negotiation, and procurement of computer equipment, machine tools, and navigation components for the TRIDENT Missile Program. Shifting his focus to the creative, Tom joined Tonner in 2000, and while there has handled production management, marketing, advertising, visual merchandising, web development and most recently, Art Direction. 

Many people think Tom designs for Tonner, but in truth, he has never worked under the Design Team. As Art Director, Tom is responsible for the visual promotion and consistency of Tonner Doll via its printed materials, website, photography and trade shows. 

It hadn’t been very long when we had this interview that the Tonner Doll Company had moved its offices, so I wanted to know how Tom was enjoying his new digs.  I was delighted when he answered, and gave me this interesting tidbit.  “Tonner has gone through many changes during my 10 years; but the most interesting has been moving to the historic Bank of New York building in uptown Kingston this past April,” he explains. “We all love the new space…and truly believe we have a couple of ghosts we inherited via the building!”  Hum….I wonder if the Tonner crew took them along with them to Burlington, Vermont for their recent 2010 Tonner Halloween Convention themed Mysticism & Mayhem??

I also couldn’t resist asking my fellow doll aficionado about his own doll collection – what he collects, what his favorites are, and where he keeps them all.  Like most of us, he was happy to share!  Tom has collected dolls for over 25 years; gathering such notables as Barbie, Madame Alexander children, Tonner’s Betsy McCall and Mary Engelbreit, and an extensive collection of various fashion dolls.  “In the past three years, however,” Tom says, “Alice in Wonderland has been a large influence on my collection; I’ve been collecting both artist pieces and vintage souvenir dolls sold in the Disney parks.”

Tom doesn’t display them all at home, though – space there is limited and reserved for special artist pieces and his Alice figurine and teapot collection. “My office at Tonner has become my ‘serious’ display space for my favorites these days,” Tom explains. And what are those favorites, I asked? “Right now, I am loving Tonner’s Scarletts – Harry Potter, and Alice. Also, Tyler Wentworth will always be my favorite fashion doll,” Tom replied.

Having seen some of  Tom’s wonderful sewing, I asked what dolls he had designed clothing for – as a hobby, of course – to which he replied:   “I have designed clothing for Barbie; Madame Alexander’s Cissy, Cissette and Wendy; Tonner’s Betsy McCall and Mary Engelbreit child dolls; Gene, Tonner’s American Models, Kitty Collier, 16” and Fashion dolls such as Tyler and Antoinette.”

And most don’t know, at one time he even accomplished a human scale Gone With the Wind gown for a friend.   Scattered throughout this interview are pictures of dolls Tom collects, gowns he’s produced (including the GWTW life-sized), and a very good picture of our most talented and real live doll, Tom Courtney.  CDDC is indeed lucky to have him as one of our resident judges!

And how about this last challenge and its judge??  Our final guest judge is the winner of last year's CDDC, Emilia Nieminen.  Her fabulous designs and the wonderful creation of those designs brought her to the win.  So I think it’s quite appropriate she guest judge the final challenge.  This challenge is to create the piece de resistance of any runway...the bridal gown, but a very special bridal gown.  The designers are to take their gown to the cutting edge of fashion by making it extremely modern and avant garde.

She certainly knows avant garde as well as every style in the challenges that were thrown at her last year.  So that makes it even more interesting that she didn’t plan to be a designer. Her Bachelor’s degree is in business and she has a Master’s Degree in Chinese language.  And as a child she preferred the whims of a tomboy to that of a girl who plays with dolls.

Rather it was her interest in her school’s theater group that laid the foundation for her taste for historical elements and her flair for the dramatic.  She even spent a semester studying fashion drawing in Shanghai University because she loved designing wedding gowns.  She feels it’s the one day when people dare to dress up and wear something special.

Her interest in dolls was sparked by a shopping trip with her sister who introduced her to fashion dolls.  After a few shopping sprees on the internet. and a few dolls purchased, she begin to dress these diminutive divas and she was hooked.  She says developing a personality with the doll helps her decide which style will suit her best.

So there you have it, a judge who has a vast knowledge of wedding ensembles as well as avant garde.  This winning combination should lead to some interesting comments as well as some helpful guidance from this judge.

And now I feel it important to talk about a past judge. This year we lost the incredibly talented Joe Tai.  His battle with cancer ended in September.  But weren’t we fortunate to have him with us for a time – a time where he not only gave us incredible fashions, but also dolls, shoes, and jewelry?  I interviewed Joe during his judging CDDC last year, and he was extremely happy to be a part of this endeavor.  We at CDDC were extremely happy to have him. and will always think of him in the fondest way. 

 Goodbye, Joe Tai, you will be missed!

Details Done Right Are Such A Delight!

Yana Emellyanova grabbed the brass ring for herself once again by winning Challenge 4!  In a move that clearly put her in first place, Yana is now the one to watch if you’re after the win.  

I also saw others I honestly desired - yes, the designers have definitely stepped up their game!

This must have been a job for the judges – scoring these pieces.  But let me tell you what got the win. 

 Yana’s outfit gave black and blue new meaning.  It featured a flax summer coat with an asymmetrical collar.  She decorated the coat using hand embroidery in a pattern that echoed the print of the natural silk chiffon blouse.  Rounding out this outfit were wool pants that were a perfect compliment for the other two items.  And rounding it out further was restraint in the detailing –  for this we say,  Kudos, Yana! 

I think our guest judge has given great points of reference along with a clear description for Challenge 5, so I am going to take this opportunity to discuss an important consideration for our competitors.

When you take on an online competition like CDDC, one undeniable asset you need is to be able to think and function like a “real” fashion photographer.  Competitor and fashion photographers have a common goal;  to showcase an ensemble to its best advantage.
 

                                                      
But in doll challenges there is one factor that is unique yet very important - the doll actually used as the model is entirely up to us!  Long before a challenge garment hits the "runway," styling opportunities become apparent.  An artist begins to mentally focus on which doll will wear the garment best about the same time pencil begins to work magic on paper!   Who will best fit this garment with both their particular body style as well as their attitude?  How should the hair be presented, and will a wigged or rooted hair doll be best for this purpose?  Will makeup be necessary in the form of a total repaint or just a little tweaking, or can the doll's "natural" beauty carry off this look just as she is?  All of these questions give the fashion doll designer/stylist/photographer many things to ponder.

Of course, there are many other considerations,  but I just thought it might be important to articulate that when dealing with dolls and fashion, you don't want overlook an opportunity to use  the "likeability" factor to your advantage.  Others will, so don't be squeamish about it!! 

And on and on go the considerable checklists a CDDC competitor has to develop and conquer if they hope to step beyond the realm of being ordinary in this quite unordinary competition!

And is it worth it?  I think, from the comments filtering in from the Yahoo group, one would hear a resounding “YES” from the CDDC competitors even at this late date in the competition.  You would also hear something that might be quite surprising.  While I don't think there is any doubt that winning is still sweet in any competition, it doesn't seem to have captured the entire focus of these competitors.  Many seem to have discovered there is much to be learned from this type competition, and that competing in CDDC is a win-win situation.

Speaking of wins - what of those incrdeditble prizes?? It seems I have inadvertently overlooked telling you about the wonderful DOLLS one might win!!!  Here's a recap of the doll and their company, and which winner gets what - all provided by three delicious doll makers!! 

R&D DOLLS

Focusing on photography will pay off for the People's Choice winner of R&D Fashion Doll's Haute Traveler Susie. R&D is the brainchild of Rudi Teruel.  It opened in May of 1999, and specializes in all types of fashion dolls, but is best known for the creation of their Susie dolls.  Since she debuted in 2003 R&D has remained her exclusive dealer, and she has been primped and posed in many delectable ensembles.  But the Haute Traveler will afford our winner the ultimate Susie experience because she not only  comes with her traveling gear, but she also comes complete with several new outfits!  Won't it be fun playing dress up with this one!?!

INTEGRITY TOYS

And then there is the Integrity offering - First, second, third, People's Choice and Photography prizes will be given by Integrity Toys.  In order they will include: Lillith "The Great Pretender," Adele "Soul Deep," Veronique "Onyx," Erin "Picture This" Convention exclusive, and Veronique "Stylish Escape" W Club Exclusive.  Percy Neusum's extensive experience in the field of doll making shines through Integrity Toys.  Excellent customer service, superior engineering, and high end aesthetics have been the norm since these fashion dolls came on the market in 1995.   Lights, action, camera - these haughty vixens are ready for their close-ups!!

TONNER DOLL COMPANY

 

First, Second, and Third Place winners will be getting prizes from Robert Tonner, Tonner Doll Company.  In order, their prizes will be Evocative Antoinette, a Tonner Direct Exclusive;  Glowing Muse Basic Honey Antoinette with 3 wigs plus Juxtaposed Outfit; and Antoinette Intoxicating Outfit plus Antoinette Flirty Shoe Pack.  Since 1991 Robert Tonner has been lending his designing, sculpting, and fashion savvy to the Tonner Doll Company.  The lines from the Tonner Doll Company are many and embrace lots of styles.  His staff welcomes you warmly by email or phone, and you can always feel assured the dolls and costumes  you order from his company will reflect Tonner's  desire for perfection.  And what fun our own aspiring doll designers will have with these prizes!!

AND WE HAVE A SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT!!  A new prize has just been added - so everyone really needs to continue stepping up to the plate.  As your Blogmeister and Manager of Couture Doll Shops, sister site of CDDC, I am happy to announce we will be furnishing a shop for the winner of these challenges; this prize includes rent for six months and I will facilitate the winner's shop set up/website if they don't already have a website.  We want the winner to be rewarded with something that will help them gain more recognition when CDDC ends!   

And now on to the road to the end of this competition, our next to last challenge!  And this challenge is:  Our guest judge this week is well known for her creative work in designing, but has also made Steampunk one of her signature styles. Now if you don't know what Steampunk is then you've got to do your homework to please this judge. This week's challenge is all about the sub culture known as "Steampunk". This unique fashion genre runs the gamut from purely Victorian to post-apocalyptic.  Steampunk may take many forms of alternative clothing, often romantic with a twist of futuristic technology. It has been described as Jules Verne meets the Wild Wild West. Just like real life, Steampunk can encompass many aspects of fashion...the explorer/traveler, the air ship pilot, the warrior, the aristocrat, or the mad scientist. To keep with the up and coming fashion trends, such as the new military look for 2010, the twist of this challenge is to create a Steampunk inspired fashion with a military theme.

Yes, this judge has given you invaluable information – have you been attentive?  In her own words, “Steampunk is very near and dear to my heart. I fell in love with this form of fashion for my dolls three years ago when no one else was doing the genre. I am a wealth of information and my photo files are loaded with fashions and ideas.”  In fact, she even put together a web page for you that serves as a plethora of ideas!!

 She's talented and nice, but do NOT be deceived!  She will be using her very keen eye to see if you fulfilled her expectations of this challenge!

Will you be the one who can do this?  Will you go even further and surprise her??  If you do, you have your work cut out for you for here on this blog is her own interpretation of Steampunk.  As you can see, she’s captured several styles well – yes, even a bride that Doll Reader gave free in pattern form through their magazine!

 For an artist who started less than 10 years ago, she has proven herself over and over in design challenges and has won many awards.

   Most notable have come from both the IFDC and the Tonner Doll Conventions, and she cherishes her crystal awards from the now-defunct BBMA.  She's also been published in doll publications we have loved or love currently - FDQ, Doll Reader, Barbie Bazaar and Haute Doll.  

 This single mother of three grown boys has been a Barbie collector since childhood.  When she isn’t playing with her granddaughter or doing her regular job as an Interior Designer, you will see her stealing away to her studio.  She always takes plenty of time for research, then like a mad scientist she begins the journey – a journey to some quite incredible work! 

But not all is fun and games.  Some designs she makes for her doll shop on Couture Doll Shops, Chic Indulgence; some she makes for conventions -- both competition and charity dolls; and the balance goes to making the prototypes for clothing used by Charisma for dolls designed by Marie Osmond and others. Check out her website for more information.  We are indeed lucky to have Durelle Brown as a guest judge, and I hope you will listen to her critiques carefully.  Listen and learn what you might, because it is a rare opportunity to learn from such a busy, talented lady!

Decadantly Delightful Deconstruction

For Challenge 3 Yana Emellyanova says she tried creating an outfit with an unusual jacket design that featured ripped edges of the materials. Jacket and hat were made of Italian wool, and the skirt was made of silk and decorated with ruffles of different shades of brown. Today she's quite happy she did, as the judges declared her the winner!!


Yana doesn't come from a family of professional seamstresses, but her Grandmother and Mother had great passions for fashion. In fact, her Mom seemed to always be sewing her something, and their house in Russia always had a lot of scraps of fabric. And, it was her Mom who presented her with a Barbie doll when she was 12 years old, and she then begin sewing dresses for her doll. But that fell away like many childhood things.

She always wanted to have a daughter to share her love of dressing dolls with. Instead she had a precious baby boy, but decided to return to her passion for sewing for her dolls, anyway, three years ago. About eight months ago she got her little girl. She's still too small to share with and makes time for Yana's passion limited - but somehow she's juggling Motherhood with getting through CDDC - and we're glad she is!


Silkstone dolls and retro style are things Yana loves. She seeks realism in doll clothes, and is most happy when her designs develop into looking like a small copy of an actual human-size outfit. She creates all her own patterns to ensure the fit and style she desires.


Yana_emelyanova is her username on Ebay, but she uses her nickname Yy generally, and Yasya on the Russian web blogs. You can also see more of her work on her Flikr account.

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.

Coco Chanel

Soooooooo, in listening to our designers and reading the scores, it looks like a little Doll Couture 101 might be helpful. However, before beginning, the CDDC designers might want to consider one thing. Anything that is written except pure scientific research has the possibility of conveying opinions from the one writing it. Therefore, if anything written in this blog doesn't meet with a designer's definition of how to design for a specific challenge. that designer should swiftly abandon this blog's definitions! Creation is an extension of YOU, and extending YOU has no place for another person's opinion in the equation!!


When we put ourselves in a competitive position we are allowing ourselves to be evaluated by judges whose opinions we respect. No, that doesn't make it easier when we get a scalding review, but it sure makes it sweet when we have an overwhelming win! So, in my mind, we must come to a balance in our design work that allows us to happily compete. We must decide what is important - pleasing ourselves or going for the win - or if we could conceivably do both!?! We must decide if we have satisfied the definition of the challenge or if a judge's critique or suggestions known ahead of time would have made us change our design to more perfectly elaborate on the demands of a challenge. It's a thin tightrope one walks when we choose to compete........now on to Doll Couture 101...if you desire!

What is your lifestyle today, dahlings? Have you traded in your designer duds for something a bit more comfortable? For a majority of the adult doll collectors this is the case. Yes, there are some professionals in the mix, but young housewives/househusbands and retirees make up the majority of this populace. So it only makes sense for them to cast away constricting garments for things that are cute and comfortable. However, the seamstresses in this group know that neither cute nor comfortable have any place in the world of couture they love, so it is quite natural that many are turning to their dolls to fulfill their passion for fashion.


They run for the brass ring in most cases - not content to do ready to wear; rather they find this the perfect opportunity to design and master couture clothing for their diminutive divas. Well, why not? A small investmet will give you the perfect fashion doll to model garments. And, whether one favors the larger ladies or the original 11.5" darlings, any one you choose will be waiting patiently to accept fittings for hours on end. She won't complain or argue and never needs a break! Obtaining that sumptious fabric notable in couture clothing won't break the bank, either. Most designs can be made from a yard or less of fabric, thus presenting the perfect opportunity to splurge and get the best to be found!

For those just starting out in this world of Doll Couture it may be valuable to have a little explanation of exactly what it is, Doll Couture is neither haute couture scaled down nor is it the simple designs achievable through standard dressmaking. Doll Couture is defined by quality craftsmanship, luxurious fabric and findings, and uniquely new creative designs. It is a procedure that is bringing doll dressmaking to a whole new level! Execution is often time-consuming and may demand elaborate findings, but the results are far more rewarding than any simple doll dress could afford the serious adult collector.


Three important considerations when working with Doll Couture are proper proportion, movement in the design, and appropriate fabric choices. As one develops their own style other concerns may be added to one's personal list, but these basic three factors remain constant considerations for one who aspires to be a designer of Doll Couture.


Anyone who wants to achieve the status of a respected Doll Couture Designer must learn to conquer a complex balancing act. In most cases we have to compensate because fashion dolls have larger heads and hands, longer legs, and more tiny feet than their human counterparts... Face it, even runway models don't have bodies that are quite so elongated or slenderized!! Therefore, it is important to balance the design on this body of unequal proportions while accomplishing the challenge of appealing to the audience's natural sense of rhythm. As one works with their own doll they must work with a critical eye. Stepping back to assess the overall scale of the doll will often make things out of proportion appear more clearly. A critical eye is often hard to develop, however, because in doing this one may conjur up self doubt. But. be assured. once one moves past this they will not only realize their design problems; they will also begin to learn how to compensate for them. Yes, right now you may love an elaborate hair style or a hat used by your favorite designer without even thinking it could be a means to compensate for the doll's body length's unequal proportion. But upon developing your own critical eye, you should really begin to move toward understanding how different waist heights, collar treatments, hemlines, and even accessories can serve as catalysts for the balance and proportion you seek.

When talking about movement we don't mean this literally as I cannot imagine doll companies designing a walking fashion doll. Rather, we are looking toward building a sense of movement and energy into our designs. Creating this type movement doesn't always require a lot of time; rather it takes a bit of ingenuity. Take a moment and you might recall seeing some of these techniques. Simple flowing ribbons can provide space in a design especially when the ribbons are flowing away from the body. In this way the ribbons actually displace space around the doll quite like a tulle stole can when it stands out from the doll's body. Articles of clothing with graduating hemlines - shorter in front, moving to full length in the back - softly suggest movement as can certain fabrics. For example, a silk brocade that provides a subtle shimmer factor can work as effectively as one that incorporates beadwork, sequins, or even crystals when the sparkle it provides is sufficient to equal movement and energy. And few could dispute how color and light can attract an audience. Incorporate any of these suggestions or your own personally devised movement makers, and you will distance yourself from the dullness of a static display.


Fabric, especially the weight of the fabric, must also be considered. In Doll Couture you not only have to allow for the turn of the fabric in joining seams, you must also allow for the bulk that often accumulates in a doll's garment. Most find that more light to mid weight fabrics work best, but the quality in these weights can be less than desireable; but silk is a fabric that always seems to please. There are others, of course, but my motto is give me silk, anytime!!

Many prefer silk because it is a natural fabric that it relatively easy to work with. It can be purchased in a myriad of beautiful colors, and is available in several weaves including satin, velvet, dupioni, twill, brocade, and even tulle. Even if one is designing vintage style clothing, silk is probably a safe choice; after all it has existed for many centuries. For linings one can use a duplicate of the original fabric, but many favor light cotton muslin, batiste, or even a soft silk organza. The preferred colors are white or beige but line one must! It not only gives garments a finished look, but, in some cases, lining provides the very needed function of preventing dye from discoloring your doll's body.


Small prints and findings are usually best used for Doll Couture. Always keep in mind, if you sew for several size dolls, as the height of the doll decreases so should your prints and findings. Busy prints not only look odd, they actually serve to distract from your design. Likewise, larger trims such as out of scale buttons or overblown bows may only serve to overwhelm your doll. Remember, don't confuse couture with avant garde; couture does not require such extreme decoration. In confusing these two styles your couture can quickly move to a tackier state than anyone would desire. It is certainly best when designing Doll Couture to do it with a Chanel attitude; when you think you are finished, remove one item. This worked for Chanel when accessorizing an outfit, and it will work for you when embellishing your Doll Couture!

The current challenge is to creature Haute Couture Daywear paying particular attention to the little details. You may want to consider, trims, belts, buckles, buttons, jewelry, hats, embroidery, and anything else that adds detail to your creation. And our guest judge this week knows all the rules for designing and presenting Doll Couture to his public with splendid, perfectly scaled details!

Steven Fraser is the very talented President of Masterstroke Canada, and the designing force behind Dressmaker Details and Dressmaker Details Couture. His Dressmaker Details Couture represents the fine quality fashions present in any couture house in Paris. It is literally a return to a bygone era of quality doll fashions. No detail is overlooked, and each outfit is made from the finest materials.

Steven is also always in tune with the wants and needs of his clientele. Therefore, affordability has been a big focus for Steven recently. He is currently doing more pink label fashions (affordable pak pieces). He also did a line of 16" fashions for Gene and AG dolls that came out this past June.


In addition to his fashions, Steven sells the world's finest ribbons and trims. These popular items have gained quite a bit of notoriety through its sales at marthastewart.com, and features on HGTV, House & Home, Style at Home, Home & Country.com, and Lucky Magazine. One of his items always in demand are smaller ribbons.


He initially offered small scale ribbons to fill a demand from many doll artistts. This line now also offers notions. Be sure to click on Dressmaker Details on the sidebar of this blog to access his wonderful site.

PIPPI'S STOCKINGS NOT TOO LONG!!

Michael Angelo Calvo, or Anj as he prefers to be called, is relatively new to the world of customizing dolls and creating fashions for them. His work includes repainting, rerooting, and making clothing for his fashionistas. Fashion is a passion for Anj - in fact so much so that he enrolled himself in a fashion school in his native Philippines.

One sixth scale dolls are his dolls of choice because making small scale details offer him the most challenge. It is no small feat to accomplish small scale details - it is an achievement to get the look you want, says Anj.

Anj had fun with this challenge. He gave his model a full repaint including freckles, and managed to make Pippi Longstocking an outfit that captured "...Pippi's spirit of fun and playfulness but with style," according to this artist. It was a step outside his box of creating celebrity dolls and OOAK high fashion dolls.

It was a tough, fun competition for Anj but he is already thinking of his next challenge; he is thinking to beat his talented competitors he might have to step up his game plan!! Think you have the formula to compete with this prize winner? Browse his Flickr photo album or view his delightful blog to find out!!


And before we know it the designs for the next challenge will be appearing!! CHALLENGE THREE is titled Fashion Falls Apart, a theme yet again that revolves around its guest judge, Dal Lowenbein. This challenge is all about fabric and the deconstruction of it. The designers are to design an Haute Couture garment in the newest, hottest style of deconstruction. They were advised using ripped seams, stringy hems, slices of zipped and vandalized denim, as well as rumpled fabrics could be the key to this win.......all done, of course, while keeping it couture! Oh my - that twist will get you every time!!

Boy this is a doozy because deconstruction of clothing, in my mind, walks a fine tightrope between two opposing thought patterns. One, deconstruction involves redesigning or resewing used, sometimes vintage, clothing into a new garment. And, two, most notable in the fashion deconstruction world is the genre of grunge clothing. While some may turn their nose up to either concept, they both fit this challenge, BUT the twist brings it back to the reality of making such clothing couture - thank goodness. Can't you just imagine what fun our designers might have??

While couture clothing would dictate using the finest fabrics, it doesn't hurt to at least look amongst local thrifts for particularly well made treasures of the past. One never knows what will inspire.

For example, on a recent thrift shop forage, I picked up some remarkably beautiful garments that one would have a hard time describing as used.......once deconstructed, of course. They included grand items such as novelty buttons, fine lace, a remarkable fashion print with tiny fashionistas, and even a little E monogram I may one day use for my dear Ellowyne!

But to "really" get to the bottom of deconstruction one must also consider grunge clothing! Who would have thought a fashion trend would rise from a style literally named for garbage, the slang name, of course. From the late 80s rockers have been bridging the fashion gap with their jaded clothing that rides the range from infomality to decadence. Think of the clothing of wonders like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Then bring it back to fashion reality by looking at the 1992 Spring/Summer collection for Perry Ellis. Marc Jacobs designed it, and he listened to his inner visionary. Thank goodness Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue, gave him all the support he needed to make this "new" fashion trend real!!

Although the more "traditional" grunge style hasn't gone away, today's Reconstruction ala grunge is definitely a more Rock- chic romantic version of grunge. Today's trends are designed for the new princes and princesses of fashion who have learned it's most chic to leave their more yuppie looking choices in their closets. Skinny pants, camouflage, leather, ripped tops, flannel shirts, and Doc Martens are a few things on their list of must haves currently. Grunge is no longer a cry of revolt against luxury; moreover, it is embraced and embellished, even using frayed cotton with sequins - it definitively reconciles the apparently irreconcilable. This new grunge means luxury, romance and glamour - all traits that call out couture!!

So, as our designer's mind travel over possibilities to achieve the look required to win this challenge, one would hope they would move past tearing up tee shirts or ripping jeans. They might want to think more obscenely expensive - looking to designer labels, using the military style jacket of Balmain, or even the more stylish plaids used forever by so many. Rip it, unzip it, and cut it up - but in the end be sure it is something so decadantly delightful that the judges cannot help but give our desingers grand reviews - and most of all to help them on their quest towards that perfect score!!

And who would know better about perfect scoring and rave reviews than our remarkably talented guest judge, Dal Lowenbein? Dal has collected dolls for almost fifteen years, but has only been designing for them for ten of them. Her "real" job gives her an opportunity to do costume design work as well as designing for packaging, print, promotion and theatre; she has been in the graphics business for over 25 years. She prides herself first, though, as being a mother of three talented children. wife to one hubby, and owned by two chihuahuas. She also feels lucky to have a cheering squad of good friends!

Her personal doll collecting is best described as eclectic. She began her collecting with vintage Barbie, Bild Lilli and cloned Hong Kong Lilli dolls. But it was her discovery of Momoko in 2002 that gave her the desire to branch out.

Her collecting then led her to various new and vintage dolls such as vintage Licca, Blythe, and Pullip. She feels she really came full circle though when she began collecting fashion dolls such as Tonner, Ellowyne Wilde and Sybarites. And, currently, she is "re-discovering" Integrity & Fashion Royalty dolls.

Dal loves sewing and challenges, and has used many different fabrics in her quest to design innovative fashions for her doll divas. She first came into my headlights when I noticed her entries in the original Project Dollway At Home Competition hosted by Ted Menten.

Since then she has done several competitions, and was able to do a final version of PDollway At Home and CDDC concurrently, AND to come out as the Second Place Winner of BOTH – what dedication to doll artistry this must have involved. Fueled with her varied asemblage of dolls and her love of doll design, Dal hopes to have her website of custom doll fashion up and running very soon. Until then be sure to visit her blog for more information about Dal.

Not your Grandma’s Gothic!

Susan Grindstaff
Her pink & black takes a Gothic track

Didn’t you get the feeling you had stepped into a new wave of Gothic fashion designers when you opened the Challenge One Entries page?  Well, good; I wasn’t alone!! If these beginning challenge entries are building up to better and better eye candy in the future, will we be able to stand it? I certainly intend to try – and I’ll bet you do too! 

More on the overall competition in a minute, but first let me introduce the official winners!!  Susan Grindstaff ended up taking dual wins – she achieved Overall Winner from the judges, and People’s Choice for Creative Photography.  Susan’s design spoke to characters such as those I had seen in the Book of Eli; characters living in a world not of their choosing who were looking for something more to fulfill their lives than what fate had dealt them. 

Susan comes to sewing and design work naturally through the influence of her talented mother who worked as a seamstress to help support the family.  In fact Susan says “… it is from her that my passion for creating something unique and original was derived.”  She spent 15 years designing for real people before she discovered how versatile and rewarding it could be designing for our diminutive divas – and she loves it.  Naturally Susan designs all her creations, and makes patterns for each one, too. 

Congratulations to Susan for a job well done!

 Vikki Stevenson captured the People’s Choice for Favorite Designer this round.  Having only discovered fashion dolls two years ago, it looks like Vikki lost no time catching up! She now collects and sews for Silkstones, Ellowyne, Evangeline, Tyler, AvantGards and Sybarites in a little town that doesn’t even have a fabric store! Congratulations, Vikki, you’ve obviously used your ingenuity to make both  wonderful  doll fashions as well as doll friends. 

The People’s Choice polls have always been popular, and not only do we have them for the CDDC designers, we also have them for a new competition just added!   The newest feature at CDDC is our At Home version.  In this competition you only need be a member of CDDC’s Yahoo Group to play.  You take the challenges right along with the official entrants, and enter them in the photo albums of the group on designated dates, and then wait for the results of another People’s Choice poll to find out if you have won enough votes to win a prize.  

This week's winners are Durelle Brown, Sue Townson, and Vicky Lujan - congrats to each of you.  Remember,  you cannot win if you don't play - so scurry on over, my lovelies; it's fun to enter as well as watch!

And what about those judges??  This year I’m getting more than I hoped for, and it makes me VERY happy.  To have people I look up to give some overall insight into how the entries measured up and some tips for improvement, makes for even more insightful – and perhaps beneficial – reading for both the audience and the designers doing this challenge.  Be sure you check out all the notes and final scores on the Official CDDC Scores Page.

And what about those returning sponsors?  I think it speaks highly of this competition that so many of our sponsors from last year have pitched their hat back in the ring to do it again!  

Two such sponsors are Lyn Waring’s Dress Forms for Fashion Dolls  and Tamara Casey’s Designs by Jude. Lyn Waring designs patterns for slopers for your dolls that actually fit – how great not to have to mess up our dolls with fittings anymore.  She offers most styles, so you’ll be delighted checking out what Lyn offers!

And one only needs to cruise through all the wonderful patterns and notions Tamara has to offer to realize they are in a sewing wonderland.  Check it out today and then go back often – new things are always coming into this site. I’m sure the contestants who won offerings from these great companies can tell you how beneficial both companies are to designers!  Thanks once again for your participation, Lyn and Tamara, by providing prizes for each of the winning contestants!

Well, kiddos, that’s it for this time.  I hope you are getting some inspiration to sew or to buy some new duds for your dollies!   Tune in next week for information on the next challenge….you never know what juicy tidbits I’ll dig up…er find out for your reading pleasure.  And, be sure to watch for big doings over at our sister site’s blog on Friday 9/10!!