vinyl rarities @ artoyz
LauLau by Tak available @ Artoyz.
Michael Rouah from Artoyz has recently returned from a trip in Hong kong with a few vinyl rarities in his suitcase. Among them some hard-to-find be@rbrick sets, a rare early Michael Lau figure dating back from 2001 called “Lamdog Prototype Kiss”, “Spookiez” (Comix Box, 2006) a strange set including a girl and a dog, the Kaws x Bounty Hunter Kun Red Christmas version, etc.
A lot more followed by plane, including quite a lot of Blythe dolls – unfortunately they are mostly “Petites” – but thay have the Neo Blythe Mod Molly (December 2007, SBL) + Welcome Winter (January 2008, RBL). They are a bit expensive comparing to eBay, but since it is definitely hard to get Blythe in France – or in Europe for that matter although CWC and Takara are working on this – it’s great to have them here.
You will find all of this listed in the News or the Asian Designers sections of the shop.
I must say I particularly like this funny Monkey figure called LauLau designed by Tak and released by How2Work in June 2007.
blythe fashion : funny hats & bonnets @ etsy
Golden Yellow Gnome Hat by neuart @ Etsy.
Blythe dolls seem to have been made for hats & bonnets. They simply look great in them, obviously it has to do with that big face of them, and they might look funny or gorgeous but one thing is certain, Blythe fans will never be out of inspiration when it comes to creating something, anything, to put on those heads.
I know some great creators have their own shop, but on Etsy alone there are plenty of great shops so this is only a tiny selection of what’s to be found there. Starting with one of my very favorites, neuart (see photo above) who has always the most beautiful knitted stuff, be they hats or sets, ponchos… She also has a Flickr by the name of miss modular and you can see more of her creations in various files there.
And some more wonderful stuff :
Shimmery Sparkly Sequined Helmet for Blythe by flissy666 + Green Pointy Bonnet for Blythe by loou.
Crochet Hat for Blythe by Sassylassie + Knitted Ear Bonnet for Blythe by xoxo,Blythe.
Blythe Hat – Lime Green and Red Pompom by CannonBelle.
“Sarah Jessica Parker” Blythe Hat by lado.
Blue and White Fleece Helmet Hat for Blythe by nectarine.
Blythe Rectangle Pom Pom Hat, earthy tones by CannonBelle.
Decadent Mohair Hat for Blythe by Ttttemma.
Cream Beret by PinkPetal.
And I only saw this one this afternoon while finishing this article, I just couldn’t resist :
Luxurious Fuzzy Hat Hood for Blythe OOAK by bonspielcreation.
To Be Continued…
blythe fashion : elegance & style
I LOVE NY 3 piece Weekend Outfit For Blythe + Black and White Chanel type Dress by RLKATAJA.
I was not too much in the mood for writing in this blog these days, but as I was browsing through Etsy last week for Blythe stuff I entered rlkataja’s shop and the beauty and coherence of her world made me want to devote an article to her creations alone. I had already made a few of her outfits my favorites, but seeing now more of her talents it seemed obvious that what she is really doing is more than just “sewing dresses”.
The great majority of people who make doll outfits – even the talented ones – will usually have a limited number of patterns that they will decline in a variety of fabrics. Such is not the case with Robin Kataja. When we enter her shop we discover what can be called a “Collection” in the Couture or Prêt-à-Porter sense of the word. It seems as if her Blythe girls were nostalgic for those days when fashion shows took place in the cosy atmosphere of Parisian salons where someone would introduce every outfit by its number and an evocative or presumably poetic name, thoses days when women – some women I should say – would wear something different for every occasion, so that wardrobes included cocktail party dresses, afternoon dresses, evening dresses, interior gowns, outfits for the countryside and so on and so on, and “Oh my, but what shall I wear for that barbecue the Johnsons have just invited us to ?”…
Vintage Fabric Farmer Country Girl Dress 3 piece + Chevron Striped Sporty Dress
I love rlkataja’s sense of fashion. I used the word “nostalgic” because her photographs bring to my mind images of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly and those wonderful movies by Vincente Minelli and Douglas Sirk, but her creations seem to be very modern to me. She is not trying herself at the “retro” or “vintage” imitation of clothes that we so often see in the world of Blythe. Her Blythe girls clearly state their love of fashion and style and let’s be elegant no matter what but it could as well be in the way a Carrie Bradshaw does. They have learned from the past and have retained their lessons in how to be chic and stylish at all times but they are from their time.
Indeed, her choice of fabrics is outstanding and definitely modern. I was wondering whether Robin Kataja got the idea for an outfit from a particular piece of fabric or if she decided on a certain pattern and went on to find the perfect fabric for it, but the truth is every one of her creations seems to be made for one and only one fabric. Look at that “Dots Candyland Party Dress” for instance. Polka dots are a great classic among Blythe dressmakers, however hers is so very nice and so unique. And what she makes of it is divine. And the “Black and White Striped Pleated Dress” on the left is perfection itself.
Black and White Striped Pleated Dress + Dots Candyland Party Dress
You may have noticed I did put some images of “sold” items like that “Black and White Striped Pleated Dress” just above but she says she can make some of her “sold” outfits again providing she still has the fabric of course. And anyway I did want to show a fair amount of her creations so that it would be obvious to anyone how imaginative and creative she was. She has the most wonderful tee-shirts with Marimekko prints on them, a very cute Pink Lace Babydoll Mini dress, and even though lace is definitely not my thing I like the dress as well as the Celery Green Garden Party one. I particularly liked the two dresses below.
Grey Mod Mini Dress For Blythe + Red Stripe Cafe Dress For Blythe
She has very recently added some new creations that are a bit more glamorous like that Hollywood Glamour Leopard Dress Fur Shrug and that OOAK Raspberry coat with an absolutely beautiful interior lining (click on the link to see a photo of the lining) :
Brilliant Raspberry Mod Wool Ruffle Coat OOAK
Now I am not sure just how many people actually read what I write but it has been such a pleasure writing this that I know I will look forward to rlkataja’s future creations for Blythe.
blythe fashion : rouge
How much do you spoil your Blythe ? I am not a big spender myself – I have other priorities – but the first thing I do when logging in to Etsy is type the word “Blythe” into the search box. For there are truly wonderful things to be seen ! Here’s a small selection of very red items :
Miko Blythe Dress with Hairpin Set + Ume Blythe Dress and Hairpin Set by Pollipop on Etsy.
They are my favorites from this shop. The fabrics are just gorgeous !
She also has those funny brooches :
Red Maki Pollipop Brooch
Another great fabric here for that dress from Perline Design Boutique :
I saw these two lovely dresses from Lalatroop a couple of hours ago and while I was writing this article the red one on the left had already beeen sold :
Blythe simple dress – Bot-bot + Blythe simple dress – Squirrel
But you might want to go for more glamorous items. You’ll find some in Feltland’s shop :
Blythe Three Piece Set + Blythe Beige Dress with Scarf
I am also absolutely in love with that gorgeous OOAK Red Crochet Jacket from POLLY’S Good Things :
Voilà !
