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LEFT: "Cissy" (1957) #2143 lilac taffeta afternoon gown RIGHT: "Cissy" (1957) #2140 a bouffant shear nylon apple green garden party ensemble — and yes, both really are mint in box.
Tea, Secrets and Gardening with Cissy
Tea Parties and dolls have been a long time favorite for many generations… the years of production and the names of the dolls change, but the concept seems a natural fit. We write, discuss, and dissect all matter of topics about dolls - but what do they discuss between themselves and what secrets do they share? It's all part of the mystery and magic that dolls evoke… are we sharing our world with them or are we looking into theirs?
Flowers used for hats and fashion accents have always been part of the many layers of the dolls of Madame Alexander. When "Cissy" came along, an era of floral prints became extremely popular in fashion and prominent in American decor and decorating. Being the fashion doll she is, "Cissy" was a reflection of these mid-century trends. So, with that thought, "Cissy's" fashion garden is enhanced by her own gardening - the perfect backdrop to be fashionable.
"Cissy" has set the table for tea in the garden — celebrating her new program for the MADC Convention in Winston-Salem, NC. China set is "Crown Staffordshire" and silver is "Reed & Barton."
"Cissy" shares secrets, gossip and maybe a little history - So much has happened since 1957!
LEFT: "Cissy" wears a lilac woven straw hat with an open crown RIGHT: "Cissy" wears a horsehair picture hat that matches her dress, with roses and ribbon accents
Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace Is Opening a New Exhibit About Queen Victoria This Summer
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth, and in honor of the milestone, Buckingham Palace is putting on a special exhibit highlighting the British monarch's life, and specifically, how she transformed the Palace "from a private house into a working royal residence."
Victoria was notably the first reigning British monarch to live in Buckingham Palace, taking up residence shortly after she ascended to the throne in July of 1837, and establishing a tradition that continues today with Queen Elizabeth. But, as the royal family's website puts it, Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert, and their growing family "soon showed up the Palace's shortcomings."
The exhibit opens on July 20, and will run through September 29 of this year as part of the Palace's opening of the State Rooms.
Moulin Rouge!'s Broadway cast, photographed at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn.
In his own way, the brilliant theater director Alex Timbers—whose work includes Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Here Lies Love, and, most recently, Beetlejuice—was born to reinvent Moulin Rouge! for the stage, as another generation of New York audiences will discover when his electrifying, eye-popping, and blissfully over-the-top adaptation of Luhrmann's masterpiece opens on Broadway, after a smash run in Boston, this month.
"I've spent my life taking classics and interpreting them in radical ways," Luhrmann says, "so how could I not applaud someone taking a work of mine and interpreting it in a radical way? You have to interpret things for the time and place you're in. In the end, it's still a tragic opera, but Alex applies himself to it in such a dexterous way that there's irony and fun and music and emotion."
THE FLOWERS AND FLORALS OF A FASHION GARDEN
"Cissy" is part of a new presentation for the Madame Alexander Doll Club 2019 Convention in Winston-Salem, NC.
Cissy has been the most charming model for the fashions of her era, reflecting the many trends that were part of this exuberant decade of change and evolution. The beautiful flowers for her hats, corsages and fashion accents came from the millenary showrooms of New York's Garment District. Madame bought end- bolts of fine fabrics from these Garment District jobbers for her dolls. The beautiful scaled floral prints are a reflection of a significant movement of this decade of florals used in fashion and in American decor and decoration - it was all coming together to create a fashion garden. CISSY… THE FLOWERS AND FLORALS OF A FASHION GARDEN (1955-1962) at the MADC 2019 Convention. madc.online
Tags: Madame Alexander, Cissy, mid-century
1946 composition 21" "Degas Ballerina" Portrait Doll by Madame Alexander - Photos are by Rodney Waller.
Four Grand Madame Alexander 21" Portraits of 1946
Being introduced by Rodney Waller are four stunning 1946 composition Madame Alexander Portraits. These four dolls are remarkable for their condition and for their provenance. Rodney gets into the background of the dolls in his upcoming article for the Madame Alexander Doll Club publication, THE REVIEW - "The Fabulous Composition Portrait Dolls." This was a unique turning point for the Alexander Doll Company. The world was just coming out of WWII, Madame Alexander, even though hindered by war, was producing some of her most beautiful dolls to date. These portrait dolls were used as a vehicle to show the best of the best she and her company were capable of. Using a technique employed for years by the fashion industry - if you came to see the couture gowns but you can't afford one, take home one of the beautiful scarfs, and still own a piece of the magic.
This 1946 timeframe was the beginning of a remarkable transition from composition dolls to a new production of hard plastic gradually starting in 1947. For the company, 1947 was a mostly a left over composition doll production year while Alexander started testing hard plastic dolls. With composition production in limbo, left over production of composition dolls and older store stock was all put into use in 1947 to help with inventory. Hard plastic, with only a few transitional hard plastic dolls made, was not readily available until 1948 with full production in 1949. Thank you Rodney Waller for helping with this loose timeline of a fascinating change of events! He has a feature article in Issue 2 of THE REVIEW. Not a member? Join at madc.online.
1946 composition 21" "Godey Lady" Portrait Doll by Madame Alexander - Photos are by Rodney Waller.
"Victoria" composition 21" 1946 Portrait Doll which is the same design as the 1936 "Princess Flavia." There was not a similar doll in the 1942 series. Photos are by Rodney Waller.
1946 composition 21" "Renoir" Portrait Doll by Madame Alexander. Photos are by Rodney Waller.
"Renoir" - July, 1946 Playthings Magazine
Issue 2 of 2019 - THE REVIEW
Issue 2 of 2019 features the 2019 Premiere event, and the 2019 Madame Alexander Doll Club Convention
Issue 2 of 2019 - the Madame Alexander Doll Clubs THE REVIEW is now published, and on it's way to members. This issue features the 2019 Premiere in New Jersey and highlights the upcoming 2019 MADC Convention in Winston Salem, NC. There is an excellent article as a Part II to his composition Portrait series. In addition to this exceptional issue, Debbie Foster and Katherine Mooney write about some of the fabulous hairstyles worn by Cissy, and some background on the wigs, their styling and what was used to make them.
Come for the Convention - Stay for the magic!
vogue.com.uk
"JUDY" - NEW JUDY GARLAND BIOPIC
Starring Renée Zellweger as none other than Judy Garland, the drama will focus on the musical icon's sold-out London performances in the West End in 1968, a full 30 years after The Wizard of Oz made her a household name. Rounding out the cast? Jessie Buckley as a production assistant at the Talk of the Town; Michael Gambon as fabled nightclub owner Bernard Delfont; and Bella Ramsey as Garland's daughter. The Crown's Thomas Edge has written the script, with relative newcomer Rupert Goold directing.
In Theaters September, 2019
Welcome to a new era. They've been expecting you.
It's 1927 — the series ended on New Year's Day 1926 — and Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), receives a letter informing him of an impending visit by King George V and Queen Mary for a royal luncheon, parade and dinner.
"Here we go," groans Robert's mother, Violet, the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith). The news sends the staff of the titular country estate into a tizzy, making sure every surface is spit-shined.
Tags: Rodney Waller, Portait, Madame Alexander, Madame Alexander Doll Club, The Review
Madame Alexander Newspaper ADs - 1955-1962
Looking for old newspaper ads for Madame Alexander dolls has been quite an adventure. My first "crop" of ads was between 1955 through 1962. I'm going to start now going backward from there. One interesting thing is the variety of businesses that carried the dolls by Madame Alexander. The legend of Madame Alexander revolves around well known, high-end retailers, but there are also many regional and local retailers spread across the country that carried "Alexanders."
The dolls and Beatrice Alexander herself were clearly established as an American tour de force, with glowing phrases to describe both the dolls and Madame herself. Another aspect of newspaper ads is that there are almost as many ads promoting the arrival of new dolls as ads are announcing the discounts of last seasons dolls. The element of surprise is the occasion that a new piece of the research and collecting puzzle is discovered or a research marker is established with a date or an example in print.
In this I. Magnin ad, both the doll and the book's author are featured. - and the fact that this store had at least seven floors. The issue of licensing was sometimes a touchy subject. The San Francisco Examiner - Tue Jul 22, 1958
"Cissy," a doll that was revolutionary in her concept at the time, was clearly a trendy doll by the sheer quantity of ads she received. There were some examples when "Cissy" got spelled "Sissy." LEFT: Democrat and Chronicle · Thu, Dec 5, 1957 RIGHT: The Shreveport Times · Sun, Nov 11, 1956
The use of illustrated ads is prevalent. I think, for one they print better than photos at the time, and Illustrations offer more creative ways to group dolls together attractively and concisely. The level of talent, however, provides some individual interpretations. LEFT: The Eugene Guard · Thu, Nov 27, 1958 RIGHT: Arizona Daily Star · Sun, Nov 25, 1956
"Cissy" was a favorite draw of this 1955-1962 time-period to help retailers bring people into their stores. LEFT: Arizona Republic · Mon, Dec 15, 1958 RIGHT: The Kansas City Times · Thu, Aug 15, 1957
NEW "HALSTON" DOCUMENTARY
Lauren Hutton in Halston's silk-jersey sarong-wrapped halter dress. Photographed by Francesco Scavullo,Vogue, September 1975
Roy Halston Frowick, the American designer known simply as Halston, was glamour personified. Tall and handsome, trim and tan, he wore a tuxedo with the same ease as he did his signature black turtlenecks. The Halston look extended to his Paul Rudolph–designed townhouse and his mirrored and orchid-filled Olympic Tower headquarters, and to his luxuriously pliant, easy-looking designs.
'CAMP AT THE MET'
Clockwise from top left: Jeremy Scott's "TV Dinner" ensemble for Moschino; two Thom Browne dresses flank a green and red ensemble by Alessandro Michele for Gucci; Mr. Michele's dress for Gucci, right, with two of Karl Lagerfeld's early 1980s dresses for Chloé; and a late 1990s Christian Lacroix dress with Mr. Scott's latex prosciutto-looking dress from 2011.CreditDolly Faibyshev for The New York Times
This year's Costume Institute exhibition is finally here. Will it help you better define camp? Probably not. But the historical journey is thoroughly engaging.
Tags: Madame Alexander, Alexander Doll Company, Newspaper Ads, Cissy, Beatrice Alexander
Cissy, as a mid-century fashion doll, was also a role model. WWII opened the doors of opportunity for women, but these doors closed pretty quickly when the war was over. Madame Alexander uses Cissy to show there were options, even if they now seem pretty demure. Interestingly, as were the fashions of the times, many of these 'options" still had to be performed in high-heels.
Cissy "Secretary" from 1957
Madame Alexander and her mid-century fashion sensibilities is a fascinating study. One of her twists is the element of surprise - a little something that is not entirely expected. Fast forward, and that has become the norm in fashion and design, but not so much in the 1950s fashion dolls. Design is one of the reasons particular dolls became popular, and they still hold our fascination. For this featured doll, Cissy is all about the hat. A relatively demure outfit comes alive with a dash of pinks and texture that gives an added punch of the unexpected. Millenary played a long time ingredient in the dolls by Madame Alexander. It is very possible it was reinforced by the experience of her husband coming from a background of hats and millenary. Part of the charm Madame's hats added to her dolls was that they were very well conceived in their execution, proportions, colors, and textures.
Cissy - 1957 N0, 2119 (mint in box) with all the accouterment needed of a fashionable young working debutante.
Cissy "Secretary" - it's all about the hat and amazing tailoring of the jacket.
Beautiful detail of this black wool felt outfit is the tapered fit and tailoring of the jacket at the waist which, because of its dark color, it easy to miss at first glance.
Mid-century fashion was fascinated with ideas and concepts of large scale roses for their hats.
pepaandcompany.com
PEPA & CO., LONDON
Traditional Children's Clothing
Prince George wearing Pepa & Co.
Princess Charlotte wearing Pepa & Co.
A Royal wedding party outfitted by Pepa & Co.
Preferred clothier for Prince George and Princess Charlotte, Pepa & Co. has become a recognized worldwide brand, known for its beautifully designed, clothing collections for newborns, babies, and children, up to 8 years old. Pepa & Co. is a London based brand, whose clothing is made in Spain using the highest quality materials. Their manufacturing processes are closely monitored to ensure all clothing is being produced in a fair and ethical way.
CIRCUS, INCLUDING 3 CIRCUS MICE - Pepa & Co.
MINI LIGHT RABBIT-MARCUS - Pepa & Co.
MICE VACATION - Pepa & Co.
MICRO PRAM / BLUE - Pepa & Co.
barryartmuseum.odu.edu
BARRY MUSEUM
Revisiting the Dolls and Automata
After experiencing the opening of the Barry Museum, I decided to revisit to see if my impression was the same. So, again, what a thrill to have this beautiful museum with both its art collections and it's exceptional and beautifully curated doll and automata collections here in Norfolk/Hampton Roads. The art is uplifting and interactive - the dolls and automata are such a unique opportunity to observe and absorb. The cross-section of the visitors gives insight into the range of interest in collections that strike a universal appeal.
1950s ADVERTISING SKETCHES
"Cissy" by Madame Alexander
LEFT TO RIGHT: El Paso Times · Thu, Nov 10, 1955; The Kansas City Times · Thu, Aug 15, 1957; Arizona Republic · Mon, Dec 15, 1958
Looking at some of the 1950s newspaper advertising in the dolledition.com archives, I noticed about half the ads are photos, usually using the newspaper mats and prints provided by the Alexander Doll Company, and half used sketches from their own art department. These are quite different from each other. Sometimes "Cissy" is handled as if created for a fashion department layout, and sometimes it's more of a suggestion of "Cissy," with minimal detail. Newspaper ads and store catalogs are ways to help identify "Cissy" for the correct year, as there are quite a few of "Cissy" that were not shown in the Alexander Company Catalog, and are hard to give an accurate date.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Kingsport News · Sat, Dec 14, 1957; The Eugene Guard · Thu, Nov 27, 1958; The Courier-Journal · Mon, Dec 2, 1957
Tags: Cissy No. 2119, Madame Alexander, Alexander Doll Company, Cissy "Secretary"
The excitement is building as the Easter Fashion Parade approaches here at dolledition.com. "Elise" has chosen her ensemble to represent the colors of an early spring garden.
Elise Easter Fashion Parade!
"Elise" steps out for the Easter Fashion Parade wearing her spring-green wool felt swing coat accented with a shell pink flower corsage, a matching spring-green felt hat and shell-pink dress. She's carrying her basket celebrating spring. The roots of Easter go back centuries and are tied into the symbolism of spring, planting, and new life. The rabbit became an image for spring and eggs represented fertility.
The German's embraced the myth and used the idea of the "Easter Hare" laying colorful eggs as gifts to well-behaved children and hiding them in a garden. The legends were brought to America in the 1700s when Dutch and German immigrants settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch territory. Children made nests out of their hats or bonnets in hopes to attract the "Easter Hare," and it's colorful eggs.
"Elise" carries her own Easter Fashion Basket to celebrate the promise of a new Spring.
Details of Elise's spring swing coat are the double stitching and pale pink corsage accent. The back the hat for this ensemble is finished with a green velvet bow.
Early European artwork is showing the "Easter Hare" arriving with colorful Easter eggs to hide for well-behaved children to find.
dma.org
DIOR: FROM PARIS TO THE WORLD
May 19, 2019 to September 1, 2019
Christian Dior with models, about 1955
Today, Dior's global influence is as enduring and iconic as ever. Dior: From Paris to the World surveys more than 70 years of the House of Dior's legacy, featuring a dynamic selection of over 100 haute couture dresses, as well as accessories, photographs, original sketches, runway videos, and other archival material. This exhibition profiles both Dior himself and subsequent artistic directors, including Yves Saint Laurent (1958–1960), Marc Bohan (1961–1989), Gianfranco Ferré (1989–1996), John Galliano (1997–2011), Raf Simons (2012–2015), and Maria Grazia Chiuri (2016–present), all of whom have carried Dior's vision into the 21st century.
Dior fashion models wearing "Vert gazon," "Gavroche," and "Flirt" ensembles (Spring-Summer Haute Couture collection, Slim Look line), 1961.
rct.uk
FROGMORE HOUSE
Opens to the Public
May 28, 2019 to May 30,, 2019
Frogmore House has been a favourite royal retreat for more than 300 years. It became a royal residence in 1792 when it was bought by George III's wife, Queen Charlotte.
Frogmore House - the location for the wedding reception of Prince Harry and Meghan (they've just moved to their new home Frogmore Cottage on the property.) Rarely available to the public, Frogmore House is going to be open three days in May for charity.
For almost 20 years, Frogmore was the home of Queen Victoria's mother, The Duchess of Kent. Works by her and her daughter are on display in the house. Queen Victoria often visited Frogmore during her long widowhood and worked on her papers there.
Tags: Elise, Madame Alexander, Easter Fashion Parade
"Cissy Shopping," 1956 came with a straw shoulder bag, sunglasses, a pagoda-style straw hat with a coordinating green velvet tie and a hat box. A wonderful melody of color and texture, "Cissy" wears a lemon yellow waffle weave cotton long sleeve top and olive green ribbed cotton pants with snaps on the (left) side. The colors were transferred from a trendy color combination coming from Scandinavian design that was becoming very popular.
Cissy Gets Pants - Shopping in 1956
Part of the fascination of collecting fashion dolls is analyzing the fashion of that moment as it was translated in miniature. In 1956, "Cissy" got her first pants ensemble in "Cissy Shopping." Pants were a hot topic at that time. Begrudgingly excepted by a few and specifically banned by others, a more modern approach welcomed the comfort and freedom pants offered. While much boxier and industrial styled pants, or even wearing your husbands pants, were part of the 40s war era years, pants were now becoming fashionable. In the 1930s, both Chanel and Schiaparelli promoted pants and a general dressing more comfortably (and practically) to their circle of chic clientele (and Hollywood.) 1950s American TV would be one of the leaders in taking pants mainstream, with Lucile Ball famously wearing them regularly on her show "I Love Lucy."
Coordination of accessories, as would become the new standard of accessorizing for fashion, ties "Cissy's" ensemble together - straw shoulder bag, straw pagoda hat, gold stiletto heels, and the all-important cat-eyed sunglasses.
Gold metallic strap stiletto high heels were a mid-century fashion trend. A fascination with all things that shine, sparkle and glitter, gold heels and flats were part of the fashion culture of the moment, coming first by way of Italy.
"Cissy" would not just get pants, she specifically got "cigarette" pants. When pants went fashionable, there became any number of styles - capris pants, toreador and pedal pushers also became popular, with a nuance of length difference and design options. Ankle length cigarette pants were designed to be flattering, usually lined to keep the fit smooth, tailored and high waisted, side zipper with a wide band (three inches) at the top. There were many design detail options at the waist including a v-notch or narrow belts worn in the middle of the waistband (keeping the silhouette slim.)
The cat-eyed sunglasses were part of the fashion rage of the mid to late 1950s. Glasses frames went clear, to colors with decorative details and even borrowed from the classic men's tortoiseshell frames.
Then there is "Cissy's" hat - she's wearing the very fashionable pagoda which came in any number of style and material variations. Natural straw imported from Switzerland, Italy and the far east lent an exotic seaside or folksy feel to summer clothing. The new synthetic straws allowed new pastel colors to coordinate with summer dresses and pants. A favorite of Parisian designers, the pagoda (or coolie) hat could be quite broad, or snug in its circumference.
By now, handbags and purses were very much thought of as an integral accessory with which to complete the overall 'look.' Hats, gloves, shoes, belt, scarf, and bag were all expected to coordinate together. There was a new trend in straw bags for summer and for shoulder bags. They could be woven wood slats, raffia, straw, and even plastic. Some featured additional flowers, fruits, and leaves inspired by the popular tiki party theme.
Left to Right: Cigarette pants with a tailored, slim silhouette. A cigarette pant with v-notch detail in the band. Costume design for Lucile Ball with cigarette pants and overskirt. A capris pant variation of the same model.
A favorite of Dior and other Parisian designers, the pagoda style hat could be quite large, and of different materials with veiling, trim or feathers.
In straw in various weaves and fantasy applications, the pagoda style hat design was a natural favorite for casual or summer 1950s fashion.
movies.disney.com
The film was originally scheduled for theatrical release on June 16, 2017, but was pushed back to June 15, 2018, while the 2017 release date was given to Cars 3. It was later delayed again to June 21, 2019, while its 2018 date was given to Incredibles 2, which was further along in production.
Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that's Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie's beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as "trash" and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy…
The villain of Toy Story 4 - the talking doll "Gabby."
Tags: Cissy, Cigarette Pants, Capris Pants, Madame Alexander, Cat Eyed Glasses, Pagoda Hat
Theriault's / Rodney Waller Collection Part 2
The Rodney Waller Collection Part Two was the second part of this esteemed collection to be auctioned by Theriault's. The composition and cloth dolls were sold in January, and the hard plastic auction was March 17, 2019. With 385 lots to cover, it was quite a day immersed in beautiful and rare Madame Alexander dolls from this fantastic collection. Part of the fascination with the collection is its diversity and depth. This has been an excellent opportunity to learn more about the legacy of Madame Alexander and her dolls. The remarkable Theriault catalog from this auction, itself will become collectible and a great source of research for collectors.
Here is a cross-section of some of the fantastic dolls viewed and auctioned from the Rodney Waller Collection at the Theriault's Naples, Florida auction on March 17, 2019. It was a rare opportunity to learn and experience some of the most unique dolls by Madame Alexander in one room and of one collection.
The pre-auction walk through with Rodney Waller - a highlight of the event.
The realized prices are always one of the highlights of a big, high profile auction. Above are the four top auction prices. Left to right: From the "Fashions of a Century" series, 1951, 21" McGuffey Ana, 1951 in a rare black coat and hat ensemble, "Pink Champagne" from the Mystery Portrait series, 1951, and "Judy Debutante" from the same series in a very rare variation blue gown.
Some of the rare and beautiful dolls from the Rodney Waller Collection Part Two.
Godey Bride and Groom from the "Godey Series," 1949.
Above - views from the auction floor.
One of the grand dolls from the "Mystery Portrait Series"-"Ballet des Fleur."
And, as part of the auction experience, the hotel the auction was held: The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point.
Tags: Madame Alexander, Rodney Waller, Theriault's, Mystery Doll Series, Bruce A. deArmond, The Rodney Waller Collection
"Cissy" is wearing green to celebrate, but it was not always the color of choice. Originally, blue was the color of the holiday. By the seventeenth century, green started appearing, and in the eighteenth century, the Irish military started wearing green uniforms on March 17 to make a political statement. In Ireland, some adhere to the tradition of Catholics wearing green and Protestants wearing orange. Pantone's green PMS 347 is the official color match.
Cissy - St. Patrick's Day 2019
Saint Patrick's Day 2019, and "Cissy," as debutantes want to do, has brought "Puppy" with her to her salon to tint him green to coordinate with her appearance at the Saint Patricks fashion parade. "Puppy," the true showman, knows the value of a big entrance and picks out the green bow to set off his eyes. "Cissy" (a 1958 Basic doll) is wearing her green velvet 1956 swing coat with corsage (accented by a stunning straw cartwheel hat with veiling and flowers matching the one on the coat) and a charming floral blue and green 1955 pansy print dress with a matching green velvet bow. Let the festivities (and video) begin!
The first St Patrick's Day celebration in the United States was held in Boston in 1737. In 1762, the first New York City parade took place. With over 150,000 participants, the St Patricks Day parade in New York is the world's oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States. And more than 3 million spectators line the parade route which is 1.5 miles long. The parade takes more than 5 hours to come to an end.
The real St. Patrick wasn't Irish. He was born in Britain around A.D. 390 to an aristocratic Christian family. At the age of 16, St Patrick was kidnapped and was taken to Ireland. He was kidnapped by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family's estate. He worked there for 6 years tending sheep and then escaped and became a priest.
Four-leaf clovers are indeed rare - 10,000 regular three-leaf clovers to a four-leaf clover. Legend says that each leaf of the clover has a meaning: Hope, Faith, Love and Luck.
vogue.fr
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBIE: 60 AND STAYING RELEVANT
Ruth Handler, the founder of Barbie
Barbie is turning 60 – but she hasn't aged a day since she first arrived on the scene. For many, she is still the blonde, blue-eyed and impossibly thin doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler back in 1959. Then, Barbie was considered revolutionary, as the first adult doll on offer at a time when baby dolls that allowed girls to pretend to be mothers dominated the market. Industry experts given the first glimpse of the new Barbie doll at the American Toy Fair were sure it would be a flop, but Handler quickly proved them wrong, with over 350,000 sold in the first year alone and sales reaching $2million by the early 1960s.
"We looked at diversity in every aspect – ethnicity, body type, types of fashion that she's wearing – so more children in the world see themselves reflected in the brand," Kim Culmone, Barbie's senior vice president of design, tells Vogue.
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM - MARY QUANT
Mary Quant and models at the launch of the quantafoot collection, 1967
From miniskirts and hot pants to vibrant tights and makeup, discover how Mary Quant launched a fashion revolution on the British high street, with over 200 garments and accessories, including unseen pieces from the designer's personal archive.
Quant by Quant: The Autobiography of Mary Quant
www.CissyBook.com
CISSY! REFERENCE, RARITIES AND RESTORATION
KILEY RUWE SHAW
Cissy! Reference, Rarities and Restoration - Arriving May of 2019
Cissy! Restoration, Rarities and Reference
THE MUCH ANTICIPATED NEW BOOK
arriving MAY 2019
MADAME ALEXANDER DOLL CLUB - THE REVIEW
THE REVIEW, Issue 1, 2019 - the cover featuring the 2018 Fall Friendship doll "Bootifully Batty."
THE REVIEW Magazine of THE MADAME ALEXANDER DOLL CLUB features the 2018 Fall Friendship Luncheons (Halloween theme) and articles by Florence Theriault and Rodney Waller - both articles highlight the upcoming Waller Collection Auction Part 2 in Naples Florida March 17, 2019. Join the MADC adventure and become a member!
hollywoodreporter.com
TOLKIEN - THE MOVIE
Fox Searchlight releases Tolkien to theaters on May 10
Fox Searchlight and Chernin Entertainment have set a May 10 release date for biographical drama Tolkien.
Directed by Finnish filmmaker Dome Karukoski, the film stars Nicholas Hoult as J.R.R. Tolkien, the celebrated author and English professor whose body of work includes the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit series. Searchlight will become part of the Disney empire once the Disney-21st Century Fox merger closes in the coming weeks.
Tags: Cissy, Swing Coat, St. Patrick's Day, Madame Alexander
The reference to this outfit as being "Cissy Takes a Trip" is to its use by FAO in a 1957 trunk set by that name. "Cissy," which was from the 1957 production line as No. 2114 was the doll used for the trunk set along with other items from the line of extra outfits made available by Madame Alexander. FAO added two outfits to the trunk set produced in their own sewing rooms to complete the 1957 "Cissy Takes a Trip" trunk set.
Revisiting - "Cissy Takes a Trip"
Revisiting my 2008 article, I was flooded with memories regarding a journey I was beginning at the time which I'm still making. I was renewing my interest in researching "Cissy" and the world of Madame Alexander and the Alexander Doll Company. The concept of the fashion doll actually started for me with antique dolls. My mother had recently passed away, and her longtime collecting had led her through years and years of research and discovery. Some of this rubbed off on me as I was growing up. I found myself starting to take my interest in "Cissy" in different directions of how, when, where and who of curating.
In this article, several areas of research were starting to evolve. The relationship of F.A.O. Schwarz to Madame Alexander was one of those. The interaction of the two companies was fascinating and showcased the expertise of both. "Cissy" as a fashion doll reveals layers of information to mid-century fashion and fashion trends. This outfit shows the influence of men's fashion that was being expressed, among others, by Dior in his work. The chatelaine watch was a fashion trend popular at the moment - having returned from its Victorian popularity, and Georgian before that. The "cloche" hat is an additional fashion detail "Cissy" wears in this No. 2114 production of 1957. As fashion trends tend to do, the style is a revival of a long time millenary favorite. The texture of the straw, scale, and proportion to this "New Look" world of fashion and its fascination with color were all reflected in this one hat translated for "Cissy."
The FAO catalog created the nickname "Cissy Takes a Trip" for this doll, and used other Cissy's over the years for their Cissy trunk sets by the same name. The Alexander Doll Company 1957 company catalog created the nickname " For Any Summer Morning" in their description of the doll. This, of course, creates a little confusion with collectors. The 1956 black and white houndstooth Cissy No. 2027, used for the FAO 1956 Cissy trunk set also is sometimes referred to as "Cissy Takes a Trip." OK, if you're still following, the 1957 FAO "Cissy Takes a Trip" description refers to the Cissy No. 2114 as a "Bon Voyage" outfit.
The striped blouse is an excellent example of the influence of menswear at the time. The tailored look of almost exaggerated barber shop stripes is softened with the large corsage at the throat.
1957 was also the transition year for production at the Alexander Doll Company to switch from painted finish dolls to the infused process where the skin tones are in the plastic and not painted on over plastic. The doll on the left is a painted finish example of the No. 2114 'Cissy" and the doll on the right is an infused doll that replaced the painted finish mid-1957.
The No. 2114 was available in both lavender and in blue. Another interesting detail of this doll is that the "Cissy" wrist tag changed from the rectangular tag of 1955 thru mid 1957, to the square wrist tag this doll has.
theriaults.com
RODNEY WALLER AUCTION PART 2
MARCH 17, 2019 at 11AM
Sunday, March 17, 2019. Time has come for Beatrice Alexander, signature American dollmaker and designer, to take her rightful place among antique dolls. Nearly 90 years have passed since her dolls first appeared, and for more than a half century she stood as a symbol of excellence, ingenuity, and marketing mastery in the world of American dolls. Collector Rodney Waller noted this many years ago, and began a quest to find the rarest of the rarest of her dolls, prizing originality and excellence of condition as well as rarity. This is Session II of his two-part auction, featuring the mid-century dolls, 1948-1970, of Madame Alexander.
"MARGARET" THE REBEL PRINCESS"
FEB. 10 - 17, 2019 at 10/9c
This intimate two-part series profiles Princess Margaret, whose life and loves reflected the social and sexual revolution that transformed the western world during the 20th century. With sumptuous archive and revealing interviews, the series follows Margaret's life as she re-defined our image of the modern princess. This deeply personal account reveals how Princess Margaret's character combined the rebellious force of modernity and respect for tradition.
howtotrainyourdragon.com
DREAMWORKS - OPENS FEBRUARY 21, 2019
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a 2019 American computer-animated action fantasy film loosely based on the book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the sequel to How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and the final installment in the How to Train Your Dragon film trilogy.[6] Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, the film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, and F. Murray Abraham.[7] The film's plot concerns Hiccup seeking a dragon utopia called "The Hidden World" upon finding another Night Fury.
Tags: For Any Summer Morning, Cissy Takes a Trip, Madame Alexander, Alexander Doll Company Catalog, FAO Schwarz, Chatelaine Watch, Cissy No. 2021
The legendary collection of Margaret Lumia, an exceptional representation of antique dolls ranging from early wood and paper mâché to superb French dolls and the rarest of the German bisque.
Theriault's January 12 & 13, 2019 Auctions
The collection of Rodney and Suzanne Waller, an exceptional vision of the work of Madame Alexander, and the nuance of her own journey in the design and production of her 1902s-1940s cloth and composition dolls.
The January 12 & 13 Theriault auctions were big doll events that started off the new year with a bang. This was really a phenomenon, and not just an auction. It drew the interest of many from two diverse areas of doll collecting — connoisseurs of antique dolls and of the earlier phase of cloth and composition dolls by Madame Alexander. Theriault's followed a long time tradition of hosting this January event in Southern California. This time, the mixed energy of two high profile collections and collectors was unique and even contagious. The crossover was intriguing as antique and Alexander collectors were visiting both auctions. A common element shared by both collections was the personal vision of the collectors who built them. This helped form an outline that both used to harness their vision and passion for their unique collections. Some of the realized prices were eye popping, and went to both American and international bidders. To see the full sold for lists, visit Theriault's Margaret Lumia Collection: theriaults.proxibid.com and for the Waller Collection (Part 1): theriaults.proxibid.com.
Rodney and Suzanne Waller Collection
Stuart Holbrook
The setting for the Theriault auction was in Newport Beach, California. The hotel for the event was the Fashion Island Hotel which is a wonderful example of bringing the inside and outside together as one flowing experience
Some crazy weather, challenges for TSA, a Government Shutdown and my own carry-ons - Thank you American Airlines.
disneymovies.com
WALT DISNEY'S DUMBO
Directed by Tim Burton
Dumbo is an upcoming American fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, with a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger. It is loosely inspired by Walt Disney's 1941 animated film of the same name, itself based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl. The film stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, and Alan Arkin.
harpersbazar.com
SIMPLY HALSTON - The Movie
Simply Halston
With Ewan McGregor
A new limited series about the legendary American designer Halston, born Roy Halston Frowick, is officially in the works. Simply Halston will chronicle the rise and fall of the designer who helped define the 1970s and 1980s fashion scene, and in many ways became a celebrity himself. Today it was announced that Ewan McGregor will play the designer, in addition to being executive producer on the project.
Roy Halston Frowick, known simply as Halston
townandcountrymag.com
COLORS FOR A ROYAL NURSERY
Preparing for the Royal Baby
a Very Specific Color Scheme
Frogmore House in Windsor
"They've decided not to find out the sex," Nicholl said, "but according to sources who are helping with [their new home] renovations, the nursery itself is going to be very modern. Don't expect to see any baby pink or baby blue. Apparently, it's going to be a monochrome palette—whites and grays, I'm told, will be the color theme for baby Sussex's nursery."
thepierreny.com
TEA AT THE PIERRE HOTEL
Experience what Town & Country Magazine has recognized as the Best Afternoon Tea in New York City!
A Neo-Classical lounge, Two E Bar offers a coveted traditional Afternoon Tea menu, as well as a Tiffin & Tea service. A full in-house pastry team bakes fresh scones and petit fours every morning to serve alongside our housemade jam, clotted cream and finger sandwiches.
Tags: Theriault's, Stuart Holbrook, Madame Alexander, Rodney Waller, Suzanne Waller, Margaret Lumia, Newport Beach
18 inch Maggie, wearing a 1953 green and white striped No. 211 raincoat and hat of waterproof taffeta over a white summer dress.
Maggie's Little Short Story...
It's not just what's she's wearing, but the story that goes with it. Like most dolls that arrive at dolledition.com, there is a process of unboxing, getting your own file started, the viewing and finally, it's time for photographs. This can take time, so there is always a period of waiting and wondering - how will the others react and will there be a fit into the collection. Not to worry. It's all a big family that are also friends. Everything has a story to tell in the big-wonderful-world we're part of.
This extra No. 211 outfit came in green and white, blue and white and red and white. Tagged: 18" Tall - Madame Alexander
White Pique cotton summer dress and floral accents with matching pique underpants. Tagged: Madame Alexander
!953 extra clothing from the Alexander Doll Company Catalog. Available in two sizes - 15" and 18".
Thank you, Maggie, and welcome to dolledition.com - you've been the perfect young lady, and we love you!
Testing a new element for dolledition.com - FOR WHAT DID IT SELL? One of the most requested email inquiries is what things cost and why did something sell for what it did. Here are four Cissy's I sold from 2009:
1957 Cissy #2141 Navy Taffeta & White Organdy / Selling Points: Near mint brunette, good coloring, with correct accessories / Sold for: $1,800.00
1957 Cissy in Black Slacks and Sash, Lace Top / Selling Points: Mint condition, sunglasses, jewelry, beautiful infused coloring / Sold for: $1,200.00
1955 Cissy #2097 Blue Satin Gown / Selling Points: All accessories including three stone ring, feather fan and correct flower coronet / Sold for: $3,850.00
1957 Cissy #2041 "Opera" Variation / Selling Points: Stunning near mint doll with all correct accessories and hang tag / Sold for: $2,200.00
philamuseum.org
Little Ladies: Victorian Fashion Dolls and the Feminine Ideal
Thru March 3, 2019
Fashion Plate from Godey's Lady's Book, March 1874
Before Barbie and American Girl, there was Miss Fanchon. The ultimate toy for privileged girls in the 1860s and 1870s, she and her friends were seen as models of ladylike perfection. These dolls came with an amazing array of dresses, undergarments, and meticulously crafted accessories, from gloves and jewelry to roller skates and calling cards.
snickerdoodlestreet.blogspot.com
Interview with Tom Neville,
VP - Madame Alexander Doll Co.
"The Madame Alexander Doll company has undergone several new changes since Tom came aboard February 2018 and I was able to chat with him about what's ahead for dolls in 2019." The 95-year-old doll company is gearing up for many new exciting releases and celebrations leading up to their 100th anniversary in 2023.
"Madame Alexander will be at the NYC Toy Fair February 16-19, 2019 showing from classic collections: 19" Newborn Nursery dolls in multi-ethnicities, classic 12" soft body Huggums, 10" Cissette dolls and the popular 8" Wendy collector dolls. I'm super excited that 21" Cissy will also make a comeback in 2019."
According to NPD Group, a market research firm, L.O.L. Surprise! was the best-selling toy brand of the year (excepting December, for which sales numbers haven't been released), and L.O.L. Surprise! Bigger Surprise was the top-selling toy in November.
So, what is the L.O.L. Surprise! Bigger Surprise? It is a glittering, baby-pink plastic suitcase that one buys without knowing what's inside. It is filled with doe-eyed plastic dolls and many sparkly accessories (including wigs, handbags and green tennis rackets) and each item is individually wrapped in enough plastic packaging to occupy a doll-size landfill.
The hottest toy of the year was a glittering, baby-pink plastic suitcase that we buy without knowing what's inside.
Tags: Madame Alexander, Alexander Doll Company, Maggie, dolledition.com
White cotton pique dress with red rick-rack trim, under a knit red sweater embroidered Annabelle in white lettering, white cotton petticoat and panties, socks, black leatherette side-snap shoes. with her original box The costume is tagged Kate Smith's Annabelle, Madame Alexander.
The 2018 dolledition.com Holiday Card...
Annabelle was a character from the 1951 book by Kate Smith "Kate Smith Stories of Annabelle". Kate Smith, the singer and television performer, based this on the "Original Stories of Annabelle By Jane Gale". This connection is another interesting example of how fast the Alexander Doll Company reacted to the doll market and production technology of this golden doll era.
Beatrice Alexander had the opinion that a doll was not a doll until it was delivered to, and in the hands and possession of a child. Her point of view in the design of her dolls was very specific. She understood her audience, and designed accordingly. Dolls from literary subjects were a particular favorite of hers, and provided a strong visual tie-in to popular literary characters of past and present.
Annabelle the doll takes a number of elements from the books illustration by Bill and Bernard Martin in the Madame Alexander costume design.
The box has the model number and "Annabelle" stamped on the factory label along with a gold foil "Fashion Academy Award" sticker. The price of $9.95 is marked on the box. Annabelle has her "Beauty Kit" of curlers, comb and beauty care booklet.
One of a number of color variations of Annabelle produced by Madame Alexander.
Stories of
1952, Annabelle was made for one year only, inspired by the stories of Annabelle written by the beloved singer and television performer Kate Smith.
The costume is tagged Kate Smith's Annabelle, Madame Alexander.
Madame Alexander, The Rodney Waller Collection: Part One
9 AM. Preview of "Madame Alexander: The Rodney Waller Collection, Part One."
11 AM. Auction of "Madame Alexander: The Rodney Waller Collection, Part One."
The Rodney Waller Collection
Time has come for Beatrice Alexander, signature American dollmaker and designer, to take her rightful place among antique dolls. Nearly 90 years have passed since her dolls first appeared, and for more than a half century she stood as a symbol of excellence, ingenuity, and marketing mastery in the world of American dolls. Collector Rodney Waller noted this many years ago, and began a quest to find the rarest of the rarest of her dolls, prizing originality and excellence of condition as well as rarity. This is Part One of his two-part auction, featuring the cloth and composition dolls, 1930-1948, of Madame Alexander.
The Rodney Waller Collection:
Fashion Island Hotel
590 Newport Center Dr.
Netflix: Seven Days Out
The Making of a Dior Couture Fashion Show
Released on December 21, 2018
Netflix: Seven Days Out = The making of a Chanel Couture Fashion Show
For the hour-long Netflix episode, Karl Lagerfeld, Virginie Viard, Amanda Harlech, and Chanel's seamstresses allowed Rossi inside 31 Rue Cambon to witness the week leading up to the couture show. Sketches are delivered, petites mains are stitching about, and Lagerfeld is watching over it all with a discerning eye, signing off on each couture creation.
Chanel Spring 2018 Couture Fashion Show
Downton Abbey - the Movie Trailer
"Downton Abbey" Movie Release September 20, 2019
Focus Features has unveiled a dialogue-free teaser trailer for its upcoming "Downton Abbey" movie, highlighted by soaring vistas of the majestic English country house.
The TV show followed the lives of the Crawleys and the servants who worked for them at the turn of the 20th century. During its six-season run from 2010 to 2015, the series won 15 Emmy Awards and earned 69 Emmy nominations in total, making "Downton Abbey" the most-nominated non-U.S. TV show in the history of the Emmys.
barbie.mattle.com
Yves Saint Laurent Barbie by Mattel
While constantly in search of simplicity, each Yves Saint Laurent collection was also a chance to bring his dreams to life. Fascinated by different cultures, nostalgic of a 'lost time,' Saint Laurent came up with dresses that transported the public to an imaginary elsewhere, from Russia to China, from India to Morocco. He also developed numerous garments directly referencing the artists he admired such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Vincent Van Gogh, and of course Piet Mondrian. The international press was dazzled by Saint Laurent's moving works of art. Diana Vreeland raved about them in the New York Times, deeming this "the best collection,"while Women's Wear Daily called Saint Laurent the "king of Paris."
Boxing for Mattel's YSL Barbie series
Tags: Annabelle, Kate Smith, Madame Alexander, Alexander Doll Company, Stories of Annabelle, Beatrice Alexander
Celebrating our eighth Holiday Season - dolledition.com shares some of the dolls of past events in holiday colors.
Feeling the Holidays...
The Facebook page for dolledition has a new holiday color themed cover-logo featuring some of the highlighted dolls from the past and used for various events. Both the website and the dolledition.com Facebook page get thousands of visitors a week, from the US and internationally. The dolls and story of Madame Alexander hold a unique interest, and many people follow along with the images, articles, and background of this fascinating journey. What started as a short-term website building experience, dolledition.com is now celebrating it's eighth Holiday Season. If you have not already been, click the "f" at the bottom of the page or the link here, and expand your dolledition experience: DOLLEDITION-Madame Alexander Vintage Dolls.
American Girl 1964 International Series, by Madame Alexander
Cissy 1958 Ballerina Length "Evergreen"Gown / Christmas Cissy 2012 by Madame Alexander
Cissy 1960 No. 2182 Creole Beauty by Madame Alexander - The Rodney Waller Collection
Cissy 1959 No. 2115 by Madame Alexander
Glamor Girl 1953 No. 2001C — by Madame Alexander
Cissy Green 1956 Side Drape Green Brocade (white lining) by Madame Alexander
'A Christmas Carol' Turns 175
"A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens and illustrated by John Leech.
"A Christmas Carol" came out on Dec. 19, 1843, well before The New York Times began publishing in 1851. The novel — with beautiful illustrations by John Leech — was a best-seller in both England and the United States. Because there were no international copyright laws, Dickens didn't make a cent from American editions.
he illustrations in "A Christmas Carol" were done by John Leech.
fitnyc.edu
Fabric In Fashion
December 4, 2018 – May 4, 2019
Silk brocaded taffeta robe a l'anglaise circa 1760, England, Museum purchase
Fabric is the very stuff of fashion. The desire for textiles has driven the social and economic history of the world. Yet contemporary fashion consumers tend to give little consideration to the textiles they wear. For fashionable individuals of the past, however, textiles were their most valuable possessions. Knowledge of fabrics was commonplace. A stylish eighteenth-century woman knew the high cost of silk brocade imported from China, the difference between wool fabrics appropriate for menswear and women's wear, and that the most colorfast cotton calicos came from India. As late as 1955, market research by the United States Department of Agriculture reported that "nine out of ten women . . . were aware of the fiber content of what they were buying, and used that knowledge in their decision to purchase."
Issey Miyake, ensemble with synthetic metallic ruffled cape, 1982, Japan, gift of Jun Kanai.
Yoshiki Hishinuma, sheer polyester dress with rosettes, 2000, Japan, gift of Hishinuma Associates Co., Ltd.
Mila Schön, double-faced wool dress and coat, 1968, Italy, gift of Mrs. Donald Elliman.
Pantone 2019 'Color of the Year'
Pantone 2019 - Living Coral
Each year Pantone announces their 'Color of the Year'
Move over Ultra Violet 18-3838 - 2018, there's a new color in town. Pantone have announced that Living Coral 16-1546 is it's 2019 Color Of The Year.
Vibrant, yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment.
In reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. Sociable and spirited, the engaging nature of PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral welcomes and encourages lighthearted activity. Symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embodies our desire for playful expression.
Pantone 2018 - Ultra Violet
Milton & GooseKids' Classic Play Kitchen
Features: extra-large oven with pull-down door for realistic play, under-sink cabinet with shelf for extra storage, hooks under hood for hanging pots and pans, upper shelf for added space, ultra-durable porcelain magnetic chalkboard, turning knobs, four burners, center grill or cutting board for expanded play, spacious farmhouse sink, hot and cold water taps, magnetic closures to keep doors securely in place.
A chic and modern space for your little chef to imagine and dream. Stylish and functional, our play kitchens are a re-imagined centuries-old favorite. Expertly crafted by Amish artisans in the USA from sustainable Baltic birch and solid North American maple, and topped with water-based, low-VOC, and HAPs-free finishes, this fabulous play kitchen is as gorgeous as it is safe.
Tags: Madame Alexander, Facebook, dolleditition.com
Madame Alexander Direct with 1950s Coupon - Sorry, No C.O.D.s
Certain dolls by Madame Alexander seem to be more abundant for collectors. They are often the dolls we start out with because of their availability. A partial explanation as to the why certain MA dolls are are more prevalent are these two examples of coupons, sent to me by Glenn Mandeville, the Alexander Doll Company placed in magazines. The magazine's coupons (sorry, no C.O.D.s) make it possible to purchase dolls directly from the Alexander Doll Company. Interesting, the address provided by both these 1953 and 1954 dolls are the lower mid-town NYC office location which was just a few blocks from the original Alexander factory at 20 West 22nd Street in NYC - just before the move to the Harlem factory in about 1955. You can purchase the 1953 navy coat and red taffeta dress "Winnie Walker," with hat, gloves, and hatbox - available in three sizes. Something both doll ads share is the company plug for their Fashion Academy Gold Medal Award.
Their second doll is a 1954 "Binnie Walker." "Binnie" is dressed in a hollyberry red gabardine coat with a leopard print hat and muff - available in three sizes. The coupon ad says Binnie has a wig rooted to her scalp. In the company's product development, an early attempt at rooted hair was via a vinyl skull cap with the hair rooted to that. This was an iffy solution trying to incorporate a hard plastic head mold. Rooted hair would eventually evolve to newer vinyl molds. Since Madame Alexander produced the dolls she got orders for, it is possible particular dolls from each season were selected for some form of direct marketing, using coupons or another format to enhance sales for the company, and then factored into production quantities
18" Madame Alexander 1953 Winsome Winnie Walker No. 1836
15" Madame Alexander 1954 Binnie Walker No. 1525
denverart.com
Denver Art Museum
On View through March 3, 2019
Dior: From Paris to the World surveys 70 years of the House of Dior's enduring legacy and its global influence. A selection of more than 200 couture dresses, as well as accessories, costume jewelry, photographs, drawings, runway videos, and other archival material, will trace the history of the iconic haute couture fashion house, its founder, Christian Dior, and the subsequent artistic directors who carried Dior's vision into the 21st century.
THE REVIEW Covers for 2018
The Review - Covers for Issue 1, and issues 2A & 2B of 2018
The Official Publication of the
The Review - Cover for Issue 3 of 2018
store.metmuseum.org
The Met Store
Noah's Ark Wooden Play Set
The story of Noah's ark, seen in artwork throughout The Met, resonates with kids of all ages. This beautifully made 62-piece set brings the tale to life, offering hours of imaginative play. Sustainably sourced and finished with bright, nontoxic paints, the chunky figures of the animal pairs and Noah and his wife are easy for little hands to grasp. They store inside the ark, which is sturdy enough to use as a bench.
Bring The Met Fifth Avenue's distinctive facade and stately architecture to life with TICO mini bricks—the tiniest building bricks in the world at just 4 mm x 4 mm. Part of the TICO Landmark Series, this collectible mini brick model includes traffic on Fifth Avenue and visitors on the plaza, just like the real Museum.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art TICO Mini Bricks
Tags: Madame Alexander, Alexander Doll Company, Winsome Winnie Walker, Binnie Walker
The American Department Store was an important retailer for the dolls of Madame Alexander. Both the department store and the Alexander Doll Company were at their zenith in the 1950s.
Mme. Alexander and the American Department Store
One of my great joys of collecting is finding research material from the actual period that I am collecting. Some of the most interesting information and details of manufacturing show up this way. Several years ago I ran across a page from a Christmas catalog offering an assortment of dolls from the 1957 collection of the Alexander Doll Company. This page featured the type of artwork that was typically provided by the Alexander Doll Company for its retailers: Newspaper Mats and Glossy Prints available to you by request – was part of the Alexander Doll Company's catalog given out to buyers. However, this merchant's catalogs cover is a delightful drawing a-la-mode of a stylized interpretation of the American home in all its I-like-Ike glory. When you start to put the parts and pieces together, there is an unfolding of some of the many elements that are the story of the Alexander Doll Company.
1957 was maybe the pinnacle of the glory days of the Alexander Doll Company, which was operating three facilities. One of these, in White Plains New York, was shared with American Character and Arranbee. This facility is credited with the painting of the Alexander doll's faces – up to 1,500 a day. However, another American icon, the family-owned, city landmark department store was also in its zenith, with the mall experience still a decade away. This particular catalog was from Forbes and Wallace, Springfield, Massachusetts. Their building had eight floors, with the eighth floor dedicated to the children's departments. The Forbes & Wallace Russian Tea Room not only encouraged shoppers to stay in the store and return to shopping but also created a social experience and children's memories. Going to see Santa and sit in his lap provided a unique emotional connection provided by these family-owned emporiums. Built in 1905, Forbes and Wallace went out of business in 1976. The downtown Springfield store was torn down in 1983. Downtowns had changed, and so had customers buying habits. A few of these retail palaces find a new life with a new purpose. Most get leveled – with the real estate more valuable than an attempt at renovation. Monarch Place has now incorporated the space.
Elise 1957 #1635 blue ballerina - Elise was a brand new doll for Alexander, just being introduced that year. Forbes & Wallace featured the perennial favorites of Bride and Ballerina.
The journey from Toy Fair, where the dolls are first viewed, to placing the dolls on the merchants selling floor is a long one. The chain of events for the department store developed a unique Alexander/Buyer/Merchant connection. Dolls being shown at the February Toy Fair were created, photographed, and text is written and worked out by fall of the previous year. Everything would be at the printers by January so buyers could walk away with the printed catalog in February at the New York Toy Fair. These were basically mock-up dolls at this point. Only after Toy Fair would materials be ordered and actual production start in quantities based on the number generated by Toy Fair plus a percentage of overage. This would be based on Christmas shipment. Some fabric prints and other parts and pieces might give out before all orders were filled. By mutual agreement, a comparable costume or character would be substituted.
The Alexander Doll Company would not have had the space to store shipments of an entire line or worked on the production of an entire line at once. It is typical in the industry to ship production numbers to retailers as they are completed – with an agreement that the merchant would not be billed until the "ship by date" (i.e., October) and the store cannot sell until the billing. Forbes and Wallace made its selection of seven dolls to feature on this page. Given top billing, three Cissy's are featured. Making her debut in 1957 was Elise. 16-1/2" to Cissy's official size of 21". Another 1957 introduction to the production line was Dumplin' Baby. One of the dolls innovative features was that a 23 ½" doll was light enough for even a young child to carry around. The final doll illustrated in the Forbes & Wallace Christmas 1957 catalog page is Kathy Cry-Dolly.
Cissy #2141 chartreuse nylon print 1957/1958, in what Forbes and Wallace describes as a "Garden Party or Tea Frock."
The journey of dolls designed, produced, delivered, received, displayed and purchased is all part of the Alexander Doll Company story. Mme Alexander was a rare combination of shrewd businesswoman with artistic talent. There were hundreds of retailers and merchants across the country that is part of this story. By a whim of eBay, this small slice of the big picture emerged of one of many fine emporiums that went through the buying process to compete with their own competition. While this might have been assumed to be the final page of this story, now as vintage dolls, this page is a long way off. Toys have morphed into collectibles, with some dolls like Cissy and the highly desirable earlier hard plastic dolls, could even be considered investments of an American art form. Cissy has been referred to as "the Jumeau of tomorrow" – many of these beautiful dolls have evolved into their own clubs and study groups. America is in a new phase of newly appreciating it's great heritage and things American. There is not a better representation of this then the art and artistry of Mme Alexander and the Alexander Doll Company.
Cissy 1957 "Opera" #2172 gowned Cissy shown in the Forbes & Wallace Christmas catalog page.
Elise 1957 Bride #1650 - nylon tull gown with chapel length veil falling gracefully over her face and held in place with a coronet of flowers.
Another 1957 introduction to the Alexander production line was Dumplin' Baby. One of the dolls innovative features was that a 23 ½" doll was light enough for even a young child to carry around.The final doll illustrated in the Forbes & Wallace Christmas 1957 catalog page is Kathy Cry-Dolly (spelled "Cathy" by Forbes & Wallace) which could drink and wet and was a very early product made entirely of vinyl.
FAO Schwarz Reopens First NYC Store
The iconic toy store brand, known for interactive displays like its famous giant piano, is opening up a new store in Rockefeller Plaza. The store is opening November 16 and will be ready for the holiday rush. FAO Schwarz was originally known for its iconic store on Fifth Avenue. The new store is about five blocks south of the old one. The store is being developed by Threesixty Group, a product developer and distributor, which purchased the entire FAO Schwarz brand from Toys R Us in 2016.
brovotv.com
Project Runway 2018 - Moves Back to Bravo
Supermodel Karlie Kloss will step into Heidi Klum's shoes as she takes on the duties of host while former winner and acclaimed designer Christian Siriano will lend his talents as mentor, taking over for Tim Gunn.
Taking over for Tim Gunn who is moving to new programming at Amazon with Heidi Klum, Christian Siriano is coming back to Project Runway! The famed fashion designer will return to the competition as mentor when it comes back to Bravo for a new season next year. "'Project Runway' has offered such wonderful opportunities for so many and I'm excited to take on this role as a mentor," Christian said in a statement. "I hope to guide and inspire the new talent on the rise."
Supermodel Karlie Kloss was also announced as the new host, as well as an executive producer, of Project Runway Wednesday, along with returning judge Elle editor-in-chief Nina Garcia and new judges fashion designer Brandon Maxwell and journalist and former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth.
Flowers Fit for a Princess at Windsor Castle
While every detail of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding ceremony was broadcast to 3 million people in the United Kingdom, their wedding reception was private, for family and friends only. Just the most basic details (like the evening party location, the Royal Lodge) were made public. The florals were created by Simon Lycett and Paul Thomas Flowers, using fall foliage and eco-friendly materials from Windsor Great Park.
All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer's (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It's there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara's key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world.
Tags: Madame Alexander, Alexander Doll Company, Forbes & Wallace, Cissy, Elise, Dumplin' Baby
Halloween 2018 - dolledition.com / 2017 "Boo-tifully Batty" Halloween doll by the Alexander Doll Company, "Tom Cat" by Steiff c. 1960
Halloween 2018 - dolledition.com
Halloween gives me an excuse to have some fun with the great American tradition of Halloween. Over several centuries, Halloween has morphed into a gentler tradition from what was the more sinister rituals and customs European immigrants brought with them to America.. Gradually, the themes shifted from a literal interpretation of death and the occult, to the more humorous take of todays holiday.
Originally a Celtic holiday, which marked the end of the harvest and the end of summer. Sometimes also regarded as the "Celtic New Year." Celts believed this was a very important day to celebrate, as this was the day when two worlds, the living and the dead, came together. Spirits were believed to be mischievous and caused trouble, sometimes damaging crops. So the Celts would leave food, gather together and set huge bonfires of burning crops, believing the light would drive away evil spirits away. Sometimes they lit candles or carved lanterns out of vegetables such as squash to light the way for good spirits. In the Americas, those lanterns would be carved out of pumpkins, also known as Jack O'Lanterns.
Halloween 2017 - dolledition.com / 1990 "Greenville Holiday Special" by the Alexander Doll Company
In the mid 1800s, nearly two million Irish immigrants fleeing potato famine helped shape Halloween into an even more widely celebrated event. Scottish immigrants celebrated with fireworks, telling ghost stories, playing games and making mischief. There were games such as bobbing for apples, dooking, the dropping of forks on apples without using hands, and Puicini, an Irish fortune-telling game using saucers.
By the 1900s, the focus had shifted from a religious holiday to a more communal celebration. "Guising" was actually a practice dating back to the middle ages, when the poor would go around asking for food or money. Borrowing from the English and Irish traditions, children adopted the practice of guising and would dress up in costumes. The English observation of Guy Fawkes Day on November 5 had also become intertwined with Halloween. Most pranks and mischief were the work of naughty children rather than spirits as once believed.
Halloween 2016 - dolledition.com / 1994 "Mr. & Mrs. Frankenstein" by the Alexander Doll Company, "Tom Cat" by Steiff c. 1960
The earliest known print of the words "Trick or Treat" did not occur until 1934, when a Portland, Oregon newspaper ran an article about how Halloween pranks kept local police officers on their toes. There would be sporadic instances of the phrase "Trick or Treat" used in the media during the 1930s, eventually making its way onto Halloween cards. But the practice we see today, children dressed in costume, going house to house saying "Trick or Treat" did not really come about until the mid 1940s. The popularity of Halloween has increased year after year. Television, movies, and other media outlets have helped Halloween grow into America's second largest commercial holiday.
Halloween 2014 - dolledition.com / 2012 "Bonesy" and 2011 "Franken Wendy" by the Alexander Doll Company, "Tom Cat" by Steiff c. 1960
The Alexander Doll Company has had a long tradition of dolls themed to the occasion, and the past few years I've taken one to feature on dolledition.com. Halloween, ghosts stories and ghost walks are all very popular where I live, so it's fun to get into the "spirit" of it all, with Madame Alexander as an extension of the festivities. In 2015, Dolls I designed for the Madame Alexander Fall Friendship Luncheons, the Littlest Ghosts of the Garden entered my life. The dolls and their spirit seem to always be weaving in and out of my thoughts as their journey continues (at least in my minds eye… or is it their doing?) Anyway, this time of year they seem anxious to explore and inquire, so I should sign off now - I've seen fireflies which can only mean there is mischief and mayhem to follow!
Littlest Ghosts of the Garden 2015 - Nichole, Nadia and Aidan and the fireflies for the 2015 MADC Fall Friendship Luncheons
hbo.com
Queen of the World
ALL NEW DOCUMENTARY BY HBO
Filmed with privileged access to The Queen, her family, her staff and her residences, this landmark documentary tells the story of how the Commonwealth has been a central focus and passion throughout Her Majesty's life.
Queen of the World features behind-the-scenes moments with The Queen and other members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Princess Anne; Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; and the Countess of Wessex.
FROM LEFT: Composition Princess Elizabeth,1937 - 24", 17", 14" / Composition Princess Elizabeth, 1937 - 17" / Hard Plastic Queen Elizabeth, 1954, 18" / Hard Plastic & Vinyl Queen Elizabeth (Elise), 1966, 17"
Queen Elizabeth has been one of the iconic personalities translated into dolls that has been used by the Alexander Doll Company. As the company grew and technology developed, Princess Elizabeth started as composition in the 30's and 40's, into hard plastic as Princess Elizabeth and as Queen Elizabeth in the 50's and hard plastic and vinyl when using Cissy, Elise and Jacqueline in the 50's & 60's. The 8 inch Wendy versions have also been extremely popular.
FROM LEFT: Hard Plastic & Vinyl Cissy / Queen Elizabeth 1955, 20" / Hard Plastic & Vinyl Cissy / Queen Elizabeth 1957, 20" / Hard Plastic & Vinyl Cissy / Queen Elizabeth 1959, 21" / Hard Plastic & Vinyl Cissy / Queen Elizabeth 1962, 21"
made.online
2018 FALL FRIENDSHIP LUNCHEONS OCTOBER 6 - 28
Tags: Madame Alexander, Madame Alexander Doll Club, Halloween, Littlest Ghosts of the Garden, Bruce A. deArmond, Alexander Doll Company
"Cissy" - the original mid-century fashion doll by Madame Alexander… introduced at 20 inches in 1955. "Cissy" was designed to wear the fashion of this intriguing era of fashion.
Fashion and the Fashion Doll
When "Cissy" was THE fashion doll, it was all about Dior. While other designers were doing beautiful work, Dior was the first to understand the importance of tying his fashion design into the media of the time. If he could create an ongoing story, the high value of that free press would help keep him and Dior front and center. At the same time, while other designers had done it first, he took the couture house tie-in of perfume, accessories, and cosmetics to a new level.
When "Cissy" came along in 1955, the world finally had a doll with the right proportions to wear mid-century fashions that were all about a particular set of feminine proportions. Part of "Cissy's" popularity is that she genuinely reflects this remarkable period of fashion. As both dolls and the fashion industry do, by 1959 change was in the air. Yves Saint Laurent had moved on from Dior in 1960 to establish what would eventually be a youthquake in fashion and popular culture. Other younger, or at least younger thinking designers would follow. "Barbie", again with the right proportions, would enter the market and wear this more youthful fashion better. "Cissy" did hang out until 1962, but those last couple of years were more about morphing into an extravagant portrait doll coming from the grandparents to an older girl who was not going to be playing dolls so much as following what Annette was wearing on TV in the Mickey Mouse Club.
Fast forward, and "Barbie" is still THE mass market fashion doll, but other smaller manufacturers have embraced fashion and the fashion doll for a passionate fashionista market willing to pay the price of lower quantities for high design. And the business of fashion has been in free fall for the past decade. Designers now come and go fast and furious, as fashion houses scramble to stay relevant. Karl Lagerfeld is the last of the Dior/YSL era designers working, and his replacement is popular fashion industry speculation. The biggest hiccup in the fashion industry to date for this year was the announcement that Michael Kors, now rebranded as Capris Holdings Limited, has bought Versace. One of the last of the independent fashion houses, Versace has been in decline ever since the loss of it's creator Gianni Versace.
Dior was the leader of the fashion pack until his death in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent took over before moving on to his on fashion house and opening the way to a fresh new look that would again sweep the fashion industry.
So, the fashion shows come at us fast and furious, fashion designers play musical chairs with their careers, and the high fashion business continues the buy outs and acquisitions that American department stores, banks, and airlines used to survive in their own changing business environment. The results tend to be bad for the consumer who now has little choice but except or decline these options.
The fashion doll is still alive and well, with more people doing their own thing and some of the brands doing smaller offerings that are well designed and geared to a demanding niche market that knows their fashion. Cissy continues her popularity with grace and charm and a reflection of the art and artistry of Madame Alexander and the Alexander Doll Company. Being a fashion doll means the winds of change will eventually put you on the clearance rack, but you could also become a fashion doll collectors meme.
"Barbies" surprise entrance in 1959 would make a huge impact in the world of the fashion doll very quickly. She would adapt and develop to become the iconic fashion doll she still is today.
Fashion dolls and the fashion industry are guaranteed to change. They both quickly show the impact of dwindling sales, and both respond by being discontinued.
Love, Cecile
Extreme and Extremely Original
Love, Cecile - a Movie of the Extremes of the Eccentric Cecile Beaton
Was Cecil Beaton, the photographer, artist, diarist and theatrical designer who chronicled, and was influenced by, several periods of artistic and social upheaval in the 20th century, the last dandy? The documentary, "Love, Cecil," directed with energy and affection by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, doesn't grapple with that question, and doesn't have to; almost 40 years after Beaton's 1980 death at age 76, no aesthete has come close to duplicating his output or his impact.
Narrated by Rupert Everett and enlivened by vivid swatches of Beaton's own prose, "Love, Cecil," after beginning with archival footage of a late-in-life television interview with the man, hews to a relatively straightforward linear chronology.
Cecile Beaton, was friend and photographer to equally extreme and eccentric American fashion designer Charles James. Some of the most iconic photos of James fashion was photographed by Cecile Beaton. The cover of "Charles James" Metropolitan Museum 2014 exhibition - Charles James: Beyond Fashion.
1955 Cissy by Madame Alexander wearing Charles James inspired gowns in the setting of this iconic Cecile Beaton fashion photo for a Charles James fashion layout.
Tags: Cissy, Barbie, Madame Alexander, Cecile Beaton, Charles James, Bruce A. deArmond, Christian Dior


Hacked data often ends up on the dark web, home to some well-known underground marketplaces, where it's then sold to the highest bidder.
For just a few dollars, you can buy a stolen debit card on the dark web in just a few clicks.
A new report by Intel-owned McAfee Labs sheds some light on the going rates for data that's been software-generated or stolen by hackers.
For as little as $5, you can buy a US software-generated payment card for almost untraceable purchases. The price depends on region, with some of the most expensive items coming from Europe. For a debit card with name, address, PIN number and Social Security data attached to it for extra validity, the cost can go up to anywhere between $30 and $45.
These marketplaces aren't difficult to find, nor are they closed-wall communities for the underground bourgeois. Almost every underground marketplace has a section dedicated to fraudulent items, and these often widely differ in price.
Some sellers will offer anything from login screen information to online payment service accounts with varying balances. The size of the balance will determine the cost of the data. For balances under $1,000, you can expect to pay between $20 and $50, the report says.
Other data, like login access, can sell for a premium -- particularly enterprise data, such as universities and businesses. These prices vary depending on the kind of stolen data that's up for grabs. The report highlighted one instance of a seller who claimed to have access to critical infrastructure by posting an alleged screenshot of a French hydroelectric generator.
Perhaps the most commonly sold items are access to online services, such as HBO Go and Marvel Unlimited, with claims of lifetime guarantees and costs under $10.
"As the commercial value of personal data grows, cybercriminals have long since built an economy selling stolen data to anybody with a computer browser and the means to pay," said Intel's Raj Samani.


Short rotation plantations (SRP) play a prominent role in the exploitation of energy wood. To create SRP, it is required to meet several requirements for the planting material of nurseries. Within the EU-funded project "ROD-PICKER", ttz Bremerhaven and its partners are developing a harvesting system that takes into account these criteria. The field tests of the prototype in real SRPs are scheduled to start next winter.
Bremerhaven, 27. November 2013. Harvesting plants is troublesome, especially when it comes to the production of cuttings. The rods required for this purpose have to be cut off, sorted, bundled and then packaged. The EU-funded project "ROD PICKER", in which ttz Bremerhaven participates as a research partner, is developing a harvesting system to automate this complex process. After the project partners identified all the necessary requirements and technical components, they have begun with its practical implementation. In February 2014 they'll send the harvesting system to short rotation fields to perform tests under real conditions.
"It is the multi-functionality, which characterizes the ROD PICKER system. The system is harvesting, sorting, bundling and packaging the rods which will be used for the production of cuttings for SRC. Therefore, the ROD PICKER system is – in comparison to the conventional harvesting methods - much more powerful, "says project manager Bárbara De Mena Pardo of ttz Bremerhaven. The level of automation in conventional methods is usually limited to the cutting off of the rods from the rest of the plant. But with the ROD-PICKER-system the elaborate manual sorting and packing of rods is eliminated.
The ROD - PICKER - harvesting system consists of several subsystems that can be customized and which are combinable in a modular and coordinated way. The subsystems are developed with the close cooperation of all project partners and were developed and technically implemented with a large compatibility to existing harvesting-systems. The system cuts the rods and then sorts them with the help of purpose-oriented camera and sensor technology. The precise sorting process takes into account both the length of the rods, which can be set as desired, as well as possible ramifications, the shape and diameter of the rods. Finally, the rods will be bundled depending on the variety and packaged in boxes.
The 7th The EU Framework Program funded project ROD - PICKER unites six partners from the fields of energy wood use. It started in October 2012 and will run for a period of two years.
CAD model of the ROD PICKER harvesting module with cutting unit, Top Cutter and conveyor unit.
Tractor during harvesting in a nursery for willows.
Harvested and bundled willow-rods for use as planting material.


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/ Horror
The Grudge Reboot
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Black Christmas Remake Director Sophia Takal Talks Making Horror Movies With a Message
By Patrick Cavanaugh - December 11, 2019 06:37 pm EST
In 1974, director Bob Clarke delivered audiences Black Christmas, exploring a group of sorority sisters who become the target of harassment and violent encounters for a mysterious reason, with the film going on to inspire the slasher craze that dominated the late '70s and '80s. The film earned a remake in 2006, which largely focused on recreating some of the original's narrative beats, while embracing a much more gruesome tone. Director Sophia Takal is unleashing her take on Black Christmas this weekend, which injects a sense of cultural urgency into the concept, while also making itself accessible to a younger audience.
In the film, Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. But as Riley Stone and her Mu Kappa Epsilon sisters — athlete Marty, rebel Kris, and foodie Jesse — prepare to deck the halls with a series of seasonal parties, a black-masked stalker begins killing sorority women one by one. As the body count rises, Riley and her squad start to question whether they can trust any man, including Marty's beta-male boyfriend, Nate, Riley's new crush Landon or even esteemed classics instructor Professor Gelson. Whoever the killer is, he's about to discover that this generation's young women aren't about to be anybody's victims.
ComicBook.com recently caught up with director Takal, who also co-wrote the script with April Wolfe, to discuss her approach to reviving the premise, the necessity of offering audiences more than an entertaining story, and its PG-13 rating
(Photo: Blumhouse/Rachel Luna/Getty Images)
ComicBook.com: The first project I saw you in was V/H/S back in 2012 and, while many people involved with it went on to do a number of other horror projects over the years, you gravitated towards other genres. What was it about doing New Year, New You for Blumhouse's Into the Dark series and now Black Christmas that brought you back to horror?
Sophia Takal: I do not consider the movie I made after V/H/S, Always Shine, to be a straight-ahead horror movie, but I think a lot of people took it as a psychological horror film, which it is, but it's definitely less straight-ahead horror.
I really love Blumhouse. I'm a fan of what they do, so the opportunity to work with a company that I think is making really interesting work in any genre, regardless of if it's horror or not, was an opportunity I was going to automatically say "yes" to.
One of the things that's so great about working with them is that they really trust their filmmakers and the vision of their filmmakers and the stories those filmmakers want to tell, and they helped make the best version of the movie I wanted to make possible. The opportunity to work with a bigger budget with a studio and on a much bigger scale than I've been able to do on my own with independent films, and still have that same support and independent way of thinking about movies, was really exciting to me.
There's no real reason to craft a remake merely to copy everything about it, so what was your approach to embracing the spirit of the Black Christmas while also offering a new perspective of the source material?
I was a really big fan of the original, I saw it about 10 years ago for the first time, and the primary thing that I loved about that movie was how well-drawn the female characters were and how, basically since that movie was made, at least growing up for me, the depiction of sorority sisters was just so flat and two-dimensional and judgmental. What struck me when I was watching the original was just, "Oh, these are real human beings who have real conflict with one another and who are smart and sassy and sharp and not just ditzes."
That was the first thing that was exciting to me, was the opportunity to make a horror movie with fully-realized female characters in a mainstream horror movie.
When Blumhouse asked if I wanted to remake this movie, I went back and rewatched the original movie and asked, "Well, what is its connection to now?" It was important to me to be able to answer the question: Why make this movie now? Why remake it now? Why take a movie that I consider to be so perfect and so fantastic, how do I move the conversation forward?
Watching it earlier this year, at the end of the movie, the main character, who's a woman who is fighting with her boyfriend because she wants to get an abortion so she can have a career — which, in the 1970s, was just so radical to be making a movie about in the first place — she kills her boyfriend, who you've come to think is a bad guy. Then after all the cops leave her alone, a man comes out of the shadow, a faceless man, and you realize that she didn't kill the right person and that the killer is still out there.
In 2019, that resonates for me as a metaphor for misogyny in general. In the #MeToo era and with Time's Up and all of these women and marginalized people's voices coming together to speak out against terrible things, I still had this very uneasy feeling that sexism was not something that could ever be fully eradicable. This was informed by the Brett Kavanaugh hearings and his confirmation and just feeling like, "Oh." It was like a replay of Clarence Thomas with the same results. People had spoken out against what Louis C.K. had done and then he started to do comedy shows again.
There was just this feeling of all these people who have engaged in predatory behavior coming out of the woodwork, so this idea that women can never feel fully safe or feel like the battle is totally won and that there's always going to be the bad thing out there was, for me, seeing the connection to the original movie, and that idea was the "why now?" for me, of remaking this movie.
In terms of the story that I took, I wanted to make a movie where the bad guy represented unkillable misogyny, in a way.
Was there any pushback from Blumhhouse about how overt those themes were, possibly asking you to tone those elements down to make it more accessible?
Blumhouse never pushed back on it. They were always totally, totally excited by what we were trying to do. This project came together really, really quickly. We didn't have a script in March of this year and now it's coming out in December. I think because of the fast timeline, we weren't able to second-guess ourselves.
April Wolfe, my co-writer, and I, were really tapped into this energy ... a little bit of rage, a little bit of, I don't want to say "excitement," but just energy, feeling galvanized in a community of other women. I'm trying to think of if ever on set I was just like, "Oh, are we going too far?" I never really did.
I was always really excited about the dialogue that this movie was going to create and, for me, the point of movies, especially horror movies, I think there's certainly a strain of horror movies that are mindless, but I think horror movies throughout history have been really political and sharp and are meant to provoke and are meant to entertain, first and foremost, but are also meant to bring a conversation to a community.
It was always really important to me to make a movie that would spark a dialogue and maybe make people feel a little uncomfortable, but also make some people feel less alone and use the art form and use the mass reach that a movie like this can have to entertain, to scare, to thrill, but also to make people think a little bit.
You previously did an interview about the film where you said you considered your take to be "fiercely feminist." While a lot of horror fans were thrilled with that approach, others expressed how they wanted their genre films to be devoid of political or cultural messages. Are you excited to see that the film is sparking these conversations ahead of release or is it more discouraging to see your artwork dismissed?
I want to speak honestly about this. Obviously it's discouraging to hear people dismiss something because there are ideas in it. I don't agree with the people who think that horror movies are inherently unpolitical. I don't think that they are. I think any move you make, there's something political about them, what you choose to tell, who you choose to make movies about, how you choose to tell the story. That's all political and personal.
I don't think it needs to be one or the other. I think a movie can be wildly entertaining, wildly scary, and still make you think about things. This idea of "I don't want to see a movie about that," there was something, I guess, I'd say disheartening, because it felt so closely tied into certain themes and the subject of the movie, too, of just people who don't feel comfortable absorbing a person's point of view that's maybe had a different experience than them and not wanting to be open to that.
I think a lot of this idea of space and marginalized people taking up space that some people feel is owed to them, like the guys in the frat house.
I want to also be very explicit that I don't consider this movie to be "anti-man" at all. There's plenty of good guys in the movie, but there's this frat house that is filled with a rapist and his enablers, it's a particular type of person who feels very entitled to basically owning everything and being in charge and the idea of other people coming in and speaking about their own experience is such a threat to them that there's a huge backlash and they're willing to go to these extreme measures to hold onto their power, which I feel is a reflection of what's going on in our society right now.
That dialogue reminded me of "I don't want to hear about women's experiences. I don't want a movie that 'shoves politics down your throat,'" but it's just that I'm talking about my own experience as a woman and what it's like to be a young woman right now. What I hope this movie will do is allow people who have gone through experiences, like the characters have, to feel safe to talk about it in their own communities, but also to talk about it with people who are different from them, as well. Maybe those people can engage in a non-defensive way and just hear about what it is to be a marginalized person in a space that they've been taught they're not allowed to have.
There were definitely a lot of ugly things being said, so I appreciate getting your take on it.
I was also really galvanized by all of the people. It was really exciting to see all of these people, for lack of a better word, sticking up for us and for the movie and for what the movie was trying to do and how it's really exciting that we've been given this opportunity to feel like there was a community of men and women who were largely opposed to this idea that horror shouldn't be political or that a movie like this shouldn't exist, was really heartening.
Fans were also concerned that your film earned a PG-13 rating, with some claiming that slasher movies couldn't be effective without an R rating. Do you think the final cut of the film is absent of anything you really wanted to accomplish?
No, I actually really don't. What's really interesting about the original is the reason it's rated R is not because of violence, it's really more because of language and sexual themes.
When April said, "We shot it with an R in mind," I think it was because we had always wanted it to be a movie that would appeal to young women and it was always really important to me that the violence didn't feel exploitative or that there was anything titillating or sexually exciting about women dying. That was always my idea when shooting the kills. That also is, again, the kills in the original Black Christmas, they're super creative and not particularly explicit or gory. That's something I love about the movie, so I wanted to honor that.
The reason we thought it might be R is because the main character's been sexually assaulted and there's, at least in my brain, this idea that the MPAA rates movies about female sexuality in a harsh way. I think we were always bracing ourselves for the MPAA coming back and being like, "You can't make a movie about this topic and have it be PG-13," but then it ended up not being true. The MPAA was fine with it being a PG-13 movie with those topics.
I was always pretty clear that that was the stuff that I don't want to file down or cut the teeth out of, or whatever the expression is. That was the stuff that was important to me, to make a movie that honored a woman's experience of sexual assault in an unambiguous way.
Then, with the violence, it's just my opinion, but I don't like the 2006 version of Black Christmas. I can see how people have fun with that movie, but I don't find the gross-out gore of those kinds of movies that scary. As a woman watching movies and as an actor acting in horror movies, I've always been very aware of how women can just feel bad watching a movie like that. I wanted to make a movie that young women and women of all ages would not walk away feeling like their bodies were disposable.
I had to lose some "fucks." There were a couple of shots that I was surprised weren't allowed that I would've loved to have had, but I don't feel that it changed the tone or how scary the movie is to have to go to PG-13. It was always something we really wanted to do, to make a movie that could appeal to young people, because it's about what it is to be young right now in such a complicated time. It made sense to make a movie for the people that it's about.
Black Christmas lands in theaters this Friday.
Image courtesy of Blumhouse/Rachel Luna/Getty Images
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