Doll's Eye View: London Fall '13

London Fashion Week is a smaller event as compared to that of New York and Paris; nonetheless, it is the place where industry professionals go for their cutting edge fix. Here is where the designer tells a story, mixing art and fantasy into the garments. Though these clothes are not always commercial, ideas are plentiful and as a result, more conservative markets tend to reinterpret key details and color palettes into mass market gear.

Admittedly, we're having fun Photoshopping our "girls" onto the top runways of the world. However, when you are viewing these or other photos from the catwalk shows keep in mind the nature of the fabrics as well as the stiffness and proportions of the doll will force you to make a few compromises. The 11-1/2 inch doll does not have enough volumne for fabric to fall into supple drapes and folds.  If the fabric has enough body to hang well, usually it is too bulky for the doll. And if it is super thin, the garment won't, as a rule, hang as desired.

In the photo at the top, the doll's coat and pants are cut from crepe. The pants are unlined and hang perfectly. However, I used the same fabric for the coat and thus created a number of challenges. First, the fabric is somewhat bulky, making it look more structured and less fluid as is the case for the "real" garment apprearing in Jean-Pierre Braganza's collection (to her left). The fabric frayed something terrible, forcing me to do something I try to avoid.....lining the coat. Even when cut from china silk, the extra layer adds to the bulk. Lapels will NEVER lay down by themselves. They have to be tacked in place. In spite of these issues, however, the doll version of this garment remains as chic and timely as the catwalk garment!!! At the very least....your plastic fashionista is NOT dressed as a doll.

 

Again, the key to making it all work is to be inspired and simplify, simplify, simplify!!!!

 

 

Photos: © Fashion Doll Stylist 2013. Please do not reproduce without prior permission.