Today, we celebrate our eighth year in the blogosphere. And given the past year we all experienced, I must say, I am happy to be here and in good health! Shortly before I was due to return to Paris, Covid hit and all the borders slammed shut, shuttering me thousands of miles away in the US with my dad. With everything closed down, suddenly the live catwalk shows were halted, the red carpet glamour events were called off. There were no chic Parisians strolling down the streets, no exhibitions, galleries or social gatherings. Fabric stores and craft shops were shuttered as they were not considered essential businesses. Moreover, me and my ladies found ourselves in a city where there are no gawk-worthy store windows to provide the necessary inspiration to keep the fashion internal organs beating. By the time local stores and businesses began to reopen, fashion as we knew it, had all but been replaced with home bound comfort clothes, pajamas, sweatshirts, jog pants and house slippers. Of course, there is always the vast fashion archives on Pinterest... but suddenly everything I have loved about fashion seemed so…..irrelevant.
Though my dolls have helped me weather the challenge of ultimate isolation, the doll world had its own issues. Integrity Toys, my favorite doll company, experienced delays in getting new divas to market. On EBay, my other go-to place, prices (whether set by sellers or overbid by buyers) have become outrageously expensive for everything from heads and used bodies to 10 year old dolls! So I have taken a pause with my collection with the exception of a few new models who rushed in to join our clan before our doors shut.
Alva (Lady Aurelia Grey), Nicki (Afterglow Keeki Adaeze), Khadija (Sweet Venom Jourdan Vidale), Jean-Marc (Art of Manliness Darius Reid)
Last year, the lack of inspiration sources resulted in fewer posts. I struggled to produce 27 last year which included the fashion reports and a couple of links to high fashion videos. The tutorials we did were pretty extensive and well received. We revisited one of our favorite iconic fashion staples....the little black dress-- this time created using a single pattern piece. Since it was 2020, we had fun revisiting last century's roaring 20's with our own rendition of the Flapper dress. Before the ooo's and ahhhs subsided, we pivoted to bustle gowns including a tutorial on how to create Moschino's mini bustle dress!
And so the girls wouldn't feel left out, we made sneakers for those with flat feet as well as those ladies still walking on their toes!
Love to all of you,
April and her girls (and guys)
Happy Blogoversary! Well, 27 posts are a lot of posts, its over 2 posts per month. I just wrote 18 posts in 2020 and I was quite happy with it. I think you've covered a lot of ground this year, despite the lack of insipiration, you must be very happy.
ReplyDeleteHope you don't loose the interest in blogging, despite the lack of inspiration and the many annoying changes Blogger seems to be making. Here's to many more years of doll size fashions.
Big hugs!
Thank you so much for your well wishes, MC. I don't feel too bad about only having posted 27 times because, my posts have become quite long and involved! I suppose I could do more shorter ones, but it seems that when I get started and begin to see "all the possibilities," it's hard to stop. In any case, I hope to continue on with this blog as it has become my main source of distraction and...my girls always need new clothes! LOL!!! Big hugs.
DeleteIt has been such a tough year for everyone, particularly for my friends in the USA, and I have been watching the COVID and political situation there with great sadness and horror, but really no one has escaped the inquisition, so to speak (for those of you unfamiliar with British comedy that's from Monty Python).
ReplyDeleteHowever, onwards and upwards. It does indeed seem like the bottom has fallen out of the fashion industry, but I have noticed something - a greater appreciation of sustainable fashion and recycling. I'm a big fan of recycling, one reason being that Australia has a pretty small population and I can't get the huge range of fabrics available in say the UK, Europe or the USA, and I've been used to shopping on-line for all kinds of fabric and visiting opp shops to use recycled fabric for a long time.
The other thing I did was look at historical clothing (which I do anyway but more intensely last year), and really look at some of my fashion art books, like Victor and Rolf, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Dior, as well as the bad boys like John Galliano (bit messed up but kick arse designer). I have learnt a lot about construction trying to copy historical clothing, anywhere from ancient Roman dress to modern haute couture.
The other thing I did was buy some really good colour pencils and worked out some tradition American quilt patterns, I just love them. The whole point of these quilts originally was to recycle and save fabric when the Americans couldn't get imported fabric due to the English blockade, which resulted in the most amazing and complicated designs.
Long comment but I really enjoy this blog, and I think fashion will always survive but perhaps it might benefit from last year's horror and be different, and hopefully more sustainable.
Jools, thank you so much for this comment. I really enjoy reading about your own sources of inspiration and the many things you are into. I do know your work and it is really breathtaking. I do so admire those of you who tend to the tiniest of details in your work which I know that historical costume can bring. On this scale, I've been more attracted by the flash and dash of the latest catwalk shows. Though secretly, I'd love to slow down and work on such details and precision. It is so different from working full scale and even with full scale, it's been such a long time since I've made human clothing. I sometimes find things I made for my mom, many years ago and am amazed at how well made they are. With 1/6 scale, sometimes it's like a bull, making a dress in a China shop. LOL! I do so miss the fabric district of Paris. There are a few shops where I can get scraps of leather, interesting trims and even small sample lengths of couture fabric. (I really hope those places are still in business!) That said, where I can, I've been cutting up old clothing. It's also a nice way to remember my mom!
DeleteI am really flattered that you come to visit and enjoy what you see. I remain happy to be alive and present in such a fun, loving dolly community. Thank you for stopping by, my friend.
Thank you! You add a huge amount of inspiration and help to the doll community.
DeleteHi April, thank you for this new post.
ReplyDeleteJ’aime lire les rétrospectives qu’on fait chacun de notre côté. Et c’est vrai qu’avec l’année 2020, on a plus recentré nos priorités et nos valeurs. Qu’est-ce qui est plus important dans nos vies. Mais je dois reconnaître pour tous ceux qui font de la couture, que grâce à cet aspect artistique, même si qu’on est moins inspiré, on a pu se changer les idées.... car beaucoup sombrent dans la dépression actuellement.
Ce que je fais, dès qu’une idée de vêtements me vient en tête, je note sur un papier, et des fois j’ai plusieurs idées, je note tout sur un papier et je m’oblige à créer chacune de mes idées dans l’ordre qu’elles me sont venus en tête. C’est tout un défi, car des fois j’ai envie de sauter une idée et je me dis : non, je dois créer ce vêtement avant de passer à l’idée suivante.
Cela m’a beaucoup aidé durant cette période spéciale.
Je te remercie ton commentaire si gentil. Shasarignis wrote:
DeleteI like to read the retrospectives that we each do on our own. And it is true that with the year 2020, we have refocused our priorities and our values. What is most important in our lives. But I have to admit for all those who sew, that thanks to this artistic aspect, even if we are less inspired, we were able to take our minds off ... because many are now sinking into depression.
What I do, as soon as an idea for clothes comes to my mind, I write down on a piece of paper, and sometimes I have several ideas, I write everything down on a piece of paper and I force myself to create each of my ideas in the order they came to mind. It's quite a challenge, because sometimes I just want to skip an idea and think to myself: no, I have to create this garment before I move on to the next idea.
It has helped me a lot during this special time.
Thank you so much for your friendship and support Shasarignis and thank you for sharing your ideas for coping in this very special time. The one thing that brings us all together....dolls! And it is most interesting to see how these little 12" divas can work their magic to distract us for what are challenging times. I too, like to look back and reflect on what happened the past year and what I hope for in the months ahead. If nothing else, it helps keep everything in perspective. Not to worry though, I won't be giving up this blog or my dolls anytime soon. There may not be as many posts as before, but I guarantee you, each one I put up, will be done with a lot of joy and fun! Thank you for your kind words and continued support.
Happy Anniversary! I wish you many more years with dolls and fashion. I hope you will continue to post new entries because I really can't imagine our community without you, April. :)
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely sure that you will find inspiration and make hundrets of new things that will amaze us.
Thank you so much, Kamelia, for your friendship and continued support. It is really good being in such a loyal, passionate, and talented circle of dolly friends. I promise to keep looking for new and fun things to do in the year to come. Big dolly hugs to you, my friend.
DeleteCongratulations, my dear.
ReplyDelete2020 was a difficult year for everyone. we managed to survive it thanks to our hobby. We can escape to the world of dolls and be happy there.
I wish you many more great years in the blogosphere and many great ideas.
Thank you my dearest Dlubaniny for your well wishes. Yes, we are very blessed to be able to escape the harsh reality of our current times and retreat to the world of dolls. I am so happy to be surrounded by such good friends such as yourself. I'm still planning to be be here for the time being and beyond. Thank you for being my friend.
DeleteNajlepsze życzenia z okazji 8 Rocznicy! To wspaniały okres czasu! Twoje lalki, Twoje projekty i tutoriale zawsze były, i nadal są, fantastyczne! Nie wyobrażam sobie blogosfery bez Ciebie! Dajesz mnóstwo radości nam wszystkim!
ReplyDeletePowodzenia, April_n_paris ♥
Olla wrote: Happy 8th Anniversary! It's a great time! Your dolls, your projects and tutorials have always been, and still are, fantastic! I can't imagine the blogosphere without you! You give a lot of joy to all of us!
DeleteGood luck, April_Paris
Thank you so much for your well wishes and kind words, Olla. I am so happy to be part of such a wonderful community of doll collectors and designers. And I am happy you enjoy my blog as much as I enjoy putting this all together. Thank you for your continued support and friendship.
Thank you, Linda. It's good to know this is a place you enjoy as much as I enjoy putting these posts together. As long as all of you are still there..I'll be here. It's so great to be part of such a passionate, fun-loving doll community. Thanks for taking this ride with me.
ReplyDeleteOh I love this! You always have the best posts and so helpful! I just adore your blog
ReplyDelete