When Puppets Rock the Catwalk...

While the girls are busy finishing up after a brief stint at New York fashion week, we received news from our overseas crew about a eye popping event in the Italian fashion capital of Milan. Instead of an in-person catwalk show, Moschino, a house known for its edgy and tongue-in-cheek fashions, presented their Spring Summer 2021 collection on puppets instead of humans! Some 40 looks were "walked" by a cabine of 30-inch (75cm) puppets within a setting resembling the hush interiors of an haute couture salon. When Jeremy Scott, the American born, artistic director of the Italian house realized an in-person show would be a challenge during an ever persistent pandemic, he decided to take a more whimsical route by staging a puppet show instead. “The best thing I could do for everyone who is stressed about the election, the pandemic, social unrest, and the future was to give the gift of fantasy and take us away from all of it for a few minutes; let us enjoy this little fashion world of ours,” Scott explained in a recent interview. Inspired by Dior's iconic "Theatre de la Mode," the services of Jim Henson's "Creature Shop" (the artists responsible for the renowned Muppets) were retained. They created "models' fashioned after the designer's favorite girls and an assortment of other figurines representing prominent editors seated in the front row. As for the clothes themselves, each one is an exact replica of a full scale garment designed for humans. Every fabric, every accessory, every detail of the life size garments had to be scaled down to fit the bodies of the marionettes. 

Photo: Moschino.com

To give you an idea of scale. Photo: Moschino.com

In an interview (click on the link to view) with CNN Style, Jeremy Scott provides a glimpse behind the scenes and describes what it was like to bring his puppet show to life. 

The full setting was created right down to the editors seated in the front row. Photo: Moschino.com

Though me and the girls have not yet begun our fashion reports for the Spring/Summer 2021 season, we all agreed to share this show with our friends immediately. Inasmuch as these miniature clothes are already shown on half-scale dolls, I have decided to let you savor them as presented in lieu of replicating any of them myself. So sit back, relax, pour yourself a glass of champagne or a cup of tea and enjoy a puppet show like you've never seen before. Afterwards, you can take your time and peruse each outfit as I have posted all of the still photos below. 

Video and photos: Moschino

There's even a puppet of the designer who takes his bow after the show! Photo: Moschino

All photos and video courtesy of Moschino

We'll be back shortly with a Doll's Eye View of New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2021.

The Notorious LBD

After all of the fancy clothes I've made over the years, you're probably looking at this my opening photo wondering....what happened? Why is she going backwards? There is a rather "special" fashion month taking place right now. So far the girls are not impressed. What we can say right now is that times have changed. Seriously impacted by the pandemic, fashion professionals are noticing a seismic shift in wardrobe needs and desires. It appears that as a society, we are shifting away from the fancy gowns, the suits and other complicated gear in favor of simplicity and comfort. Consequently the challenge now is figuring out where to go from here.  So we thought it was the perfect time to pause and go back to basics with.....the eternal, the iconic, the timeless.....little black dress (LBD). 

Mattel's Barbie Basics: Little Black Dress Collection 001

Though I've made an abundance of black dresses for my ladies, at this point in time, I wanted to return to the simplest, most basic dress. Inspired by the original Barbie Model Muse Little Black Dress dolls, it remains the core value of my collection and a marker of where many of our collections began. Consider this as a way to "cleanse the palette" while we wait on the new "main dish." Personally, I like to put my girls in these dresses while they await their next modeling assignment or in between seasons while I am figuring out how to redress them. 

So what exactly is a "little black dress" and why is it so special? Simply put, the little black dress serves as a sort of canvas for everything that goes on top from coats, jackets to belts, jewelry and shawls. By itself, it is nothing all that special. But on the other hand, we can create our own personal fashion by layering on a mix and match of things we already have on hand. And while you can make any of these basic dresses in the color or print of your choice, I've stuck with black because--as I've discovered in my own social life-- it is a chic color that goes anywhere, everywhere, all the time.

Of course, for this project, I was inspired by my Barbie's original dresses. Chic, simple and very well made, these are some of my favorites. I have examined them for hours on end trying to figure out exactly why I love them so. One thing I've noticed was how simply they are constructed. Where possible, the shoulder seam has been eliminated which means less bulk and a better fit at an crucial spot. Also, it condenses everything into a single pattern piece which makes each dress, faster to put together.

For this project you will need a set of jersey knit slopers and some 2-way stretch jersey fabric. For the tutorial on how to make the knit sloper for you doll, you can look HERE or see the video HERE. The concept is pretty simple. We take the basic slopers and align them along the shoulder. You can change the neckline to anything you want. Or even add a sleeve if you choose.

1. Take the front sloper and trace a mirror image on the other side of the CF line to create full front sloper. At this point, you can also elongate the sloper to create the desired dress length. Make a second back sloper.

2. Line up the 2 back slopers at the shoulder line of the front. If you want to change the neckline, this is a good time to do so and by doing it on the flat, this will assure the front will match up with the back.

3. For my pattern, I cut deep armholes around the shoulders into a "halter neck" effect. Add seam allowance. Cut out your pattern from a single layer of jersey. 

4. Turn down the edges along the armholes and neckline and stitch or fabric glue.

This is the dress this pattern create. But if I stick to the original sloper and then add a sleeve, this is the result:

The set in sleeve has a more classic, structured look. But we can also make a dress with a dolman sleeve where the shoulder line is softer and we remain with a single pattern piece.

1. Again, we begin with the basic slopers aligned along the shoulder line. Take the sleeve sloper and align it so that the center line follows the line and direction of the shoulder line.

2. Here, I've used a ruler to show how the sleeve follows the line of the bodice shoulder line.

3. Underneath the armhole, make a curve line (shown in red here) to join the sleeve to both the front and back bodice slopers.

4. Cut the dress out in fabric. Turn under the neckline as well as the hems of both sleeves.

5. Fold over the dress and sew.

6. This pattern yields this dress.

We can also do other things with the sloper such as incorporate shirring on one side. In fact, this is one of my favorite Barbie LBD dresses!

1. This starts with the full front sloper. 

2. Mark one side of the waist with a dot. And on the other side, mark with dots where you want to incorporate fabric that will be shirred back in place. 

3. Cut this pattern piece out and slash.

4. Trace the external edges to create your pattern. But make marks as to where the gathers will be. That corresponds to the area on one side where you have slashed.

5. Add seam allowance. Be sure to transfer the gathering marks on the front sloper so you know exactly the area to be shirred. 

6. Finish the neckline and armhole edges. Fold the dress over at the shoulder and pin the sides in place. The one side will fit perfectly, the other side will need to be gathered in between the marks you made so that it fits perfectly with the back of the dress.

All by itself, this dress makes for a lovely little black dress for cocktail wear! Does the little black dress always have to be cut close to the body? I decided I'd loosen things up a bit for the girls by making a tent dress. You really don't need a jersey for this, but a soft jersey will make the dress swing over the body just right!

Same concept, different silhouette. I've added sleeves. You can leave them out! If this is all too complicated for you, there are simpler options. 

This is as easy as making a T-shirt and it has no back closure. It works only if you are working with a quality jersey and if the neckline is wide enough for the doll's body to wiggle through the neckline!

I made this using the basic full front sloper, except that I raised the shoulder line so that it is horizontal (not slanted). The front and the back slopers are equal. The neckline is cut deep enough in the front and the back. After cutting it out, all you need to do is to turn down the edges and slide it right on the doll!

And here's the easiest of easy that doesn't even need a pattern. The sarong!

This is a rectangle of jersey fabric measuring roughly 8 1/2" wide by 5 1/2" long. The rectangle is wrapped from the back, under the arms and across the body, ending up at the back of the neck. I added a snap on each of the upper corners. All you need from there is a belt!

There is one drawback to 1-piece patterns. Their odd shapes take up a lot of space on the fabric which could result in a bit of waste. So I highly recommend cutting out several at a time. Play around with the layout of the pattern pieces on the fabric. What I've done here was to play around with the layout, then chalk the patterns down directly on the fabric. Yes, the lines look fuzzy, but you should look at the straight line created by the chalk at the edge of the paper pattern and cut along that line. This is not a necessary step, but I did this because the jersey often moves around if the paper pattern is simply pinned to it.

So now that we have our little black dresses....let the show begin! Let that inner stylist take over.  Have fun by mixing and matching other pieces in your dolls' wardrobes along with  all the boots, shoes, hats and jewelry you've been collecting! To get you started, here are a few ideas!

Note: For this post, I did not include the strapless dress or 1-shouldered dress. For the tutorial on how to create those from the jersey knit sloper as well as others that make for really nice little black dresses, be sure to check out:

String Theory

Basic Instincts

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Shrug It Off!

While we wait to see what direction fashion will eventually take, I thought I'd go the accessories route and update the look of a few' outfits with the help of a shrug. A shrug is like a micro jacket, originally designed to cover only the shoulders and arms, it was worn over a fancy nightgown as a woman received guests in her bedroom. But since the 1930's when this was immensely popular, this simple little garment has come a long way as a fashion accessory. There are shrugs for day and shrugs for eveningwear. It can be as fancy or as understated as your choosing.....like the velvet sheath with matching shrug pictured below.

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For my dolls, I have a super simple method for making shrug. It's as easy as taking a rectangular piece of fabric and creating a horizontal tube leaving the end and the middle open. 

For Sybille, a Fashion Royalty doll, I cut a piece of stretch velvet that is 1-1/2" (4cm) long by the length of her outstretched arms--which is 10" (25cm) wide. Fold in half with the wrong side facing you and stitch, leaving the area from shoulder to shoulder free. Turn right side out and put the doll's arms through each end of the tube. Voila!

While stretch fabric is ideally suited for this, you can also use woven fabric.

Inspired by an outfit from the designer Ronk (Spring/Summer 2020), I made this outfit from a piece of my dad's worn out plaid pajama top. The rectangle here is 2-1/2" (7cm) long by 10" (25cm) wide. I hemmed each end before creating my tube. Since Gloria, an SIS Barbie, doesn't have a body where the hands can be removed, my tube had to be a little wider at the ends. However, you can create a "cuff" of sorts by making a 1/2" (1cm) stitch perpendicular to the hem near the doll's wrist. Fold over and close with a snap. Before securing the snap to each sleeve, check to make sure her hands can pass through the end.

Now...hold that thought and let's make a very fancy version of this.

This is exactly the same shrug as the first two, but this time, it has been embellished!

I started out with this dress inspired by British designer, J. Mendel (S/S2020). It's indigo blue silk made to ressemble jeans. The dress is simple: fitted, strapless bodice over a circle skirt. It is embroidered with beaded motifs cut from swatch of embroidered lace. To make this I began with a foundation....a tube cut from silver tulle. The tulle stretches. So it will be just like working with a stretch fabric.

1. Make a tube as described at the top of this page. Here, I've folded my rectangle horizontally, stitched it up being careful to leave the middle (from shoulder to shoulder) free, as well as the ends open. 

2. When cutting this out you want to use the direction of the tulle that stretches for the horizontal direction of your shrug. Like that it will lay over the back of the neck smoothly and it will facilitate getting the doll's arms in and out of the garment.

3. Turn to the back. As you have noticed with the previous shrugs, the back swings away from the body. In this case, I want to control that by removing the excess. I pin this down from each shoulder point and hand stitch in place. 

4. Now, the real work begins. You can do whatever you want. What I've done is to cut small motifs from a fancy piece of beaded lace, then pin it in place over my shrug foundation. 

5. Continue adding more pieces of lace or....add a few beads or sequins to fill the bare spots or to cover the stitches.

6. Work in the round. That is to say, keep turning the shrug around to check for balance. 

7. And don't forget to think about the back! Here, I've cut a bit of embroidered lace from another swatch. The fun part for me was actually assembling this as if it were a collage of sorts. I used the edge of a piece a lace to the edges of my shrug and the hems of my sleeves.

And Voila!! Here's Denise showing off the front, side and back.... My shrug is like a piece of jewelry adding to the total look!

Now, let's take this back to the lingerie roots. Awhile back, I did a post on slip dresses. All by themselves they are quite lovely. But Kym wanted a little top for her dress. So I took the same 1-1/2" navy lace trim I used for the dress, and made a matching shrug.

You could keep this quite simple, but Kym wanted something a bit fancier.... something with ruffles. 

1. Technically, this is the same tube as before....except I am making this right on the doll. The width of the shrug is the same as the doll with her arms stretched straight out. 

2. Fold the lace over her arms, front over back and hand stitch.

3. The back will flare out at the shoulders. 

4. Create a dart from the hem upwards to get ride of the excess on both sides of the back at the shoulder joint.

5. The front should look like this. 

6. You could really stop here if you wanted something understated and discreet! But Kym insisted on something fancier!

7. Take a separate length of trim and gather enough to fit from the two front shoulder points.

8. Pin in place and adjust as needed. Cut and gather a little more lace to attach to the hem of the sleeves.

If you look up shrugs on Pinterest, there is also something else that appears. Personally I see these as glorified shawls with the exception that they have a tad bit of structure. But since they are easy to make and serves the same purpose as the classic shrug, I have included them here. 

In keeping with the lingerie look, here's another slip dress I made for Janice, a Model Muse Barbie. Janice wanted something pretty and frilly so I pulled out the a length of black lace trim. 

This is simply a piece of lace with a running stitch down the middle and gathered into ruffles. Put this on the doll and adjust the ruffles so that her shrug wraps around her and meets at center front. Take a length of ribbon which is the length of the ruffle plus enough extra to tie into a bow in the front and stitch it over the center of the gathers.

This idea of a ruffle can be exploited into something quite creative and grandiose like Laetia's fluffy, lime green "shrug."

This, again, starts out as a tube made from a rectangle of polyester organza. The edges have been melted with a flame. After turning the tube right side out, I keep the seam in the middle, then gather along that line. Adjust so that it wraps around the doll. You can use a ribbon, or, in this case, a strip of organza that is stitched down over the gathers in the middle and tie in the front.

My preference, however, remains with something more discreet. A wispy little tulle shrug that discretely adds a touch of glamour over the shoulders of a little black dress.

1. Start off with a rectangle of tulle, organza, chiffon or the sheer fabric of your choice. The rectangle should be a little longer than its width. For example, this one here is 7" wide and 8" long. If you want less gathers you can reduce the length. Pay attention to the direction of the stretch. I found that, in this case, you don't want this garment to stretch horizontally because it tends to do funny things over the shoulders when you put it on the doll. Make gathering stitches along each side of this rectangle.

2. Gather the edges tightly.

3. Stabilize the gathers by sewing and wrapping each edge with a few more stitches.

4. Take a 1" (2cm) piece of polyester ribbon and melt the edges. Fold in half over each edge and stitch down. I did this to keep things as bulk free as possible. You can now add a snap or a hook and eye.

5. For the embellishment, you can use anything you want...a ribbon, rhinestone, a pouf of tulle or, in the case of Anna...one of the silk roses we made on our last project! 

Anna's best friend, Veronique opted for the shrug with the satin ribbon!

I'll close with one last variation. A reversible, day to night shawl-shrug. Denim on one side, silk brocade on the other!

Inspired by a Haider Ackermann jacket with a big draped collar I made a few years ago, I decided to make a shawl-shrug that would have a similar finished look, but could be removed. I chose this fitted denim jacket over a matching silk flared skirt I found in Margot's closet.

1. The rectangle should be wider than the doll's shoulders because you want to add tucks and twists. I chose to line this garment with a contrasting silk brocade that peaks through at the edges. Right side to right side with the wrong side facing you, stitch the two fabrics together, leaving an opening so that you can turn it right side out.

2. Turn right side out. Stitch the opening and press flat.

3. For each side, create a series of soft pleats but stagger them so that it will lay fairly flat. 

4. Stitch the pleats together using a slip stitch so that they remain as invisible as possible. 

5. Lay the top over the bottom in the front and pin.

6. With the front pinned in place, create a series of soft pleats and tucks until the shawl fits the doll. 

7. Again, tack each tuck and pleat, being careful that the stitches remain out of sight.

8. Go back to the front and after determining exactly how the front edges will overlap each other, place a small pin to indicate where you need to sew a snap or hook and eye.

9. When it's all done, it should look almost effortless.

Remember, I said I wanted this shawl-shrug to be reversible! After all, that's why I chose a silk brocade for the reverse side. 

Turn the shawl, to the reverse side. Turn upside down and plan the over lap of the front edges. Plan where you will sew the hook and eye. Try to position everything so that the closure you have for each side does not show. Here, Denise shows the same shawl-shrug over a little beige silk slip-dress.

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