#fashiondoll

Stuart Holbrook president of Theriault’s Auction House joins The Doll Podcast host Louisa Maxwell to  discuss  rare dolls by Austrian artist Lilli Baitz from the collection of Rosalie Whyel.  Rosalie Whyel founded of the award winning Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art in Seattle Washington . Stuart tells the story of this major collection of Lilli Baitz dolls and how Rosalie Whyel preserved these dolls for future generations to enjoy.

Austrian artist Lilli Baitz trained in art schools in Florence, Munich and Vienna. She established her studio in Berlin with her husband Roman in 1909. Lilli Baitz created beautifully costumed and sculpted dolls and figures dressed in costumes depicting traditional Austrian dress. She also sculpted languid boudoir dolls and capturing the likeness of stage and screen stars like Mary Pickford, Ellen Terry and Lilly Langtree. 
 
 Lilli and Roman’s company  was renowned for their dolls and elaborate Christmas landscapes and magical fairy tale scenes. They soon attracted the attention of major department stores throughout Europe and the USA. They worked on projects for Metro Goldwyn-Mayer studios producing figures of stars such as Laurel and Hardy and Mary Pickford for film promotions in Europe.

Madame Alexander had a dream to educate through dolls and 100 years later, Madame’s legacy is still inspiring new generations of children.   Designer and author Bruce A. de Armond joins host Louisa Maxwell to discuss the life and work of Beatrice Alexander. 
 
 Madame was born Bertha (Beatrice) Alexander, in New York’s lower East side where her father had a doll shop and hospital. Beatrice trained and worked as a bookkeeper but the advent of World War One and a shortage of the supply of dolls from Europe inspired Beatrice and sisters to create their own cloth dolls. The success of the cloth dolls persuaded Beatrice to launch the Alexander Doll company in 1923 and began her legendary collaboration with toy store FAO Schwarz in New York. 

Beatrice styled herself as “Madame “ Alexander capitalising on her European roots to give an aura of glamour to the brand. Madame Alexander had vision as a designer and as a business person. She negotiated a variety of licensed deals to make dolls in the likenesses of Hollywood stars: Jane Withers, Judy Garland, Sonja Henie, Carmen Miranda and Scarlett O’Hara. 

She launched the chic fashion doll Cissy who gained world wide recognition as the face of British beauty brand Yardley. Now in 2023, a century later, Madame Alexander’s dolls are still celebrated and collected as they appeal, not only to doll collectors but to lovers of film and pop culture. 

Bruce A. de Armond is an interior designer  with an international portfolio creating signature styes for hotels, casinos and department stores. Bruce combines his interests in art, dolls and fashion by working with museum collections, auction houses, and contributing to books on vintage dolls. Bruce A. deArmond’s blog dolledition.com explores the ever evolving story of dolls and fashion. 

Valerie Fogel joins host Louisa Maxwell to explore the history of  Maison Huret,  famous for creating luxury French fashion dolls with the finest fashions and accessories. In 1844 Mademoiselle Calixté Huret was inspired to create a doll with an idealised view of a young lady with an elaborate lifestyle. Calixté worked with her sister Leopoldine creating a family business that celebrated innovation, in the art of the doll.

 Valerie Fogel has loved dolls since her father brought them home from every port when she was a small child.  As her collection and knowledge grew, so has her fascination for historic dolls from Europe. Valerie has lectured at The United Federation of Doll Clubs and received awards from them for her work to  advance the the goals of preservation, education and study of dolls. Valerie  contributes‘ The UFDC’s publication Doll News’, and Antique Doll Collector  Magazine. She is also recognised by the National Art and Antique Dealers Association and is the owner of Beautiful Bébés Antique Dolls.

https://www.dollpodcast.com/podcasts

Award winning artist and illustrator Mel Odom joins host Louisa Maxwell on The Doll Podcast.

Mel Odom’s work  has graced magazine covers for: Time, Omni, The New York Times , Rolling Stone, Blue Boy and Play Boy. He has created artwork for numerous best selling books and album  covers for CBS records. 

Mel’s art deco influenced portraits are reminiscent of dramatically lit Hollywood film stills, his love of film and beauty inspired him to make a doll, Gene Marshall, a fashion doll and star of stage and screen. 

In our interview Mel reveals the films and stars that gave him inspiration for Gene and her career. He also shares memories of his best friend and real life MGM Movie Star, Marsha Hunt and the doll he made in her likeness to honour her.

It was a drawing of a beautiful face that inspired Mel Odom to create Gene Marshall, a movie star of  Hollywood’s golden age of the 1940’s and 50s’. When she was launched in 1995, the press heralded  Gene with the headline:  “A star is born and she’s a doll!” 
At fifteen and a half inches tall Gene towered over the competition and won the hearts of millions of fans.
Episode Webpage:

https://www.dollpodcast.com/podcasts/gene-marshall-amp-mel-odom-films-and-stars-of-hollywoods-golden-age

Adam and podcast host Louisa Maxwell share their mutual admiration for the band and the dolls that any celebrity doll collector will really, really want.

Adam Weatherly  has the world’s largest collections of Spice Girl dolls. It’s over 25 years since the band successfully stormed the charts and Adam is hoping to get the dolls, who are the best selling celebrity dolls in history,  into the Toy Hall of Fame.

The Spice girls bounded on to the music scene with their hit “Wannabe” and their catch phrase ZigaZigAhhhh! They took over TV and music channels, and had multiple worldwide number one singles as well as a movie. 

The Spice girls had their likeness cast in a series of dolls that charted their costume and career history. Adam has over 500 dolls in his collection and has assembled an archive of costumes and prototypes documenting the band. Adam has interviewed many of the artists and designers that contributed to the dolls and hopes to produce and book or documentary about them.

http://www.dollpodcast.com/podcasts/the-spice-girls-celebrity-dolls-you-really-really-want