DOLLS Industry Awards of Excellence for Inamorata Mirrorball

I am very happy (and rather surprised) to announce that the OOAK Inamorata doll Mirrorball that was presented in IDEX charity raffle this year has won a 2013 Industry’s Choice DOLLS Awards of Excellence (DAE) in the category of One-of-a-Kind Doll with value more than $1,250.

The winner were announced April 12 at the Debut of Dolls Banquet held at IDEX in Orlando, Fla. Each entry in this year’s competition was evaluated by a panel of judges: Doll industry consultant Pat Burns, doll writer and historian Penny Herbst, Simon Farnworth of DollObservers.com, author and DOLLS contributor Stephanie Finnegan, DOLLS editor-at-large Jill Jackson, and Modern Doll President Patsy Moyer.

The Industry’s Choice winners become the nominees for the Public’s Choice awards voted on by DOLLS readers. Check out the photos of the nominees, ballot, and online voting instructions in the July 2013 issue of DOLLS magazine. 

Nnaji meets Cho:lo

Since I've been a child customizing my toys (didn't have much dolls as a kid as I was a total tomboy) has been essential part of my life. The bonding ritual of making dolls my own because even more important when I started collecting dolls on 2006. It is a fair estimate to say that less than 5% of dolls in at one point very vast my collection remained untouched. I bought dolls mainly for their repaint potential and was obsessed to get any new doll sculpt that came out. That is, until I got my own doll line - the Inamorata.

Coming for this background I not only accept but embrace the idea of other doll artists repainting my dolls and creating fashions and wigs inspired by and for them. It is wonderful to see all the possible interpretations of theme and to see amazing artists such as Park or Hendra, for example, to reinvent the faces I sculpted. Recently, I was lucky enough to do a trade with my dear friend Cholo Ayuyao better know in doll circles as Cho:lo: the amazing jewellery artist who became a doll fashion designer extraordinaire. Cholo has also developed a repainting look distinctly his own, often characterized by nude lips with golden shimmer and flirtatious smoky eyes. Cholo got an Inamorata doll in African Nnaji sculpt as his new muse and I will become a lucky owner of an original Cho:lo fashion creation for my dolls. 

The good news is that now that Cholo has an Inamorata to play with he can start accepting commissions orders for Inamorata, but be prepared to wait as his waiting list is even longer than mine! But good things come for those who wait and Cholo's ravishing art works are well worth waiting for. If you are not yet familiar with his work, visit his flickr stream.

The photos below as the property of Cholo Ayuya and used with his permission. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.

Nnaji reimagined by Cho:lo

Nnaji, stil blank, modelling for Cho:los new Haute Couture collection

And if your Inamorata doll is craving for new wigs, here are some hard cap wig artists who can make customs orders for Inamorata head. I have been told that Inamorata can share wigs from Deva dolls and IT Avant Guards, but if you want to commission a perfect fit contact these ladies:

- PattaArt, hard cap wigs, the official Inamorata wig maker

- Time of Doll by Ilaria Mazzoni, hard cap wigs

I know you are hungry for news about the next Inamorata release and I can reveal that first out will be the basic lingerie doll Cherub and a gown called Vertebrata. The second release will be the premium lingerie doll Seraph with a casual fashion called Röntgen. Can't give you exact dates yet but both will be out this Summer. ;)

Nnaji Update: Seraph and Cherub

*Haute Doll Nnaji prototype, the production dolls 

will use this sculpt but have different make up.

Long time no updates so I thought I'd pop you a note about what I'm working with. As you know the next limited edition Inamorata doll will be the African Nnaji sculpt. This doll was originally suppose to be a limited edition 40 lingerie doll, but when I designed the lingerie I went a little overboard (as I usually tend to do) and the doll came out nothing but basic. I know many are hoping for a more affordable basic doll so I decided to cut the edition in two making LE20 basic lingerie doll and another LE20 premium lingerie doll. The dolls will have the same skin tone , but different make up, hair and fashion.

The first one is called Cherub and she will come with basic lingerie set and sandals. Since everyone is not into hard cap wigs (that constitute a large part of the dolls price) the Cherub will come with flock hair that makes old school wigs stay on better. I love dolls with short hair and think women look fabulous shaved bald.

The second Nnaji doll called Seraph will be the one true to my vision with a more complicated 5 part lingerie set and thigh high boots. She will come with a cool short cut PattaArt hard cap wig with multicolour highlights. Both dolls will have applied upper lashes. Seraph will be in the same price league with Inro (699usd) and we will try to keep Cherub as affordable as possible.

Since these are lingerie dolls and I'm sure there are many Inro dolls out there waiting for new fashions, I'm also working on the first loose Inamorata fashions. The first one will be a long gown called Vertebrata and I also have plans for a more casual jeans and T-shirt look. Both outfits will come with shoes and it's too early to reveal the edition sizes or price level yet.

The release date is not determined yet, but I my best estimate right now is late June or early July. We try to release all the dolls and fashions at the same time so you can save in combined shipping costs.

Picture Request: Inro nude and posing and wig tests

I have been asked for many photos after the Inro release and have posted tons of them on flickr. Here are some of the most popular requests.

Nude front, side and back view of Inro (note that all Inamorata dolls share this body)

Inamorata comparison pics with other 16" dolls (I only had Nuina Devon and Sybarite Raja at hand)
There is also a great set of comparison shots on Prego by Valerie.

Inamorata hip joint aka the "bubble butt", "hump", "rump"and "buns"

Inro with several other wigs besides her own:

Get your Inro now!

The Inamorata webshop is now open at www.emiliacouture.com

*Note that there is a 2 doll limitation per customer and any orders with more dolls will be cancelled.

The doll costs 699usd. Payments are with paypal only.

The international shipping is 79USD, or 120USD for 2 dolls.

You will get a confirmation letter to your paypal ID within 24hours of your payment. Another email with the tracking number will be send to you after the doll has shipped.

Also, as a fail safe in case our website crashes I will take orders by email (emiliacouture(at)gmail.com). If this happens and the website goes down when the sales start just send me an email with your full contact info (name, address, phone, PayPal ID) and whether you want to order 1 or 2 dolls and I will start sending out PayPal invoices the next day. However, please don't send me these emails beforehand just in case. Anyway, hopefully our website can take the hits.

LE40

Featuring the Asian Miao sculpt

Inro is the first ever limited edition Inamorata doll. The Inamorata are 16" fashion ball jointed dolls made of polyurethane resin, have 21points of articulation and come with 4 pairs of exchangeable hands. Click the links to see the doll measurements and to read more about Inamorata dolls. Inro has a subble make up in earthen tones amplified by a fluttering set of over long runway eyelashes. She has a full body blushing and nail polish in deep maroon.

Inro's fashions is a modern haute couture interpretation of a samurai armour and she carries a 1:1 scale inro box as her purse. The outfits consists of a corset teddy that can also be worn as lingerie, a pencil skirt armoured with hand-painted bamboo slips and an intricately detailed leather jacket. The inro box purse is printed with golden paintings on each side: one with a cicada and the other with a dragonfly. Our beauty teeters on a pair of precariously high heeled boots carved and hand-painted with an Asian lacquer painting landscape in gold and black. Inro's elaborate geisha style hard cap wig is hand-made by PattaArt in pale gold in the highest quality KatSilk fiber.

*All the photos are of an actual production doll. The dolls are all hand painted so they may vary slightly.

*This is not a toy, but an art doll designed for an adult collector. Not suited for children under 14 years of age.

Inro is dedicated to the memory of Virginia "Ginny" Williamson.

Ginny was a dear friend, a confidante and the warmest, the most understanding person I ever knew.

It was her constant support and friendship that made this doll possible. I wish she had been here to see this dream come true.

I will always miss her. 

 

- Emilia Nieminen

Inro will be release time is...

The moment we've all been waiting for is almost upon us:

the first ever limited edition Inamorata doll called Inro will be released tomorrow,

15th of February at 11.59 p.m. (23:59)

Paris time (+1UTC).

We tried to find the best possible timing to suit majority of our customers in US and Europe, so that our friends in America can get off work and our friends in Europe still won't have to stay up too late (although I have many times stayed up until 4a.m. waiting for a doll release, but I'm trying to make this as nice and easy as possible for at least the majority of you guys).

Inro will cost 699usd plus shipping and payments are with paypal only. She will be shipped directly from China using EMS with tracking and full insurance. Check out the updates on www.emiliacouture.com FAQ, Inamorata doll and shop and let me know if there is still some useful info missing there. There is a countdown timer on the shop page too so you can count the moments until Inro release. Also note that the PayPal payments will go to our company PayPal ID odonatagreen@gmail.com instead of the usual emiliacouture@gmail..com one that is still valid for the OOAK commissions.

The amount of dolls per customer is limited to 2 to prevent eBay scalping, so you can still share shipping costs with you buddy, but hopefully all the dolls will still end up in loving homes instead of eBay. Note that the system automatically cancels all orders of more than 2 dolls, so be careful not to make typos that might cost precious minutes while ordering.

Also, as a fail safe in case our website crashes I will take orders by email. If this happens and the website goes down when the sales start just send me an email with your full contact info (name, address, phone, PayPal ID) and whether you want to order 1 or 2 dolls and I will start sending out PayPal invoices the next day. However, this does not mean that you should start sending me these email right now. ;) And hopefully our website can take the hits.

So, here she is... almost revealed after her long strip tease:

Tomorrow you will see it all!

Inamorata Inro LE40 released on 15th of February

 

I'm happy to announce that finally after the long wait (and a couple week delay as I needed to have an accessory reproduced to get the perfect quality) the Inamorata Inro is finally ready to be revealed! I am packing the beauties right now and can reveal you her face as a teaser. Hope you like what you see so far! The whole doll with fashion, boots, purse, wig and all will be unveiled on the 15th of February when she goes on for sale on our online shop at www.emiliacouture.com. I will give you the exact time of the day on the day before (14th) through the first/to/know list (subscribe at www.emiliacouture.com if you haven't yet). I will try to find a time that will work for both American and European time zones.

I have also uploaded more photos of Inamorata prototypes to my flickr and updated the website too. Please check out the Inamorata Dolls, Commissions and FAQ pages! Thank you for your patience and all the exited emails!

INAMORATA Dolls Unveiled in Haute Doll Magazine

The long wait is finally over: the INAMORATA doll line was revealed in an exclusive article by Jill Jackson on the Haute Doll January 2013 issue. Below are some small scans of the article. Get your issue on stores now or order eletronically!

Unveiling the first Inamorata doll

OOAK Inamorata doll for IDEX 2013. Mirrorball uses the Asian Miao sculpt and is hand painted by me. She wears a completely hand sticthed OOAK emiliacouture sequin gown with a tulle petticoat, undies, stockings and OOAK shoes. She comes with both white flock hair and a OOAK synthetic mohair wig. The doll will be presented as a prize for IDEX 2013 charity raffle so all the IDEX goes can get a change to see her in person and some lucky winner gets to take her home!

Mirrorball is the first ever Inamorata doll release and you can read more about the dolls on the new issue of the Haute Doll and at www.emiliacouture.com

Happy New Year!

 

More photos at flickr.

Inamorata Mirrorball presented for IDEX 2013 Charity Raffle

Inamorata Mirrorball, featured in the photo above, will be presented at the IDEX 2013 charity raffle. So all you who are going to IDEX next year get to see this Inamorata doll in person and also a change to win her in the raffle! Mirrorball uses the Miao sculpt and is hand painted by me and wears a OOAK sequin gown hand made by me.

Here are some other sneak peeks of the future Inamorata releases: Inro, the first LE40 doll will be out in the end of January:

Inamorata Teasers

I have been sending teaser photos through my first-to-know list during the past 3 weeks and thought I'd collect the sneak peeks so far into a one post. So... emiliacouture presents...

emiliacouture and Odonata Green Ltd.

proudly present:

16" fashion BJD created from resin by Emilia.

 

The first prototype dolls will be unveiled in Haute Doll magazine January issue 2013.
The dolls are made of polyurethane resin, have 21points of articulation and come with 4 pairs of exchangeable hands: fists, hands for holding things, open hands and dressing hands.

 The Inamorata body was inspired by the body of a modern dancer or a swimmer. It's a healthy toned body with long lean muscles that have definition but are still feminine. She has the long legs of a catwalk model, but is still naturally and beautifully proportioned. The body has a lot of carefully sculpted details such as elegant collar bones, ankle bones, wrinkles on her palms and soles of her feet, and general muscle definition. The joints have been designed keeping lingerie in mind so that the skimpiest bra and undies can cover the main torso joints. One exceptional thing Inamorata has to offer is the hip joint. Instead of a ball to connect the hips and thighs there is a mobility joint often used in the larger BJDs, and more importantly the buttocks are sculpted as a part of the legs. This improvement allows the buttocks to move with the legs, the derrière to change change naturally while posing and of course grants a gorgeous silhouette in lingerie.

The Inamorata head sculpts so far are the Asian Miao and African Nnaji. Our designer Emilia has many more head sculpts in the making, so be sure to grab your change and buy the character you love while she is available. The next sculpt in the planning is a fierce and androgynous Latina.

Inamorata dolls are released in limited editions and as OOAKs. The first doll to come out is called Inro and uses the Miao sculpt. Inro will be a LE40 doll dressed in a limited edition emiliacouture haute couture outfit complete with fashion, shoes and a purse. She will also come with a exclusive hard cap wig by PattaArt. The second doll to be released will use the African Nnaji sculpt and will be a lingerie doll with limited edition of 40. In addition to these limited edition dolls there will be few OOAK Miao and Nnaji dolls available for commission orders.

  More will be revealed in the exclusive article of Haute Doll January issue unveiling the first 2 prototype Inamorata dolls!

 

If you want to keep posted and haven't subscribed to my first-to-know list yet, please do at www.emiliacouture.com 

 

Also check the website for more updates as we all wait for the Haute Doll January 2013 issue to reveal the first prototypes!

Link to Inamorata flickr set

Moody Girl - emiliacouture commission

This commission was for a Buried in Oblivion BJD called Skene, who was a completely new acquintance for me. This little pixie has the most curious proportions and posture I've seen reminding me of a 3-year-old with a supernatural growth spurt. No wonder it is impossible for her to find clothing  that fits her elongated body. In the 3 weeks this quirky beauty was visiting me she truly grew on me and I must say I find her moody look utterly charming. It was so hard to send her back to her home in UK. She stole my heart.

Skene got a mix and match wardrobe consisting of McQueen inspired fur jacket with exaggerated shoulders, a golden morning coat, skinny pants, high waist trousers, semi-sheer cotton blouse, gold knit top ad a pair of classic Oxfort shoes. All the pieces are OOAK emiliacouture fashions.

More photos at flickr.

Baby Mae - dressed OOAK doll commission

This commission was for a Poppy Parker make over with 20's style inspired by Madeleine Vionnet. Poppy got a full repaint in rich brown earthen tones, applied lashes and a classic bob hair cut. Her gown is a slinky little number in nude silk diagonally cut for a perfect flow. The gown is hand beaded in 4 colours and has a cascading back in true Madeleine Vionnet elegance. The look is finished with a classic 20's headband and a super long faux fur stole. 

I named her after a character Mae in my favourite poem: The Wild Party by Joseph Moncure March.

"A passionate flirt,
So dumb that it hurt,
And better for night than for day."

See more photos at the flickr set:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emiliacouture/sets/72157631425231060/

Couture Alien - emiliacouture commission for Sybarite

I wanted to play with different textures and materials with the monochromatic black outfit.

The OOAK fashion consists of rouched leatherette shorts, thigh high snake leatherette boots with lacing, a tailored double collar wool coat with tulle ruffle detailing, and a Philip Treacy meets HR Giger's alien hardened netting hat.

The outfit is modelled by and tailored to Sybarite Inque. The hard cap wig by Ilaria aka Time of Doll.

More photos at flickr.

I also have some very exiting news: my own 16" fashion BJD line will be unveiled in the Haute Doll magazines October issue!

White Walker Elise - emiliacouture commission

This commission was inspired by an odd medley that I'd describe as Lady Gaga makes a guest appearance as an anime gunslinger in the TV series Game of Thrones. LOL

The OOAK outfit consists of a double breasted suede coat with old brass buttons,  over knee boots of white leatherette with matching buttons, leggings and a faux fur shoulder wrap.

FR2 Elise has been fully repainted with ice blue eyes with fierce smoky shadow, nude pale lips and white eyebrows. She also got a body blushing to better match her head and body skin tone together. Her hair was boild permend and cut to a swept cascade of curls.

More photos on flickr.

And for those who have been wondering why I've gone practically underground: it's because I've been working non stop in creating my own 16" resin BJD. The prototype is now ready and I'm hoping the factory can live up to my high exprectations. If everything goes well the first LE40 emiliacouture doll might be out this year! I will give you sneakpeeks soon! :)