New From Sideshow

German Doll Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhP5zlO2qaQ
Follow the link to Youtube to see a world of dolls.

Tonner Launches DR. Who & Torchwood

Tonner Doll Company, renowned worldwide for their collections of award-winning dolls, have recently unveiled their new range of high-quality Doctor Who and Torchwood collectable character figures of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), Jack Harkness (Captain Jack) and Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles)!
The dolls were originally announced a year or so ago, however they’ve finally released pictures, which you can check out above.

I took the photos below while at Toy Fair in New York this past Monday. Enjoy!

Miniature? REALLY?!?!?

The King’s Study at Versailles is one of the most opulent rooms in the world, – featuring a genuine marble fireplace, Swarovski-crystal chandelier & gold-guild wallpaper.
However, now being sold for £250,000.00, this one is actually a model created by Susie Rogers & her partner, Kevin Mulvany!

Taking 3 months to complete, it is extraordinary in its detail, an exact replica of the one in Versailles. At a recent exhibition of their work, A presumptuous woman, craning into the Versailles room, said, ‘Just one thing I must point out to you. You have made a little mistake here.’ At those words, the world stopped temporarily for model-maker Kevin. The bustle of the doll’s house exhibition ceased. ‘Oh really,’ he said. ‘What is that?’ This woman knew her architectural history. ‘Well, in the 18th century they didn’t have the technology to make huge sheets of glass, so all the mirrors would be split in at least one place.’ Mulvany smiled and asked her to look a little closer. There, almost invisible, was a thin line that separated the panes of glass. Perfect to the tiniest detail.

Jason Wu - Poetic Mood

Post-show climax, the US womenswear prodigy Jason Wu (he's 27)

ran the length of his pink-carpeted catwalk to thunderous applause.

So, at least, we read. Unfortunately, at that moment, The Times fashion team was at 30,000ft, New York bound. Yet we could not miss Wu: he's the man Michelle Obama chose to dress her for Barack's Inauguraton Ball. And even though he's near the start of his career, Wu made around $US10 million ($13 million) in sales last year - ovation-worthy when his T-shirts start at $US295 and his USP (beautiful evening wear) can cost around $US5000.

We met Wu at his new showroom near the Garment District, where he revealed the Irving Penn moodboard that helped him to conceive the show and the masculine menswear look that was inspired by Penn's wardrobe. "It's a new silhouette for me," Wu says, "but it felt to me that fashion is going to swing away from this overtly sexy aggressive mood of the last few seasons. I'm feeling alone and moody and poetic."

That moodiness translated into clever, screen-printed splashes of PVC paint on cashmere dresses and coats. As well as men's tailoring, some of that new silhouette came from sportsgear: Wu has padded some clothes puffa-style, giving delicately exteriored parkas serious presence. The poetry came in his evening wear.

He's pioneered a new way of laser-printing on to tulle, which ripples and blurs and shimmers against the material beneath. Elsewhere he's used guinea hen and peacock feathers to makes beautiful skirts and dresses that are far sturdier, he says, than they look. There's alpaca so fine it looks like a fur and gowns that Wu says aren't concieved for bridal wear but could be. Expect to see Wu at the Oscars, where, despite the mood, there should be room for overtly sexy.

Madame Alexander Winner

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. -- A 7-year-old girl from Overton County, Tenn., has won a Little Debbie look-alike contest sponsored by the snack cake company.
Rhea Lynne Conner of Monroe will have her face featured on the backs of select cartons of Little Debbie snack cakes for a limited time.

Rhea, a student at A.H. Roberts Elementary School in Livingston, Tenn., won a $5,000 college scholarship, Little Debbie snacks, a Madame Alexander Little Debbie 50th Anniversary collectible doll and a $50 gift card.

She was chosen from 10 finalists and more than 900 girls between 4 and 8 years old.
She would like to become a veterinarian.

Collegedale-based McKee Foods, which makes Little Debbie snack cakes, is celebrating its 50th year in business.

Barbie Nerd

Toy maker Mattel has given Barbie, an iconic fashion doll since 1959, a new career -- this time as a computer engineer.
For the first time, the company took an online vote, asking people to select the Barbie doll's 125th career by choosing between architect, computer engineer, environmentalist, news anchor or surgeon. And voters chose the high-tech job.

Barbie's 125th career move: computer engineer.
Mattel polled fans on Facebook and Twitter for Barbie's next big career change.