Showing posts with label AvantGuard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AvantGuard. Show all posts

Monday, June 17, 2013

Poppy Parker Fashion Teen "Spring Morning" by Integrity

First of all, Rebecca is running away with the American Girl poll!  The poll closed and I haven't bought a doll yet, so I'll open up the voting for a few more days in case anyone wanted to weigh in but couldn't.  Thank you for helping me with this decision!  Second, I am on vacation, so I am s-l-o-w.  BUT!  There might be some beach blogging later in the week.

It's been a while since I've reviewed a larger fashion doll.  The 16" Poppy Parker "Fashion Teen" line was announced by Integrity in January of 2012 and the dolls started shipping last summer.  So...I am a little late with this, but I wanted to review this doll now for two reasons.  First, I missed out on the 2013 12" Poppys and I thought de-boxing some older Poppy dolls might make me feel better.  Second, the new Integrity 16" Tulabelle line is shipping and I want to be able to compare my Tulabelle to the Fashion Teens.

Integrity specializes in 12" fashion dolls, but seems to be trying to find a niche in the 16" market.  So far, we have seen the release of the AvantGuard dolls, the FR16 line, the larger Poppy Parker teens, and now Tulabelle.  Honestly, I am not sure if any of these dolls have been a huge success.  I have noticed that if you miss the Integrity pre-ordering frenzy and show up late to the party (as I often do) the 12" dolls are mostly sold out, but there are usually plenty of 16" girls to choose from.  All but one of the Poppy Parker Fashion Teen dolls can still be found for sale at their retail price of $150.

Large or small, Integrity offers gorgeous clothes and high quality, so I was pretty excited about de-boxing my behemoth Fashion Teen.  Here is Spring Morning:

Poppy Parker
Poppy Parker Fashion Teen
 "Spring Morning"

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

AvantGuard Dolls by Jason Wu for Integrity Toys

Jason Wu is an extraordinary young American fashion designer.  He was designing for Integrity Toys when he was the same age as my oldest son (14).  Fans of Project Runway might be interested to know that Mr. Wu is a graduate of the Parson's School of Design in New York.  Fans of First Lady Michelle Obama's style will know that Jason Wu is the talented man who designed her beautiful inauguration gown.  For dolls lovers, Jason Wu is probably best known for his incredibly popular Fashion Royalty line of 12" fashion dolls.  Soon, Jason Wu's fashion influence will be even more far-reaching, as he has just unveiled a line of affordable clothing for Target stores.

I have been a fan of Jason Wu's work from a distance for several years.  I have tried on a few occasions to buy a Fashion Royalty doll, but I am often too slow with the keyboard to pre-order the one I want (they sell out very quickly).  Furthermore, I tend to lean more towards the 16" fashion dolls like Tonner dollsSybarites, and Jamieshow dolls, and have never really gotten into Barbie or any of the other smaller scale dolls.

When Integrity first announced their new line of 16" AvantGuard dolls in 2008, I really wanted to buy one.  They are pricey, though, at around $250, and the first few sold out quickly.  Some of the newer dolls have not been as well-received, and these ended up lingering on shelves and eventually going on clearance for a more reasonable price.  A recent store credit at Angelic Dreamz (and an unbeatable sale price) pushed me to take the plunge and buy my first AvantGuard dolls:

"On Edge" and "Hot Trot"