Skin Trade

Itroducing CWC Exclusive Neo Blythe Manuheali'i Paradise Girl !

Summer is finally here and we are ecstatic to give you some exciting news!
Hawaii's famous fashion brand Manuheali'i has collaborated with CWC to create an exclusive Neo Blythe!
She will be called "Manuheali'i Paradise Girl"!!

Manuheali'i is not only known in Hawaii but all over the world, starting in 1985, Manuheali'i 's use of color and unique print designs are so distinct to the brand and to the land of Hawaii.
People who wear their clothes look like they are wearing the beautiful nature of Hawaii.
Even a slight variation of color can dramatically change the look of their garments. We are bringing the wonderful fashion and image of Hawaii with this sun kissed Blythe!
Hawaii lovers will sure be excited about this Blythe!

Manuheali'i Paradise Girl is the most stylish girl in Hawaii!
Coordinating her accessories and clothes she just bought, she is off to the city and to the beach for another aloha day.
She has a long one piece dress with a halter neck.
The stylish cut of this dress gives Blythe a sophisticated look.
Manuheali'i 's original Coral Reef print combines a light green and brown pattern to give a tropical and earthy feel.
Put on her gold hoop earrings and she's ready to go!

Her second outfit is a different feel with a patterned one shouldered top and denim shorts.
Her one shouldered top has a rubber strap through the neck to keep the top in place.
This shirt has Manuheali'i 's original print for Ki Nehe.
Orange, red, and vibrant colors radiates from this Paradise Girl!

Her shorts are cool, white denim and she wears white beach sandals.
Don't forget her sunglasses and she's ready for a fun day in Hawaii!

She has long dark brown, wavy hair parted to the side. Her skin type is like "Heather Sky" and her face type is Radiance.
She has brown eye shadow, red cheeks, and tan lips.
Her eye chips and eyelashes are all special as well!

Please check back to www.blythedoll.com to see the final design!

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On flickr one the most rampant discussions of excitement over this new Blythe Doll center around her questionable complexion. People want to know if she is as described, as dark as Heather Sky who, lets face it, is really not that dark, but as the darkest Blythe doll ever manufactured, she has become the standard by which to measure any other dark Blythe Doll Takara and CWC releases. Which is kind of sad but no less fascinating. I myself flipped when I saw her although I have to admit to being just as excited about her amazing stock as about her skin color. It seems kind of crazy how color starved we doll collectors are. I mean I guess that's where all this customization comes into play. Not only are we color starved in doll land but also individuality starved.

I must say though, that while it is easy enough to do anything from dye Blythe's hair, carve her lips, give her beauty marks, tattoos, gaze correction, and all kinds of different hair, it doesn't have quite the same impact or social commentary as changing her color does. Much as I love Blythe and dolls in general, politics never seem to be too far behind when it comes to color in this country, but my fascination lies in discovering the things that Blythe collectors do in spite of this because it is different than what I have ever seen people do with any other doll I know of.

Zoya discovers Tecnology, Reese puts on some clothes

Zoya and Reese in the Snow

Sunday stroll in the Central Park Snow

When Dolls Shoot Dolls

Zoya gets behind the camera for a change, although she's actually still in front of the camera.

Reese and Zoya have landed

Actually they both arrived at work yesterday at the same time! So I had two huge boxes to take home in addition to my Spanish homework textbooks. I opened them in the library with Cece. It was so much fun. But I didn't actually take them out of their boxes until I got home. I opened Reese first.





Reese Dynamite Girl
Her hair is super soft. I was really surprised by that had. We were surprised at how small her boobs are and on the whole she's very much on the skinny side. The bendability of her elbows and knees make her seem very spider like and she's very delicately and finely designed. I love that her eyelashes extend from her eyes. I've never seen that on a doll whose eyes don't move or close.

It's obvious that she's a dancer but I have decided that in addition to her obvious expertise in urban dance, she is also classically trained in Ballet and a talented vocalist.


Zoya Monsieur Z
Cece told me that she looked like someone she knew named Toya, so I combined that with the Z in her line brand name, Monsieur Z to make Zoya. Incidentally, I just discovered that Monsieur Z has nothing to do with Jason Wu the creator of Integrity Dolls. Monsieur Z Dolls were apparently inspired by the illustrator of the same name. I have to do a little more research on that. The appeal of his illustrations don't help at all with the fact that the name "Jungle Fever" for this gorgeous doll is disappointing and offensive. I mean WTF? Anyway, she's Zoya now.

She's got the most amazing complexion I have ever seen on a doll and hair that I could just live in. She's a bit stiff in the neck and a bit wobbly when I hold her by the legs. Both dolls are jointed in the chest area but do not twist in the hip which I just don't get. Twisting at the hip is a feature I love in dolls and one I feel is pretty essential to effecting realism with posing but I guess they make up for that with the fact that she's jointed everywhere else. Her little safari suit and glasses or so hip and current, I could put them on any doll and they would look amazing. Like Reese, she is also very delicately designed with articulated hands, painted fingernails and toes. Crazy!

Frankly, they're a little bit intimidating I gotta say, but I am entranced by their beauty and detail and I can't wait to explore their potential for animated posing in my photography.

Asian=Ninja How did I miss that one?

So I was doing a search for a cheap deal on Takeo Mizutani when it brought up this insightful blog on Dolls of Color and it it made me realize in my attempt to make a pun about his "identity" that I didn't even catch the blatant stereotype. The worst of course if that Jason Wu is himself Asian. WTF.

Dear Jason Wu, why does the only East Asian guy in your Fashion Royalty series have to be a ninja? Aren’t YOU sick of people thinking all Asians know martial arts and kung fu?
Why couldn’t he be… umm… a designer? Or a photographer… or chef even?

Check out the entire entry here. Or check it out whenever. They're going up on my fave links list.

Takeo is still hot though. He doesn't need a sword or even that suit. Oops, sorry.