My own French fashion Doll

I modelled my french fashion doll on my friend Black Betty, who has a very distinctive look. Betty is a naughty mistress of the dark who has secret sinister intentions. shhhhh, she might hear us..

Impact of blogs

"Today, the group who sets the 'hip' is often likely to emerge from the streets, from youth cultures rather than from the elite at the top and the mainstream of the social strata... In other words, fashion can and does 'bubble up' the social hierarchy from the bottom up to the status of high fashion..." John Dawson and Jung-Hee Lee in 'International Retailing'

Anyone can start a fashion blog. A dedicated consumer of fashion. Someone who already works in the industry, a person aspiring to work in the industry or someone who has a passion for fashion and desires a wider audience.
Generally they focus on a certain trend i.e. Street fashion or accessories such as; shoes or bags. Blogs are now considered mainstream media, providing an instant up to date way to follow trends.
Fashion Blogs first appeared in 2002, and now there are estimated to be thousands of them and hundreds of people living off the profits of their blogs. In an article in the NY Financial times, it noted that being a fashion blogger is a respectable and profitable career for someone in the fashion industry and they can easily build a cult following around their particular area of expertise.


A lot of people have great success with their blogs and have received front row seats at international fashion shows, published books and had opportunities to work with famous fashion designers. Literally going from an unknown blogger at home to a celebrity fashion blogger, their opinions are valued. Some have been noted in Vogue and earned the respect of Dolce and Gabbana, Burberry and Alexander McQueen.
The Fashion Industry has adopted social media as a marketing platform to reach customers online. American Apparel and Topshop were the first labels to see the potential in embracing these forms of social media. Other designer labels first saw it as a threat and feared it would tarnish their brand image but have now embraced it. Designers such as Louis Vuitton and Oscar DeLa Renta even have face book pages.
Perth’s Own blogger, Songy Knox at stylediscovery.com.au has gained a cult following. Capturing the Perth Fashion scene with her camera and helping out new designers by promoting their work. Check out my Blog @ ppashion.blogspot.com

"Fashion is always the product of the culture and the society that spawns it, embodying the concerns of the wider society in its myriad styles..." John Dawson and Jung-Hee Lee in 'International Retailing'

History of fashion dolls

A history of fashion Dolls
The history of dolls dates back to BC but the use of dolls in promoting fashion can be traced back to 1396 when the court Tailor for Charles IV paid 450 francs for an entire dolls wardrobe to be sent to the Queen of England from the Queen of Bavaria. They were life sized dolls presumably made to the measurements of the Queen of England.
Louis XIV was known to send life sized dolls to every European court, depicting the latest styles and accessories. These dolls included every construction detail and dressmakers were able to remove the clothing and make patterns. If it was necessary they would unpick the garments, assess the cut, make a pattern and re-sew the garment. They represented the latest trends in fabric and trimmings.
The peak of French fashion dolls were the mid 1800’s. They were between 9 and 30 inches tall. They had leather bodies, stuffed with horsehair or sawdust, bisque or porcelain heads and glass eyes. The most prized had jointed wooden bodies.
These dolls were very popular amongst affluent Victorians who liked to buy them for their daughters to teach them the correct way to dress. They were also used to help perfect sewing techniques; they would use fabric remnants to create identical outfits to their mothers.

There were entire shops in Paris dedicated to selling dolls items: parasols, wigs, shoes, furniture, gloves and stationary. Every necessary item was replicated in miniature.
In an 1865 edition of La Poupee magazine which was a monthly edition dedicated to doll fashion and containing patterns. It listed 95 items which were necessary for a full dolls wardrobe, it contained 7 dresses, 4 blouses, 2 veils, Russian boots and 3 different capes to name a few.
After WWII the couturiers of Paris created a representation of fashion history. It was called the Theatre De La Mode. It showed in 1945 and was called “perfection in miniature”.
It showed the fashions of France in post WWII, made by the country’s finest designers. It toured Europe and America. Its first stop was Sanfransisco, where it remained until the early 50’s. It was re-discovered in the Maryhill museum of art in Goldendale, Washington in 1952 where it had been preserved beautifully. It had a second world tour in 1990, visiting Paris, New York, Baltimore, Portland and Tokyo. It featured 9 different stage sets.
The Theatre De La Mode still resides at Maryhill Museum of Art and each year they have 3 of the 9 backdrops on display for the mannequins who display the casual and formal wear of past days.