Fashion Madness

Somehow I haven't been able to warm up to the So In Style dolls.  They feel like a Jim Crow addendum to the Barbie empire.  They are made by Arco toys rather than the regular manufacturers in the Barbie supply chain.  Even in communities with large populations of middle class African Americans like Atlanta, mainstream retailers seem nonchalant about stocking enough of them to meet the potential demand.  When they are in stock, they are subject to arbitrary price manipulations and worst of all, Mattel has embargoed selling these dolls overseas.  Every time I start to break down and buy them, it feels like I would be giving my money to support a separate and unequal system.

Thus, I was eagerly awaiting the release of the Prettie Girls designed by Stacey McBride Irby who created the So In Style line.  One World Dolls is a black-owned company that I would have liked to support, but in over a year they haven't delivered any Prettie Girls to market.  Kenya's World, LLC is not a black owned company, but this Christmas season they have created a product line and devised a marketing campaign that meets African American consumers' demand for dolls that reflect the full spectrum of our beauty right in our own neighborhoods at local Family Dollar stores.

So how do the Kenya Fashion Madness dolls stack up compared to Mattel's So In Style line?  This week I de-boxed the Beverly Hills, Moving On, and Vegas models to find out.  Doll nudity to follow.

***

Fashion Madness Kenya dolls have oversized heads like Mattel's My Scene girls or Disney's Princess Tiana.  They also have tons of hair but shoulder to shoulder with So In Style dolls, they are about the same height up to the neck.  Here Kenya is on the left, and So In Style Grace is on the right.

Compared to the Barbie "belly button" body, however, Kenya is built for comfort rather than speed.  Her bosom is more voluptuous,

and her hips and thighs are fuller.

Although some early So In Style dolls had articulated wrists and elbows, another one of my frustrations with Mattel is that they have only offered us one darker complexion in the fully articulated Fashionista line.  Kenya comes in three luscious flavors:

 

Granted the bodies do not feel as sturdy as Barbie Fashionistas and the range of motion in the knee joints is not as great.  The Artsy Fashionista body can pose with the knees turned gracefully to the side:

 

Although Kenya's legs don't gape open like Disney's articulated Princess Tiana dolls when she is seated, she is not as demure as Artsy:

 

Nevertheless, Kenya dolls offer a wider variety of body upgrade options for our dolls with darker complexions.  Just be sure to slice the head off with an Xacto knife.  The neck prong is wicked and subject to break:

Yet, for $20 you can often get a So In Style doll with a cute little sister and both will be dressed in the well-made clothes that have made the Barbie brand synonymous with quality.  The Kenya Fashion Madness dolls are currently priced at $5 more than a standard Barbie Fashionista.  Are the clothes worth that extra premium or are we paying a "black tax" for articulated dolls with deeper complexions?

Beverly Hills Kenya sports a workable suit which is not common in the current wave of girly pink Barbie fashions.  The jacket and skirt are made of lightweight cotton in an interesting polka dot print.

While ice blue was an intriguing color to pair with the black and white suit, in my opinion the terry cloth fabric is a less successful design choice.  The line of this sleeveless tunic also does not flatter Kenya's thicker figure.

Meanwhile the belt is a cheap strand of beads that will most likely pop in the process of dressing and undressing the doll.

The jewelry, however, is a nice change from the molded plastic accessories that usually come with play line dolls.  The necklace is a chain of metal beads and the earrings are metal disks securely attached to strong wires.  The shoes are very stylish and dainty.

Meanwhile I found that Kenya can wear Kari Michelle tops (but not bottoms) and swapped out the terry cloth sack.

All in all, this suit has infinite possibilities.

Next I deboxed Movin' On Kenya.

The leopard print coat and matching bag are very chic even though the bag is stitched shut.

Instead of bunching and adding thickness at the waist like the terry cloth sack, this red knit tunic hugs Kenya's curves.

Kenya can stand unaided in these boots and they are slit up the back for easy removal.

The velour leggings are not made of top quality fabric and it would probably be a struggle to put them on a doll with soft vinyl legs.  Still, the Movin' On ensemble is my favorite Kenya fashion.

Indeed, many of my other ladies would like to throw Kenya down for her furs and jewels so she generously allowed SIS Grace to model the Vegas ensemble.

This white fur coat sheds a lot but it looks sharp and the purse is a megawatt marvel.  

The faux leather pants are a little roomy in the seat but the shoes are a perfect fit so unlike Liv dolls, Kenya dolls can share all their shoes with Barbie and her friends.

With glittering gold beads stitched to a shimmery top, this ensemble packs plenty of glitz and glam but mercifully none of it is pink!

***

In summation, Kenya has a pretty face if you don't mind oversized heads.

 

I used all three of my Kenyas as body donors, however.

I was especially grateful for the Beverly Hills doll's deep toned complexion.  This lovely lady from Roses would never have found an articulated body otherwise.  Here she has poured her bodacious self into a Barbie T-shirt and jeans.  She can't wear every Barbie fashion, but with many items Kenya and Barbie will be able to share and share alike.

The final verdict?  Although the Kenya Fashion Madness line targets a specific market niche, with $5 worth of fresh ideas in each of the Fashion Madness designs, these play line dolls bring some much needed diversity to the market.

À Bientôt

Phat as Duckbutter

Having survived a root canal earlier in the week, yesterday I dropped into Walmart to do some retail therapy and struck gold -- the new, articulated SIS dolls dressed in Baby Phat fashions were on the shelf.

Unfortunately these dolls do not have the pivotal torsos or knees that allow the Fashionistas to pose so expressively.  Their range of motion is the same as the Kenya dolls, but Kenya feels a little lighter and more brittle.

Trichelle is not available in this wave of SIS dolls. Marissa didn't want her to feel left out so she let her model this Baby Phat fashion.

I am not fond of this melon pink, probably because it is a color I can't wear however I love the purple print leggings.

The Baby Phat logo necklace is a fun accessory

and the purple shoes are scrumptious.

When I lived in New Orleans, I used to tutor the little girls who lived next door.  One day when we were drawing self portraits, the middle girl who was about twelve used the brown marker to color her face and then exclaimed "oh no!  that's too dark!"  Then she took the yellow marker to give herself blonde hair.  I always felt that Kara had the same kind of complex about her complexion.  At least she has found a better colorist this time.

Now if we could just get her to ditch the pink lipstick...

Fortunately this Kenya Fashion madness dress compliments Kara's complexion well and her feet are small enough to squeeze into Kenya's shoes.

Meanwhile Marissa now has enough points of articulation to really work Movin' On Kenya's outfit.

Each of the Baby Phat SIS dolls comes with a pair of stylish sunglasses.

The face screens on some of these dolls seems a little askew but I'm sure Chynadoll can work wonders with them.

Kenya loves Kara's Baby Phat shorts and sweater.

The sweater fits well even though Kenya is a bit better endowed than the SIS dolls.

The tube top and shorts are sewn together as a one piece romper that fastens in the back with a strip of velcro.

While Kenya is searching for her contact lens we can admire her... Baby Phat shoes!

Kenya and the SIS dolls have a very different sense of style but they can wear each others' outfits and add their own personal flair to each one.

For example Grace can rock Rock Star Kenya's jacket and jeans

but she adds her own a note of sophisticated elegance with her Baby Phat sunglasses.

I was never sure what color Grace's eyes were supposed to be before but in this new face screen they are clearly green.

Kenya's hips and thighs are fuller but she can fit comfortably into Grace's slinky black leggings and pink top.

The asymmetrical collar is a very distinctive detail.

Ankle boots complete the ensemble.

The two divas find they can respect each other.

Chandra even invited Kenya to attend her church.

I was disappointed that Chandra's outfit turned out to be a one piece dress.  At the very least, I feel the jacket should have been a separate piece but Kenya was so happy Chandra loaned it to her that she stood up and shouted "Hallelujah!" 

When it came time for the collection she proudly tipped up to the altar in these snazzy shoes.

Kenya is obviously one of those people who goes to church to be seen.

In contrast, Chandra fell to her knees and gave thanks that she has finally been blessed with an articulated body.

I was very glad Chandra was also blessed with soft, curly black hair.  She accented Riviera Kenya's three piece pink suit with a matching Baby Phat headband. 

While I love Chandra the best

all of the new SIS dolls are phat as duckbutter!

À Bientôt