Instead of scanning the runways for the latest in haute couture, dash to the doll shop and check out the newest luxe looks from Fashion Royalty—the Glamorous Collection, Integrity Toys’ line of cutting-edge fashion dolls.

Henry and Zofia Zawieruszynski Reflect on their Five DOLLS Awards of Excellence Nominations, a Culmination of a Life’s Journey from Struggling Immigrants to Successful Entrepreneurs

Songwriter and philosopher John Lennon said it best: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Such a random chain of events led to Henry and Zofia Zawieruszynski trading in their Polish mailing address for a home and business nestled in the American heartland.

Poised to be heirloom treasures in-the-making, Tonner Doll Co.’s new creations for the New York City Ballet will capture your hearts this holiday season.

Kissing under the mistletoe…decorating with evergreen wreaths, silver bells and red holly…baking sugar cook­ies…brightly wrapped surprises waiting to be opened… singing carols by a crackling fire… The holiday season is upon us, bring­ing beloved and time-honored traditions, memories and goodies in its festive wake. This year—thanks to a collaboration between the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and the Tonner Doll Co. (TDC) that brings a new ex­pression to a beloved symbol of the season—all good doll collectors (if you’ve been naughty, there’s still hope) can look forward to a delightful gift.

A doll designer’s adoration inspires the creation of a new doll.

There she was again—that face. I’d seen her many times, in many different situations and clothes, always playing as if she were someone else, always successfully hiding beneath a glamorous facade. But I always saw through her disguises to the person she really was. I always saw the real Marsha Hunt. Or did I?

Dollmaker Berdine Creedy is hoping to charm the American market with her ball-jointed beauties.

The doll world would be devastated if Berdine Creedy spoke differently. “My English is not that great and I have a funny accent,” says the South African teacher, who relocated to Florida in early 1996. “If not for that, I’d still be a school teacher. But the little ones, they can’t take my accent,” she says, laughing. But where some would see sour grapes and disappointment, Creedy has made sweet wine.

Charisma Brands Aims to Enchant and Attract with its Line of Play and Display Cuties

The term charisma implies a certain magnetic charm or appeal, which is exactly how many doll enthusiasts regard Charisma Brands. Beginning with the merger of L.L. Knickerbocker and Marian, Charisma made a historic move in 1991 by ap­proaching Marie Osmond to endorse a line of dolls for QVC. Osmond responded by actually designing the line instead, and in 1998, she and her husband and a group of investors bought the company, taking it to a new level. Since then the company has gone through mergers and transitions, but the core remains true to its initial ideals. 

She Was as Child-Friendly as She Was Cute!

The “‘My First’” Barbie appeared on the doll scene in 1980 or 1981. Her box has the 1980 copy­right date, but that of­ten means the doll was not available for sale until the following year. Whatever the correct date, most mothers agreed it was about time such a Barbie came on the market.

Thanks to the magic of Robert Tonner, the world’s most famous boy wizard is now a collectible boy doll.

In the magical world created by author J.K. Rowling, wizards and witches have several ways to change their appearance. There’s Polyjuice Potion for one; it takes a month to brew, but with it you can transform into someone else. Extremely skilled wizards and witches can learn to become an Animagus, and transfigure at will into an animal form. Alas, we Muggles (that’s nonmagical folk) have no such abilities. To transform, we usually have to rely on the “magic” provided by the local Halloween costume shop. But there is one other way: Follow the yellow brick road up to Hurley, New York, and the Tonner Doll Company. A wizard in his own right, Robert Tonner has the power to turn humans into dolls. Late last year, he unveiled his latest magical transformation— an amazingly lifelike doll of Harry Potter.

The ever-evolving Hildegard Günzel forges ahead with a new look and a new medium. Her entrée into modern designs sparks excitement.

When Hildegard Günzel began to make an undeniable name for herself in the United States, back in the 1980s, her Germanic-sounding name, with its many syllables and alphabet soup appearance, was a tongue-twisting nightmare. Many folks wondered whether Günzel would anglicize her moniker, reduce its difficulty, and make it easier on the Yankee palate. True to herself and to her origins, Hildegard Günzel maintained that her public would come to embrace her lyrical works and her wordy first and last names. She was right. Today, her name rolls off the tongue; it has become synonymous with excellence, beauty and regality. When collectors talk about dolls that are ethereal and realistic, lovely and refined, they more often than not allude to Günzel.