Two of my absolute favorite things are vintage fashion and collecting fashion dolls. I have also enjoyed the resurgence of late-1950 and 1960’s fashion styles brought on by the popularity of the AMC television series MAD MEN.
The Fashion of MAD MEN
(photo property of Maryann Roy)
(photos property of Maryann Roy)
Then I learned that Maryann Roy was the designer and creator of the doll furniture also featured in the pictures, recreating furniture from the same era in 1/6 scale.
Welcome Home Furnishings (photos property of Maryann Roy)
MAD MEN Art Direction and Set Design
Maryann and Hilda collaborated to create miniature replicas of the characters and sets of MAD MEN using Silkstone Barbie and Fashion Royalty dolls for FDQ magazine. The results were pretty remarkable:
The Women and Men of MAD MEN (photo by Maryann Roy)
Joan, Roger and Don in the office (photo by Maryann Roy)
Joan and Roger Betty and Don
(photos by Maryann Roy)
The majority of my own doll collecting is devoted to vintage glamour and styles, so the moment I saw Hilda’s fashions and Maryann’s furniture, I knew I had to add some of their beautiful pieces to my collection. I decided to start with the fashion since I am a gal who believes in “fashion first.” So, I went to Hilda’s Bellisima*Couture website and began browsing the photos in her boutique.
(all fashion photos property of Bellissima*Couture)
The styles, variety and craftsmanship of Hilda’s work blew me away and I became curious about how she came to create these amazing 1/6 replica fashions. I decided to contact Hilda and ask. We immediately stuck up a lovely conversation via email. This, of course, lead to more questions, especially when I learned that she was also passionate about vintage fashion. So, I finally decided to ask if she would be so kind as to participate in a little “Q & A” for Madame L. To my utter delight, she agreed!!
Here is my interview with Hilda:
LISA: When did you start making 1/6 doll clothes and what inspired you to do so? Have you had any formal training or are you a self-taught seamstress?
HILDA: I was taught to sew by the mother of a friend when I was in High School. She gave me the basic skills and from there it has mostly been self-taught. I have always enjoyed making things. We didn’t have a television in our house, so I spent all of my time drawing, making paper dolls and origami, things like that. I started Bellissima in 1993, actually, when I started my own hat business (for people). I then made handbags, hair ornaments and jewelry. I didn’t start sewing for dolls until 2004. I began with the bigger dolls, like Madame Alexander’s Cissy and Tyler Wentworth.
Hilda's Sewing Room (with Toby)
I bought my first 1/6 scale doll in early 2007, Stolen Magic Silkstone Barbie, and never looked back. I absolutely love sewing for 1/6 scale dolls. I occasionally will accept a commission for ¼ scale, but I really don’t enjoy it as much.
Stolen Magic Silkstone Barbie
HILDA: I love the clothes of the 50s and early 60s. I think the reason I love this style so much is because the clothes are so pretty and so beautifully made. The details like pin tucks, piping, covered buttons, pleats, are things we rarely see in modern fashions. The recent popularity of this era has brought some of these lovely details back to clothing.
(pictures property of Bellissima*Couture)
LISA: It has always seemed to me that creating patterns and stitching 1/6 scale clothing is a particular challenge because everything is at such a small scale. How difficult is it? What made you decide to create 1/6 scale clothing instead of other scales?
HILDA: It is funny how often people will ask me if I use a miniature sewing machine when making the doll clothes! I use a Bernina 830 machine, a real classic that is probably about 30 years old and weighs about 50 pounds. I use the machine for the basic sewing, but I do all the finishing by hand, which can take some time. I have found that simple, classic patterns work best when working in miniature. Anything too complicated can look fussy and out of scale. I have favorite patterns that I use over and over again with variations.
(photo by Ginny Liezert)
LISA: One of the things I truly love about your fashions are the fabulous fabrics and color pairings. Where to you find your fabrics? How do you choose the colors/combinations you put together?
HILDA: I honestly think I am more obsessive about collecting fabrics than dolls (is that sacrilegious?). I buy fabrics all the time. I almost never use synthetic fabrics. I prefer silks, cottons and sometimes wool. My current favorite fabric is silk noil. It has a wonderful texture and comes in gorgeous colors. It is perfect for doll clothing. I love colors and textures, which is why silk is so great. It comes in every color you can imagine, including iridescent shades. And there are so many cotton prints out there! I can’t resist cotton prints!
LISA: What inspires the creation of your fashion designs? Do you have a favorite designer?
HILDA: I love to search the internet for vintage clothes and patterns. I also watch movies and shows set in the ‘50s and ‘60s. But I am most inspired by my fellow doll artists. There are so many incredible artists in the doll world. I am humbled by their talents.LISA: How big is your own doll collection? Do you have a particular favorite?
HILDA: For a long time I claimed I wasn’t a doll collector, but I guess I finally have to admit that I am! It started with Silkstones and I am crazy about them! But I love Fashion Royalty too. I adore Poppy Parker and have all of them. I love the Monograms too, but they are so hard to buy, so I only have two so far. I made a decision, however, only to buy dolls that I love and to get rid of dolls that I don’t bond with. I still have too many, though.
Poppy Parker
(furniture and set design by Maryann Roy, picture propety of Integrity Toys)
HILDA: Maryann and I are really close friends and we have been friends almost from the time I started sewing for dolls. Maryann contacted me to make some clothes and we have been friends ever since. We were chatting at this year’s Barbie Convention about how much we love Mad Men and thought it would be fun to do a recreation of the sets and costumes. We have lots of plans for the future! Stay tuned!
LISA: What do you want to do next? Are there other eras of fashion you want to tackle or do you plan to make clothing for larger scale dolls?
HILDA: I will continue to expand my “Women of Mad Men” line. I am having a really good time working on this era. There are so many amazing fashions. But I am always open to suggestions. And I am going to stick with 1/6 scale for now. I have so little time to sew that I like to do what I most enjoy.
(images property of Bellissima*Couture)
I want to sincerely thank both Hilda and Maryann for being gracious enough to allow me to include the photos provided for this piece with a special thank you to Hilda for taking the time to answer my questions.
I am already in the process of placing my first order with Hilda for my very own MAD MEN fashions for my Blue Blooded Jolie and Platinum Jordan FR ladies and I am extremely excited!! I have also been browsing the furniture list on Maryann’s site trying to decide which pieces to start with and it’s hard to decide. Once the new fashion and furniture arrive, you can be sure I will be posting my own MAD MEN photos ;).
In the meantime, for those interested, you can find more of Hilda and Marryann’s work on their websites:
Hilda is a Professor of art history.
She currently resides in MA with her Leading Man Phil, wonderdog Buffy
and the gorgeous kitties Toby (orange Tiger featured in the previous office pic)
and Rufus (Flame Point Hilmalayan) who can often be found admiring her work :).
and the gorgeous kitties Toby (orange Tiger featured in the previous office pic)
and Rufus (Flame Point Hilmalayan) who can often be found admiring her work :).
Comments (4)
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written by Hilda, January 13, 2010
I am blushing! What a great article, Lisa! I am so honored to be included on your wonderful blog, which is one of my favorites! Thank you so much for your interest in my work. xxoo Hilda
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written by Lisa, January 13, 2010
Thank you Maryann and Hilda!! I am so thrilled that you both are pleased with the article. It was so much fun to put together and I love being able to feature your gorgeous work 
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What a lovely interview with Hilda ! Her work is contageious isn't it?! LOL! She's a master seamstress.
Thank you so much for including me in the story.
Best,
Maryann Roy