Together, three women create the ultimate fashion icon.
By Jill Jackson, Photos courtesy of Alexandra Forbes
Three years ago, a small group of women met in person at a small Internet café to discuss their shared love of fashion dolls. K., Yian, and Rhi, as they are known in the doll community, became acquainted on the Korean Cyworld Fashion Doll Club site, an Internet group with fashion and dolls as the common denominators. They learned they had much more in common than a shared interest in fashion dolls: all three had backgrounds in art, fashion, makeup, or design; had actively engaged in repainting or designing clothing for ball-jointed and fashion dolls; and, more importantly, shared the same dream of creating the “ideal fashion doll.”
The three women discussed their ideas about the ideal fashion doll, but there was no debate. K., Yian, and Rhi were in complete agreement. They envisioned a 16-inch (41-cm) fashion doll with real supermodel proportions. She would have a perfect body capable of wearing all styles of clothing and displaying them to their best advantage. She would be engineered with vast range of motion to satisfy collectors who wished to photograph her in a variety of poses and to allow for easy wardrobe changes. Her face must be sculpted to complement any hairstyle, from sleekly executed runway coifs to casual, girl-next-door cuts, and must serve as the perfect palette for makeup to match any attire. The ideal fashion doll, they agreed, could not be just another mannequin; she must project a top model’s attitude and panache—she must be unforgettable and possess all the attributes of a true “fashion icon.” And the concept of Ficon Doll was decided.
In June 2008, within one year of the inception of Ficon Doll, the fledgling company released Alpha and the shared vision became a reality. The dolls are made of the finest Korean resin for added durability. Brisk sales of the first collaboration made it clear that others in the doll world had been searching for the ideal fashion doll, so a second release, Beta, soon followed, along with special limited-edition dolls Hyun and Sul.
The Ficon Doll team was thrilled with the reception of them, but wished to make them available to more collectors, so they launched basic, more affordable versions of Alpha and Beta later that year. With simpler wigs in a variety of colors and dressed in tightly fitted black pants and novelty T-shirts, the Ficon Basic dolls were also an instant hit.
Part of the success of Ficon Doll seems to emanate from the close cooperative efforts of its partners. The three artists and owners work in such harmony during their collaborations that it is sometimes difficult to discern who contributes what to the individual projects. In fact, so united are they that questions addressed to any individual in the company are often replied to in the plural. When asked who the designer is, the reply is: “Yian, K., and Rhi.” Everything is decided through discussion, but the primary face-up artists are Yian and K., and Rhi is the primary clothing designer.
Yian was born in In-Cheon, a city of beautiful beaches and islands near South Korea's capital city, Seoul, where the company is presently located. Yian studied clothing design and after graduation became a makeup artist for 10 years.
K. was born in Seoul and focused her studies on visual design. She, too, turned to makeup artistry after graduating and added hairstyling to her list of accomplishments.
Both Yian and K. are experienced in the art of doll repainting and the creation of one-of-a-kind face-ups. The two happily agree that when putting together a new look for a doll, they are “inspired by everything” and “love the challenge of a new doll.” The final result, according to both women, is achieved through “shared discussion of the face-up and painted with equal division of the work.”
Rhi has a background in illustration and ceramics. She developed an interest in doll clothing while collecting Sydney, by the Tonner Doll Co., and has created and sold her own one-of-a-kind gowns as well as designed and made clothes for a Korean ball-jointed doll (BJD) company. Although the main clothing designer is Rhi, she adds, “We always love to work together. Even clothing design is decided through discussion.”
As Ficon Doll has grown, the dedication to detail has remained constant. Each doll’s face-up and body blushing is still done by hand by Yian and K., as opposed to being factory painted. The eyes are painstakingly hand-painted and the eyelashes applied in the same way. This personalized labor of love results in beautiful luminous eyes that almost appear to be made of glass and a meticulous face-up that is both unique and realistic. When asked to reveal the secret of how they achieve such stunning looks, the trio responds, “The only secret is hard work.”
Each new Ficon Doll production has brought with it something new. Neo, released in early 2009, introduced the company’s first doll in tan skin color. With the next model the Ficon team wanted a more casual look, so Ga-eul was designed with a short blond Twiggy-styled wig and sported pre-washed, hand-distressed jeans, a black T-shirt, and a trendy black jacket accented with chains in a military look. Next, inspired by a photo image of a traditional Korean woman, Ficon Doll released Me-in Do, attired in a contemporary couture strapless gown with a nod to the past via the addition of a traditional Korean vest and skirt style. Literally translated, “me-in” means “beautiful woman,” while “do” means “picture.”
Who’s that Girl, the first release for 2010, incorporated changes to the original Alpha sculpt and brought a more oval, feminine look to the doll’s face. Outfitted in a chic gown of silk taffeta with a flared hemline and a dramatic platinum wig by Chewin, Who’s that Girl pairs the latest in fashion with pale lips and makeup resulting in a fresh new look. In their desire to not create just another pretty face, Ficon Doll has also revised the body design. “We always study doll structure,” they say, “and continue to make changes to improve the posing and make it stronger. Our dolls are not for putting on the shelf and looking [at], but to truly be played with and enjoyed.”
Ficon Doll has recently expanded its marketing program, adding The Doll Peddlar in Arkansas as its sole outside retail representative. Its first exclusive for The Doll Peddlar was Blanc, which was limited to 20 pieces and debuted earlier this year at the Paris Fashion Doll Festival in France. Draped in sheer white netting with an elaborate platinum blond wig reminiscent of Marie Antoinette, Blanc, despite her bustier and lace stockings with garter belt, is described by the Ficon team as “pure and romantic.”
According to Judy Johnson, owner of The Doll Peddlar, “Collectors just love the Ficon Dolls. The company is so pleasant to deal with and they are constantly coming up with something new and different.”
A counterpart to this period-inspired piece, Noir, limited to 25, was recently released by Ficon Doll. As hinted by her name, Noir is adorned in black with a blunt cut wig by Chewin and is aptly described by her makers as having a “sexy look.”
Yian, K., and Rhi, now in their third year of production, still meet together to discuss their shared passion for dolls and fashion. They still get excited when they dream of the ideal fashion doll. The difference is that these days they no longer have to stop at merely dreaming. “We continuously consider creatively with our dolls,” they say. "As fashion doll collectors we always wish for something new. We think that is what other collectors also wish for. It is a challenge we are not afraid of but one we enjoy. We hope people will recognize this and love our ideal fashion dolls as much as we do.”
For more on Ficon Dolls, check out www.ficondoll.com.
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