Financing the Vision
I had a BIG vision and I was going to need BIG money to get it off the ground. Fortunately life brought me Donn Chappellet of Chappellet wines out of northern California. Donn and his wife Molly just so happened to have three daughters, larger girls that didn’t model after Barbie. He believed in my concept and me and wanted to help pave the way for his daughters – so he gave me my first seed money. I will always owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Chappellet. If it were not for Donn, I may have never been able to go beyond an idea.
This first round of seed money, plus my own investment financed the development of the first two prototypes, Athena and Demeter.
Athena is tall and stately, with piercing gray eyes and a knowing look. If she were an actual woman, she would be 5’9”, and would wear size 8. She has a little belly, a signature design of all SophiaDolls™. Athena has broad shoulders and long, graceful arms. Her hips and thighs are full, providing a powerful foundation and solid connection to the earth. Her hands are nimble and skilled.
Demeter’s body illustrates her abundance and generosity. She is fleshy, with wide hips and a full bosom. She has a little belly, the signature design of all SophiaDolls™. If Demeter were an actual woman, she would be 5’5” tall, and would wear size 14. Her hazel green eyes reflect the colors of the earth. Her robust and Rubinesque physique celebrates the beauty of the feminine body.
Dressing and Accessorizing the Dolls
Taking a sketch and then turning the drawing into tangible clothing and accessories isn’t as easy as it appears. I spent hours and hours going through fabric samples to get the right color, size and texture of the fabric for the prototype costumes. I went through several doll costume makers in search of the one with the right “feel” for the outfits. I finally found the perfect woman, Donna, who lived in N.Y. and who had designed and sewn several fashion doll costumes. Unfortunately, she died unexpectedly and my search continued. I have had similar experiences with wig manufacturers. My original contact and source of supply, Diana, also unexpectedly passed away, leaving me to start over. But in each case I persevered. One person leads to another, to another, who leads you to someone else. Many times I felt like giving up, but my heart would not let me. This is my life work – my life passion! I have spent months upon months working out the costumes, wigs, realistic eyes and accessories for each doll. Symbols, such as a shield and armor for Athena and a sheaf of wheat for Demeter complete the ensemble. I laugh as I reflect on the detail I have gone through, from determining a skin tone color to completing the make up coloring for each doll. Each doll has a different hair color, eye color, and facial and body shape. Each doll is a museum quality piece of art.
I had a BIG vision and I was going to need BIG money to get it off the ground. Fortunately life brought me Donn Chappellet of Chappellet wines out of northern California. Donn and his wife Molly just so happened to have three daughters, larger girls that didn’t model after Barbie. He believed in my concept and me and wanted to help pave the way for his daughters – so he gave me my first seed money. I will always owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Chappellet. If it were not for Donn, I may have never been able to go beyond an idea.
This first round of seed money, plus my own investment financed the development of the first two prototypes, Athena and Demeter.
Athena is tall and stately, with piercing gray eyes and a knowing look. If she were an actual woman, she would be 5’9”, and would wear size 8. She has a little belly, a signature design of all SophiaDolls™. Athena has broad shoulders and long, graceful arms. Her hips and thighs are full, providing a powerful foundation and solid connection to the earth. Her hands are nimble and skilled.
Demeter’s body illustrates her abundance and generosity. She is fleshy, with wide hips and a full bosom. She has a little belly, the signature design of all SophiaDolls™. If Demeter were an actual woman, she would be 5’5” tall, and would wear size 14. Her hazel green eyes reflect the colors of the earth. Her robust and Rubinesque physique celebrates the beauty of the feminine body.
Dressing and Accessorizing the Dolls
Taking a sketch and then turning the drawing into tangible clothing and accessories isn’t as easy as it appears. I spent hours and hours going through fabric samples to get the right color, size and texture of the fabric for the prototype costumes. I went through several doll costume makers in search of the one with the right “feel” for the outfits. I finally found the perfect woman, Donna, who lived in N.Y. and who had designed and sewn several fashion doll costumes. Unfortunately, she died unexpectedly and my search continued. I have had similar experiences with wig manufacturers. My original contact and source of supply, Diana, also unexpectedly passed away, leaving me to start over. But in each case I persevered. One person leads to another, to another, who leads you to someone else. Many times I felt like giving up, but my heart would not let me. This is my life work – my life passion! I have spent months upon months working out the costumes, wigs, realistic eyes and accessories for each doll. Symbols, such as a shield and armor for Athena and a sheaf of wheat for Demeter complete the ensemble. I laugh as I reflect on the detail I have gone through, from determining a skin tone color to completing the make up coloring for each doll. Each doll has a different hair color, eye color, and facial and body shape. Each doll is a museum quality piece of art.
posted by Denise @ 4:22 PM
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