WELLINGTON TALE No discount threads for doll divas
THE Raggedy Anns of Island Bay Playcentre have been transformed into fashion princesses, thanks to a leading designer and some dedicated work by parents.
When the playcentre inspected its collection of dolls’ clothes earlier this year, it decided they were desperately in need of a makeover, so it approached fashion house World for some help.
‘‘World was the first company I thought of because they have such bold colours,’’ playcentre copresident and parent Sarah Bicknell says.
World co-founder and designer Denise L’Estrange-Corbet was unable to help out with the designing, but was happy to send the playcentre six bags of offcuts left over from the company’s spring/summer 2012-13 collection.
‘‘Fabric is expensive and you can’t just buy a little bit here and a little bit there,’’ L’EstrangeCorbet says.
‘‘It’s something World has always done. They contacted me and said they had a very large amount of undressed dolls and they would like them to be dressed in designer clothes.’’
Thanks to the sewing efforts of parents, including one who is a wedding dress designer, the once-drab dolls have been transformed into divas, complete with designer underwear.
Some children even have matching dresses to go with their designer dolls.
L’Estrange-Corbet thinks the outcome is ‘‘lovely’’. ‘‘They have got more than enough to keep them busy, and some very welldressed dolls.’’
The clothes have been made easy to get on and off, and Bicknell says the renewed interest in the dolls helps teach the children important life skills, as well as giving them a chance to play.
‘‘They are really interested in the underwear, especially now they are toilet training,’’ she says. ‘‘It’s all about learning to care for each other and care for others.’’
And the next stop for these mini divas? A family fish and chip night, complete with fashion show, will give the dolls a real taste of the designer world.