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Here's what the Media is reporting about Robert Tonner:
"Doll Artist and Teacher Lewis Goldstein made a prediction about
Robert Tonner 10 years ago in Doll Reader, and he was right on the money:
'Although he is not yet well known,' wrote Lewis, 'he should be and will be.'"
"Anyone who's seen Tonner's dolls knows that excels at both
sculpting and clothing design."
"Some artists concentrate on sculpting the head and forget
about the body, the arms and the legs, and the costuming. So they have
wonderful heads, but they don't have the overall picture. Robert is fussy
about every little thing and, as a result, his dolls are perfect people in every
little way."
"'When I saw the exhibit of the French Théâtre
de la Mode at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,' Tonner recalls...I started
thinking...it would be great to do something like this today...'"
"The idea stayed in the back of his mind for the next few
years as he became absorbed in his own growing doll company...after experiencing
the success of the first annual Doll & Teddy Bear Expo...Tonner approached (Dolls
Magazine)...enthusiasm was high, and the idea began to take shape."
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From "Starry, Starry Night - Fund-raisers Fashion an Evening
of Dolls, Bidding and Dancing"
by Stephanie Finnegan for Dolls Magazine May 1996 (Collectors
Communication Corp., NY)
"Doll enthusiasts and star-gazers who attended Dolls Have
Heart, a Romantic Evening of Dolls and Fashion, paid anywhere from $100 to
$1,000 for a ticket. The evening was staged to raise money via the live
auction and silent bidding on 57 of Robert Tonner's vinyl 20-inch American Model
dolls. The dolls were styled and garbed in one-of-a-kind outfits from some
of 7th Avenue's leading designers: Calvin Klein, Anna Sui and Betsey Johnson, to
name a handful."
"With Demi's (Moore) promise of a kiss to...winner, it was not
surprising that Bruce Willis emerged victorious. The Dolce & Gabbana doll
was purchased for $50,000."
"The posable, playable Betsy - Tonner's first try at mass
production, has hit collectors by storm. At $79 retail, the doll is
affordable, adorable as well as beautifully sculpted and dressed."
"Tonner's Betsy captures the doll's classic looks and innocent
spirit, but modernizes and blends them into a new doll with fresh appeal."
"Tonner's Betsy is a big step away from the work on which he
has made his name. The dolls that made Tonner famous were limited, more
expensive, and extremely realistic."
"When he first began sculpting dolls, his stunning limited
edition porcelains sold for $1,200 each. Later dolls were even pricier,
running as high as $2,000 each."
"Master mold maker and haute couture fashion authority
Robert Tonner, an award-winning doll designer and head of the Robert Tonner Doll
Co., has been engaged to create the prototype for the exquisite 16" porcelain
dolls and their Hollywood -inspired costumes."
"In the spirit of Edith Head, Mr. Tonner is the ideal designer
to develop the dolls and costumes. His experience designing clothes for
celebrated designer Bill Blass, and designing his own collections for New York
City's Fashion Avenue, has served him well as the quintessential fashion
designer in the doll genré."
"If you don't take dolls out of their
box, they never have a life - Robert Tonner"
"Every
time I see Robert I think about how far he has come and yet he has never lost
the 'wonder' that I found so fascinating about him 20 years ago. He is in
his element with Betsy McCall, for the common thread is the ability to be
fascinated by the ordinary, and turn the simplest event into an adventure. -
A. Glenn Mandeville"
"Exciting things are happening in the
doll industry today because of Robert Tonner and his wonderful line of Betsy
McCall dolls. The world of vintage Betsy McCall collecting has
grown with renewed interest - luncheons and conventions are growing in number."
"Robert has brought so much happiness
to the world through his dolls he so loves to create. It is not often we
collectors are blessed with such a multi-talented artist!"
"When news hit the Web of Tonner's licensing agreement to
recreate Mary Engelbreit's Ann Estelle character as a play doll,
Engelbreit fans, unable to wait until the doll's spring 1999 release, contacted
(the company) for more information."
"Tonner's outfits were also produced directly from (Mary
Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine) paper doll designs."
"Just as as string of perfectly matched pearls draws your eye
and calls out to be touched, the glamorous models and charming children by
Robert Tonner Dolls appeal with their elegant simplicity. Original,
designer quality costumes reflect their creator's fashion industry background.
Tonner's desire for perfection shows in everything he produces. The United
Federation of Doll Clubs chose Tonner to design the souvenir doll, Ariana,
for their 50th anniversary convention. UFDC Convention Coordinator Becky
Moncreif said, "Robert is one of the most talented and delightful artists in the
industry."
"Barbara Steiker, long-time friend and mentor to Tonner, said
of him, "No one else can equal Robert's eye for fashion. His dolls have
eye appeal. They are a quality product."
"The good news is Tonner's Tyler Wentworth. To
call her a 'fashion doll' would be a disservice. She breaks the barrier of
just "Better than Barbie," which is the barometer some adult collectors
have used for the past few years. At a minimum, this is a high
fashion doll."
"So keeping with the renaissance theme, Tonner must be
considered the Leonardo of this year's fashion doll rally."
"There is nothing 'faux' in this line. There is no need
to use 'quotation marks' when speaking about any aspect of this collection.
That's because Tyler is the real deal. She wears 100% cashmere,
100% silk, 100% wool, and originally-designed jewelry."
"There's another 'best part' to the Tyler Wentworth
story. There are no public shareholders to worry about quarter-to-quarter
profitability and no over focus group-ization to standardize or cheapen product
lines."
"Manufacturers are striking a careful balance between
realistically proportioned figures and those that simply look great."
"Fashion dolls are not immune to this trend. Robert
Tonner, owner and designer of Robert Tonner Inc., gave his Tyler Wentworth brand
a story line and a realistic body. She is a fashion designer, not a model
or actress. And she has play value, something Tonner said has become more
important to manufacturers over the past 15 years."
"New collectors want to play with the doll, change the
clothes, paint the face and change the hair. This, (Tonner) predicted,
will open up the accessory area of the industry."
"Robert Tonner's facial sculpting is exquisite. His
children are utterly charming, his women are beautiful and lifelike, yet
idealized. He seems to have a special gift for sculpting African-American
women. The face of Esmé is elegant, strong and graceful."
"It's fun to have a little piece of the New York garment
district on this fashion doll runway!"
"The Robert Tonner Doll Company began
in the early 1990s with multi-jointed porcelain fashion dolls, but hit the
jackpot when he first licensed Betsy McCall and reproduced her in 14" vinyl.
Betsy is reminiscent of the McCall paper doll from the 1950s and is available
dressed or with additional outfits."
"Tonner was (and still is!) unique in
the doll world for his ability to capture the magic of childhood in winsome,
utterly delightful child dolls as well as interpret the elegance and glamour of
haute couture in his adult fashion dolls."
"The mid-90s saw the emergence of
fashion dolls that differed not only from Barbie® dolls but from Gene
as well. The popularity of dolls such as Tonner's American Models,
introduced the year prior to Gene's debut, and Madame Alexander's
re-vamped and revitalized Cissy, introduced a year after Gene,
indelibly influenced the standard by which the new genre of fashion dolls would
be judged."
"...while Tyler has a similar
air or refinement and grace...she was born of Robert Tonner's personal tastes
and experiences, not patterned after...anyone else."
"...Tyler is also posable, with hinged,
articulated knees that permit a perfect 90-degree bend. Perfecting that
joint at the knees was a labor of love, for it literally took years for Tonner
to develop one that would be fairly unobtrusive yet permit a wide range of
motion."
"Fine artists are sculpting dolls and
designing their presentation and costuming with the intent to have the dolls
produced in a closely supervised setting under direct control of the artist.
Examples of artists pursuing this high quality doll art form include R. John
Wright, Wendy Lawton, Robert Tonner, Helen Kish, Alice Leverett, Hildegard
Günzel and other fine designing doll artists."
"In essence, these artists are
establishing a new category of artist dolls which are extremely popular with
doll collectors today."
"(Stacy Berns) It is known that you are a doll collector, so
what do you think of Gene's competition: Tyler, Daisy & Willow, Alex, Brenda
Starr, Franklin Mint's line of vinyl dolls?
(Mel Odom) I have a number of them. Imitation is
flattering, and it's a great size (referring to Gene's size). As for
Tyler, I believe that Robert had something on the drawing board for quite
sometime."
"As most fashion doll collectors
already know, Tonner has succeeded spectacularly with (Tyler) Wentworth!
The doll has the perfect proportions for showing off beautifully miniaturized
fashions. She is a true PLAY doll, and she has outstanding clothing and
accessories. She is very poseable."
"Being
a fashion doll, of course, clothing is KEY to Tyler, and Tyler's
fans have not been disappointed. Tonner has concentrated on using only the
finest in fabrics--linen, cashmere, silk and mohair have all already been used
in Tyler's outfits. Tonner looks for proper fabric all over the world
for Tyler's outfits--Europe and Asia. Tonner has created clothing for
many of Tyler's occasions--work, ball gowns, cocktail dresses, sleep
wear, business suits, resort wear. Again, this was part of Tonner's dream for a
fashion doll, and something that his earlier American Models lacked."
"The 21st century version of 8-inch Betsy is as
adorable as her 1950s predecessor. Her pert face, petite size and cute
clothes will make grownups wish that they still had kid-sized fingers to play
with her."
"Admirers of the 1950s Betsy will delight in the
authentic elements of Tonner's new doll."
-
From "An Update: New Fashion Dolls" appearing in Doll News
Magazine, Journal of the United Federation of Doll Clubs, Spring 2001 (Doll News
UFDC, MO)
"The concept for Tyler Wentworth was a brilliant idea
implemented by award-winning doll and fashion designer, Robert Tonner. His
first-hand knowledge of the fashion industry...combined with his considerable
sculpting talents has yielded a most appealing fashion doll. Tyler
Wentworth...has captured the respect and admiration, not only of collectors,
but also of fellow fashion doll industry executives. Tyler's
sophisticated and tasteful style exudes pure luxury from every stitch, appealing
to collectors and designers as well."
"Since their launch in 1991 Robert Tonner's dolls have
captured the imagination of collectors and fashion designers worldwide.
Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, Pearce Fionda, Bruce Oldfield and Stella
McCartney are just a few of the designers who have dressed these miniature super
models for charity."
"Robert Tonner's haute couture background is evident in the
sophisticated styles he creates for Tyler. The costumes have that chic
look that says Fifth Avenue and are quintessential American style."
"Tyler seems more real to her fans. The addition
of a drafting table and sketches is reminiscent of Barbie doll and the
introduction of her story line and structures to the saga. This is a doll
worth watching."
"Tyler Wentworth, in my opinion, is one of the best
dolls to ever hit the fashion doll runways. Robert's fashion background
and knowledge of fabrics give him a cutting edge in the fashion doll
marketplace. It is hard to imagine a fashion doll collection without an
example of Tyler Wentworth! Many editions are VERY limited and the
buzz at Toy Fair was that it was to be a total sell out at the Wholesale level.
Place your order now, would be my advice."
"One of the most successful makers of contemporary bride dolls
is the Robert Tonner Doll Company based in Hurley, New York. Its founder,
Robert Tonner, brings a keen sense of style to his creations."
"For Here Come the Bride Dolls,
Tonner created two spectacular dolls: his first-ever Tyler Wentworth brides."
"Whatever the reason, watching Robert Tonner evolve as a doll
maker and entrepreneur is to observe a creative powerhouse who continues to
engender new ideas with strategic appeal."
"In the real world, fashion isn't always fun. Upscale
stores and boutiques are filled with stick-narrow clothing clearly never meant
for a woman's hips, chic designer garments with sky-high price tags, and
oh-so-pretty shoes that go medieval on our feet. But thanks to Robert
Tonner, the doll world's leading couturier, we can live out all our fashion
fantasies with ease."
"Lest you worry that all work and no play will make Robert
Tonner a dull boy, you can be assured that he really does enjoy his work.
Whether he is experimenting with color palettes for his beloved Tyler or
creating clothes for his darling Tiny Betsy, he truly is 'having a blast.'
In fact, it's hard to tell who is having more fun these days - the man who makes
the dolls or the collectors who bring them home."
"Believe in the Power of Play...that's the now-famous slogan of
the Tonner Doll Company, a name that's synonymous with style, quality and flair
in the world of modern doll making."
"(Robert's) vast knowledge and hands-on experience with various
doll making processes qualify him as one of the world's leading doll artists and
authorities."
On discussing her design project for themed home collections
including commissioned likeness porcelain dolls by Robert Tonner:
"...(actress Jane) Seymour emphasizes...'I have always designed;
I have created my own things and I've collected. I know how it's done, so
I can appreciate when it's done really well. That's why I'm so excited to
work as a team with people who are so professional; they will listen to my ideas
and recognize that I'm not asking them something that is impossible.'"
-
From "Tyler Wentworth and the World of Fashion" by Timothy
M. Gunn, Chair, Department of Fashion, Parson School of Design, Taken from
The Tyler Wentworth Fifth Anniversary Album (Reverie Publications MD
2004)
"Tyler's collection evoke dressmaker precision combined with a
draper's finesse. Elegant ball gowns drift and sway as if made of cotton
candy. Classic tailored suits fit with supple ease and radiate a buttery
softness. Her sportswear displays a sporty formality that is hugely
appealing and her attention to finishing details is the mark of a consummate
pro."
"Paris may be synonymous with haute couture, but Robert Tonner,
award-winning doll designer and Tonner Doll Company president, is to the doll
world what Dior is to the world of fashion. Robert Tonner's forté of
sculpting vinyl and porcelain dolls has set new industry standards."
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