David Wolfe's 2019 Classic Movie Christmas Card - Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn (1942)

Christmas at Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn

It's that wonderful time of the year! My annual Paperdollywood paper doll Christmas card is my little gift for you! It celebrates one of my very favorite holiday movies, starring Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale in a musical comedy based on Irving Berlin's year 'round holiday songs. Holiday Inn is a 1942 black and white classic, so it was fun to imagine the colors of the ladies' fashions. Click here for a PDF to save, print, collect, cut, craft and share with friends and family this holiday season! This replaces my usual monthly blog which will be back as usual with the January 2020 issue. 

For my list of Nine Must Watch Christmas Classic Movies visit the PaperdollReview Blog for movie synopses and paper doll pages from my Merry Movie Christmas Paper Dolls & Pop Trivia book, published by Paper Studio Press in 2018.

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!

Holiday Inn (1942) Paper Doll by David Wolfe 

Clothes by Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale

Spring 2020 Fashions from Europe, Little Women, Royal Princesses, Christmas Coloring and Paper Dolls

Europe's Grand Finale for Spring 2020

Spring 2020. A new decade. What will 2020s bring in fashion? The first season of this new beginning is off to a challenging start. The European Fashion Weeks in London, Milan and Paris staged scores and scores of runway shows. 

New trends? Nothing that hasn’t been seen before, many times over, but given a different twist, a fresh spin, the fashion version of today’s “fake news”syndrome. Same old, same old blue jeans are presented as if they are news. Pantsuits also are hardly new but they are everywhere, as are trenchcoats, destined for another season of success. But beware, they are not your mother’s trenchcoat. 

Looking for newness? Start with the search for overriding silhouette declarations. There is occasional innovation, exaggeration and experimentation. Sleeves are often noticeably enlarged, as are full skirts. Shorts, sometimes almost miniscule, do not even raise an eyebrow these days. Textiles are core concepts, ranging from reworked leopard spots to yawn-inducing blue denim. Sheer see-through delicacies include tulle and lovely lace, sometimes with decorative stitchery added. Metallic surfaces add jazzy razzle dazzle. Exciting, creative prints are pushing the limits of multi-colorful artistry. The coming decade may be new but the color stories are solidly safe. Black-and-white in high contrast duet or even stronger, when solo. Natural neutrals continue to gain followers while shades of blue garner stellar attention. A rare dash of orange looks refreshing and welcome. 

"Fake News" from European runways for spring 2020: left-to-right…Saint Laurent, Celine and Balenciaga. 

 Pantsuits, hardly new, but everywhere: left-to-right…Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Dolce &Gabanna.

 Miniscule shorts do not raise an eyebrow these days: left-to-right…Saint Laurent, Valentino and Christian Dior. 

 Same old, same old blue jeans: left-to-right…Chanel, Celine and Stella McCartney. 

Not your mother’s classic trenchcoat: left-to-right… Junya Watanabe, Bottega Veneta and Valentino.

 Classic trenchcoats reconfigured into cutting edge: left-to-right…Burberry, Junya Watanabe and Junya Watanabe. 

 Noticeably enlarged sleeves from bygone times: left-to-right…Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Stella McCartney. 

 Full skirts for the ultimate feminine fashion statement: left-to-right…Christian Dior, Chanel and Valentino. 

 Sheer featherweight fabrics dare to make a sexy statements: left-to-right…Gucci, Valentino and Christian Dior.

 All sorts of stripes are simple variations on classic graphic lines: left-to-right…Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior and Chanel. 

 Lovely lace sets a romantic mood: left-to-right… Alexander McQueen, Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana. 

 New recreated antique expressions turn back time: left-to-right…Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Dior.

 Metallic special effects give ‘em that ol’ razzle dazzle: left-to-right…Bottega Veneta, Prada and Chanel. 

 Prints push the limits of colorful artistry: left-to-right…Balenciaga, Valentino and Marni. 

 Unique prints worthy of art gallery wall-space: Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. 

 Black-and-white in sharp contrasting harmony: left-to-right…Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Maison Margiela. 

 White stands alone, the absence of all color, nevertheless a powerful presence: left-to-right…Prada, Alexander McQueen and Valentino. 

 Black goes solo, the presence of all colors, the ever-popular favorite: left-to-right…Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana and Maison Margiela. 

 Natural neutrals are calm and cool, quiet and collected: left-to-right…Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Junya Watanabe. 

 Shades of blue ring true, with a special emphasis on sky blue: left-to-right…Marni, The Row and Christian Dior. 

 A dash of orange adds some welcome sizzle to the spring 2020 season: left-to-right… Bottega Veneta, Marni and Prada. 

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A Paper Doll Book That Didn't Happen

Sometimes things just don’t happen the way I wish they would. A few years ago, I had a brainstorm while thinking about future paper doll projects. How about Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women? The great Tom Tierney published a definitive book many years ago. I thought it was time for a fresh new version. Jenny Taliadoros, the power house exec behind Paper Studio Press agreed to publish it and I was off and running. As part of my researching I watched the several movie versions that have been made over the years. The best, most charming version in my opinion was the MGM 1949 classic. What a cast! June Allyson, Margaret O’Brien, Janet Leigh and Elizabeth Taylor (in a wig of blonde ringlets!) I immediately started drawing and painting facial studies, getting comfortable with the likenesses, over and over again. The four stars had very distinctive faces and I soon captured to my satisfaction the images of the MGM stars as tomboyish Jo, ladylike Meg, vain beauty Amy and gentle Beth. (The studio saw fit to trade ages of Amy and Beth to make the characters suit the popular young stars.) 

I envisioned the cover as a painting of the sentimental group portrait of the little women gathered around Marmee reading a letter from Father, a Chaplin in the Civil War army. I was happy as could be with my project, but not for long. Jenny was concerned about the rights to represent MGM's depiction of the story. She suggested I create generic dolls, but I was not interested in the project minus the star-studded cast. So the project was shelved, to my chagrin. 

I did succeed in creating a personal “Little Women” Christmas Card one year (2014), however! The years passed and I put away my aborted attempt. Of course, I continued meantime to create dozens of paper dolls, movie dolls and fashions galore. 

Just recently I was delighted to see a new version of Little Women paper dolls by one of my favorite fellow artists, Eileen Rudisill Miller (a.k.a. Rudy). Her interpretation is as fresh as a daisy, a charming retelling that brings new life to a beloved classic. Rudy’s Little Women, published by Dover, is available from paperdollreview.com. 

 Unpublished cover artwork of Marmee and the four girls: Janet Leigh as Meg, June Allyson as Jo, Elizabeth Taylor as Amy, Margaret O’Brien as Beth, Mary Astor as Marmee.

 Page 1, David’s personal Christmas Card, 2014

 Page 2, David’s personal Christmas Card, 2014

 Page 3, David’s personal Christmas Card, 2014

Little Women by Eileen Rudisill Miller, Dover, 2019

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DRESSING ROYAL PRINCESSES 

“Royal Princesses of the 20th Century” is my current paper doll book, a work in progress. It will include five royal princesses, each considered a fashion trend-setter in her day. Princess Alexandra of Denmark married Queen Victoria’s son in 1863, becoming the Princess of Wales and later the Queen Consort and Empress. She was a stunning fairy tale beauty who dressed the role, dripping in jewels and pearls. Her fashion lifespan began with crinoline hoopskirts, then bustles and finally, hourglass curves. A later famous Princess was Margaret Rose, who wore Christian Dior’s post WWII “New Look” and made it her own signature look. Anne, The Princess Royal, is known as “the hardest working member of the Windsor family.” She seems to care more about horsemanship than fashion these days, although she was always a very smartly dressed young woman. Diana, Princess of Wales, the most photographed woman of the 20th century grew from slightly frumpy to become a super chic high fashion plate. Her tragic death was globally mourned in 1997. Movie star Grace Kelly became a Princess when she left Hollywood in 1956 to wed Prince Rainier of Monaco. Each of the five paper dolls will have several appropriately Royal outfits in this forthcoming regal book to be published by Paper Studio Press in 2020. 

 Extravagant Royal wedding dress worn by Alexandra of Denmark, making her the English Princess of Wales. 

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Christmas is Coming Very Soon!

My monthly coloring book exercise is a reminder that the Christmas holiday is coming soon. I completed my annual Christmas card early this year and it will be sent to you as a special email in December, ready for you to print yourself, as many copies as you want. Meanwhile, I got in the festive spirit by coloring some pages from the wonderful Dover book honoring the vintage Christmas covers of The Saturday Evening Post. The first half of the book consists of vintage full-color prints of magazine covers by leading illustrators including Norman Rockwell and J.C. Leyendecker. The second section of the book repeats the covers as black-and-white line drawings, ready to color with pencils or crayons. Careful! The drawings are very intricate, difficult to color. 

Paperdoll Review offers lots of holiday paper dolls including two books created by me in years past, but still available for purchase from paperdollreview.com. Merrie Christmas is my vision of an old-fashioned family celebration with costumes for ice skating, caroling, tree-trimming and a Christmas show. Merry Movie Christmas pays tribute to some of my favorite Holiday movies including “It’s A Wonderful Life,” “White Christmas,””Home Alone,” “Elf” and several more, each with a paper doll and a costume. 

 Christmas Treasury” Cover and children hanging stockings colored by David. 

 Two more pages from “Christmas Treasury” colored by David. 

 Merrie Christmas is an old-fashioned family paper doll book celebrating the Holiday. 

 Merry Movie Christmas is a paper doll book honoring favorite Holiday films.

2019 Emmy Fashions, Parson's School Fashion Show, New York Fashion Week, Three Betty Grables, Dressing Pop Trends, Paper Doll Collector,

Tomorrow's Talented Grads

Parson’s School of Design’s 2019 graduate show in New York City provided a preview peek at 12 talented students who are possibly the fashion stars of the future. They are heralded as the masters of fine arts and if their collections are any indication, tomorrow’s fashions are going to be highly creative, surprisingly colorful and somewhat suggestive. As is often the case of fashion college collections, exciting they may be, but what works on the runway is usually a quantum leap away from reality. 

 Left: Sho Konishi. Center: Hualei Lu. Right: Meg Calloway.

 Left: Yong Guo. Center: Bugs Garson. Right: Tara Babylon.  

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New York Fashion Week Kicks Off Spring 2020

The “official” month of Trans-Atlantic Fashion Weeks began in New York City with a jammed 5-day schedule of so many runway shows and installations that it’s difficult to decipher the true trends and to discount/discard the fake news. Marc Jacobs’ 61-piece production that closed the week was a throw-back recall of unreal but amusing exaggerated extremes. Unbelievable in the real world. 

The real true news is the expanding realization that fashion must become more modern and ultimately believable. Although many designers paid homage to the ‘80s, that ol’ retro time warp seems somewhat forced. What rings true today is ease and comfort, clothes and accessories that connect to reality. It’s indicative of big change in the air that footwear is coming down-to-earth, (these shoes and sandals are made for walkin’.)

Bold colors get attention but shades of beige look better. Prints can be familiar florals or artful eye-catchers. Important textiles range from ultra-lightweights and fluid jersey to structured bottom-weights. Key items for spring ’20 include classic tailored sportswear jackets, soft pants (straight and wider), softened pantsuits, casual evening separates, trench coats and retro cocktail dresses. 

 Real News Modernity: A.L.C., Theory, The Row. 

 Bold Colors: Gabriela Hearst, Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs.

 Real News Shades of Beige: The Row, Tom Ford, The Row. 

 Real News Artful Prints: Pyer Moss, Coach 1941, Pyer Moss.

 Familiar Floral Prints: Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera. 

 Familiar Woven Patterns: Brooks Bros., Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs.

 Structured Textiles: Tom Ford, Theory, Carolina Herrera. 

 Key Item Classic Sportswear Jackets: Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford. 

 Key Item Soft Wide Pants: Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Tory Burch.

 Key Item Relaxed Pantsuits: A.L.C., Gabriella Hearst, Jason Wu. 

 Key Item Evening Separates: Carolina Herrera, Tom Ford, Gabriela Hearst. 

 Key Item Trenchcoats: Coach 1941, Gabriela Hearst, Jason Wu. 

 Key Item Retro Cocktail Dresses: Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Michael Kors.

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TV Costumes on Display in L.A.

The 13th Annual Art of TV Costume Design exhibition staged at FIDM College in Los Angeles reconfirms that television is heralding a new Golden Age of entertainment. Creatively executed costumes play an important role in programs ranging from non-fiction reality to fantasy sci-fi, from Game of Thrones to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The scope and diversity of current programing is such that costumes, male as well as female, speak for themselves and the exhibition is wisely curated and mounted, simply staged with velvet curtains as backdrops to display the 10 Emmy nominees, and the three winners among 83 costumes on view. The exhibition ends October 26th. Emmy 2019 winners for Costume Design: Outstanding Period Costume Emmy to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Episode: “We’re going to the Catskills,” designed by Donna Zakowska. Outstanding Contemporary Costume Emmy to Russian Doll Episode: “Superiority Complex,” designed by Jennifer Rogien. Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costume Emmy to Game of Thrones Episode: “The Bells,” designed by Michele Clapton. 

 Me, enjoying Emmy-worthy TV costume design exhibition at Los Angeles’ FIDM Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. 

 Left: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Center: The Man in the High Castle. Right: Outlander. Hit episodic mini-series herald TV’s new “Golden Age.” 

 Left: The Masked Singer. Center: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Right: Pose. Fantasy meets glamour. 

 Pose. Center: Future Man. Right: Game of Thrones. The fashionable male element is evident. 

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Coloring Three Betty Grables

My monthly coloring book exercise is devoted to the WWII pin-up blonde beauty, Betty Grable. Her wholesome glamour and warm personality made her the perfect subject for paper dolls and coloring books during troubled times. My own collection contains three marvelous coloring books, ranging from 1941 (the year I was born!) to 1953. I also have the vintage paper doll books that were published to match-up with the three coloring books. I myself enjoyed creating Betty Grable paper dolls for my “Classic Dancing Stars” book and soon-to-be-published “Fiesta!” 

  1953 Betty Grable Coloring Book, cover and colored page (in a rainbow-ruffled gown.) Published by Merrill.

 1951 Betty Grable Coloring Book, cover and color page (as a Gay ‘90s belle.) Published by Merrill. 

 1941 Betty Grable Paint Book, cover and colored page (I colored Betty as a golden Oscar statuette!) Drawings by Doris Lane Butler, published by Whitman.  

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Dressing Pop Trend Paper Dolls

Pop Trends is my most recent book, published by Paper Studio Press. I confess that I created it in hopes that collectors will cut-out the dolls (a trio, all the same size, so they can borrow and wear each other’s clothes.) Each of the book’s eight pages is devoted to fashion items that exemplify a single trend: Romantic, Sporty, Minimal, Futuristic, Nostalgic, Uniform, Gypsy and Exotic. It’s fun to dress the dolls in a singular trend, head-to-toe. It’s even more fun to mix-up the trends the way cutting edge fashion stylists do these days, creating a never-before-seen trend. 

 Left: Sailor uniform, bell-bottom pants and middy tunic plus Dixie Cup cap. Center: Gypsy blouse and vest with exotic skirt. Right: Futuristic jumpsuit with helmet and water tank. 

Left: Nostalgic draped top and skirt plus handbag and necklace. Center: Romantic top and printed skirt plus straw hat. Right: Sporty top and shorts. 

 Left: Gypsy jacket and skirt. Center: Minimal coat and skirt, plus hat. Right: Exotic tunic and harem pants plus fez. 

 Mixed trends. Left: Nostalgic jacket with plaid skirt, handbag and beret. Center: Sailor sweater and romantic skirt, plus handbag and turban. Right: Argyle sweater tunic with futuristic pants and hair-bow.

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Meet an Extraordinary Collector

The Paper Doll Community is a wonderful world wherein to meet and befriend interesting people. Thanks to the Internet, it’s not unusual to develop deep friendships with far-away paper doll collectors and artists. One of my favorite long distance friends is Lorenzo Lang and we’ve never met face-to-face. When I began selling my paper doll art years ago, Lorenzo was one of my first fans. He and I share a passion for vintage Hollywood’s golden era that coincides with the golden age of movie star paper dolls. 

I think Lorenzo owns a copy (or several!) of every single paper doll I have ever created. Of course I am not the only artist whose work he collects. He has two boxes devoted to Hedy Lamarr, two boxes of Marlene Dietrich and several boxes of Gone With the Wind. He has an extraordinary collection because he does more than just cutting out dolls and dressing them in the fashions from the books. He uses his imagination and creates one-of-a-kind “originals.” He scans and prints additional copies of the dolls and their wardrobes. Then the fun for him begins as he snips, pastes and reshapes clothes and/or the dolls themselves, thereby increasing the dress-up options for his favorite movie stars. 

Of course, as an avid collector, Lorenzo is faced with storage challenges for his extensive collection. He curates fifty-four large and/or medium-sized boxes, each of which contains several nesting smaller ones, with their lids underneath (Godiva candy boxes work best), thus creating “levels.” The thin lids of boxes, each contain a set of paper dolls from one book. The floor of the lid is the ceiling of the lid beneath, thus forming a structure reminiscent of luxury apartments of the forties, designed by William Haines for Joan Crawford and Claudette Colbert. (A little imagination is suggested.) 

Organization is key to the Lorenzo's method of displaying certain collections-within-the-core-collection. There is a vintage suitcase containing Lorenzo’s film noir paper dolls as well as an antique wooden Dietrich box containing twelve boxes with their lids underneath, thus doubling the number of receptacles. He is especially fond of a Noir suitcase containing sixteen dolls (32 sets). He likes to display his works of altered art and has a collection of decorative boxes that, when opened, display a dressed doll on top of her entire wardrobe, especially the “originals” created by Lorenzo. 

 Marlene in “borrowed” outfits and recycled fur trims. 

 Chinese storage box with stack of “levels,” candy box lids.

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On the Emmy's Purple Carpet

The 71st Emmy Awards were recently presented to the scores of talented performers in front of the television cameras and also the vast number of creative and technical people behind the cameras. Never before has television programming offered such an excellent array of first-class entertainment. Fleabag proved to be the evening’s surprise winner. No wonder the lucky awards recipients seemed giddy with excitement as, dressed to the nines, they posed and preened on the jam-packed pre-show red carpet (now purple, but let’s not quibble.) 

The show was predictable, the presenters striving to amuse. The recipients gleeful with joy and sentimental camaraderie as they gushed their heartfelt thanks. The vast stage (the size of a football field) dwarfed the presenters and recipients (many of whom were accompanied to the stage with co-stars and an entourage in tow.) For me, it’s always all about the fashions, mostly on-loan from designers anxious for media exposure. 

This year’s Emmy attendees didn’t disappoint. The diversity that drives today’s entertainment was replicated by a wonderful display of fashion diversity, too. The singular headline-worthy fashion flash was the bold color combination of pink and red. Sure to delight the media was the slightly shocking sexy skin show. Necklines plunged to the waist while shoulders were bared and sometimes the sides of bodices disappeared, as well. Legs peeked provocatively from slits and slashes. For those romantics who preferred something more ladylike, there were full skirts and designs that recalled the glory days of Dior’s “New Look.” 

There were three important textiles trends: heavy silken satin, flowing fluid sheers and the Midas touch of metallic, fabric, sequins and beads. In the past, most male attendees wore trad black tie tux, and most still do. But some donned redone tuxedos and a handful added a feminine flair to their one-of-a-kind expression. All in all, the overall fashion statement was worthy of television’s current exciting excellence. 

 Newsworthy red/pink color combo: Marisa Tomei, Taraji P. Henson, Mandy Moore, Susan Kelechi-Watson. 

 Sexy skin show: Emilia Clarke, Indya Moore, Nathalie Emmanuel. 

 Midas touch metallic: Natasha Lyonne, Isla Fisher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. 

 Razzle dazzle sparkle: Rachel Brosnahan, Niecy Nash, Kerry Washington.

 Twinkling trims: Maya Erskin, Ava Duvernay, Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

 Dramatic silken shapes: Greta Lee, Dascha Polanco, Janet Mock.

 Sensuous flowing sheers: Julia Gardner, Christina Applegate, Catherine Zeta Jones. 

 Big ballgown skirts: Joey King, Brittany Snow, Laverne Cox. 

 Adding color to the trad tuxedo: Justin Hartley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, James Van Der Beek. 

 Masculine menswear with a feminine slant: Billy Porter, Steven Canas, RuPaul.