Head in the Clouds...
I must admit, my first thought at being invited to the couture exhibition ‘Social Monstrosities’, was ‘Dolls? Really? What could all the fuss be about?’ which is exactly why I decided to attend. Well, that and because the scarlet and gold invitation promised elegance and fun.
The event was taking place at 7:30pm at the Blackall Studios in Shoreditch, so of course I found myself a little lost once I stepped of the bus; East London in the dark is always so disorientating. You’ll be glad to know (though, I’m sure you’ve worked it out by now) I did make it to the venue – well done me!
Maybe it’s because I’ve never owned a doll (I kid you not; I’ve never had a doll, not even as a child) that I’ve never understood the novelty of them, so I wasn’t expecting to enter a room of about a hundred guests all completely captivated by… Dolls. However, I soon discovered that these weren’t simply upgraded Barbie dolls, but painstakingly and artistically fashioned haute couture dolls with distinct personalities and emotional experiences.
A part of the Chalk White collection, these particular dolls are called The Sybarites, 17” tall, all resin fashion dolls, ball jointed, providing 19 points of arrangement. Curiously, these dolls were inspired by the concept of human cloning and are all clones of the same genetic, modelled on the clone Venus d’Royce (clone 0777). Being a hard-core Battlestar Galactica fan, the voice in my head exclaimed ‘ah! Cylons!’ – A similar concept, non?
Entering the world in 2005, The Sybarites have become something of a valuable luxury commodity and something of an underground collecting marvel, with the limited edition, award winning, mass produced versions from China selling out at an exceptional rate. As I shuffled around the heaving room of guests and the glass stage where the dolls presented themselves, I met a Canadian collector who had travelled to London especially to view the exhibition and mentioned that she’d managed to collect five Chalk White dolls. She told me she collected them because of their haunting beauty, the intricate detail in their features and their stunning attire and accessories. I was especially fascinated by the incredible shoes. What do you think of them heels??
Due to the popularity of the event, getting close to the dolls was near impossible, so taking pictures wasn’t an easy task, but I hope I captured some of the exquisiteness of and the very human emotions; anger, passion and despair, transpiring from the stars of the evening, the Sybarites. Like the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica, these clones are not to be underestimated!
The Chalk Whites have only ever been exhibited in London, Paris, Tokyo and Moscow and then only to an intimate and exclusive audience, so I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to see them.
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