The 5th and final W Club Exclusive doll of the 2023 membership year was revealed on Thursday, instead of Friday, which was the date expected according to the previous presentation. And, once again, it's a gift set that Integrity Toys has never done before: a mermaid doll, with Violaine Perrin as Sirène, designed by Jessy Ayala.
Item # 75032
Sirène
Violaine Perrin™ Gift Set
The NU. Fantasy™ Collection
2023 W Club Exclusive Doll
Edition Size: TBD
Expected Ship Date: Approximately late-Summer 2024
Head Sculpt: Violaine (Vanessa 2.0)
Body Type: NF 3.0
Foot Sculpt: High-heeled And Articulated Ankle
Skin Tone: Hungarian
Hair Color: Mother-Of-Pearl Blonde (Platinum Blonde With Mix Of Thin Baby Pink And Lavender Highlights)
Eyelashes: Only Painted Top Eyelashes
MSRP: $250 + S & H
Special W Club Price*: $199 + S & H
Sales method: These dolls are guaranteed made-to-order for 2023 W Club members only- 1 per membership ($50.00 NRD deposit due now, $149.00 + S & H due in approximately Summer 2024).
The Story:
Bathed in the luminescent glow of the underwater city, Violaine, the glamorous French mermaid with artfully tattooed scales and a flowing mane of pearlescent hair, captivated the ocean’s depths. Known for her enchanting voice that echoed through coral reefs, she held court among vibrant marine life. Violaine’s tales of hidden treasures and sunken ships spread far and wide, attracting admirers from distant oceans. One moonlit night, as she danced beneath the waves, a lone sailor, drawn by the melody of her song, discovered the mythical beauty, forever entwining their destinies in the depths of the sea. Designed by Jessy Ayala.
Included In This Gift Set:
12.5-inch articulated doll with rooted hair, painted top eyelashes and non-removable "belly ring" detail;
Custom-made "gold" bra-top with chain straps and "pearl" embellished design and ethereally elaborate custom-designed and printed mermaid tail (designed to fit with flat feet pointed all the way downward, included);
Separate aquamarine column, calf-length plissè skirt with cascade ruffle detail;
Sea foam sequined bra top with criss-cross strap and starfish detailing and separate sequined mini-skirt embellished with an elaborate "marabou" feather train;
Two removable custom-made mermaid "ear fins" (one for each side of her head, attached via each ear) with "gold" shell and hanging "pearl" embellishments;
"Gold" and "pearl" belly chain;
Functional seashell clutch with magnetic closure;
"Gold" cuff bracelet;
Charm bracelet;
Starfish earrings;
"Gold" ring with "pearl" deco;
Thigh-high golden boots (designed to fit high-heeled feet lower legs, included);
Aquamarine high-heels with "pearl" embellished straps;
Pair of long-manicure hands;
Alternate pair of grip hands;
New! Seashell base doll stand with two types of rods to display both the mermaid in a "floating" pose and a regular doll;
Certificate of authenticity.
Let me start by stating that I am no big fan of mermaid dolls. The are fun to look at but to me they are too cutesy and veer too close to playline, no matter the usual design and colouring, which usually fits into stereotypes: blonde hair, blue eyes, rainbow/sea foam colours, lots of pearls, long wavy hair. Unfortunately this one checks all stereotypes.Bering Greek, and Generation X, I grew up with mermaids (Sirens) being ancient Greek mythical creatures that lured sailors to their death with their irresistible song. The only alternative to that was Alexander the Great’s sister, who roamed the seas, asking ships if her brother was alive. If sialors replied no, she sunk the ship, if yes, she was happy to let them go. So mermaids were demonic creatures that brought despair and destruction to ships, not the cute ladies we keep seeing nowadays. Disney definitely had a lot to do with this transformation, as even the original Little Mermaid tale by Hans-Christian Andersen is quite different from the cartoon/real life remakes that studio has done.
As you can tell from the previous paragraph, I was not awed by the last W Club doll of 2023. My collection veers towards fashion, even when the actual doll is based on real or fantastic persons/characters, and the only mermaid I have in it was a gift from the office secret Santa.
Violaine is a beautiful doll, no doubt about that, ans I am really happy for those of you who waited years for such a doll to appear in Nu Fantasy. I would have preferred a more fashion styled doll like the OOAK Siren Rayna that Jessy had done for the Fashion Fairytale convention in 2017. That one used the theme as a base to create an incredibly gorgeous doll with a more avantguard look and feel. Violaine has lovely make up but not something unusual, apart from not having applied eyelashes, as Jessy did not find the suitable shade of blue he wanted to match his concept - and I totally understand that. Her hair looks like iridescent noodles to me, I’d have liked something more like the OOAK Rayna mentioned before.
Her non-mermaid fashions are based on a Versace Spring-Summer 2022 skirt (the sort ruffled one) and a David Koma Spring-Summer 2023 ensemble (starfish bra and short skirt with feather marabou train). The mermaid bra is inspired by old chandeliers, like the ones one could find in an old grand ship wreckage like the Titanic. She has the flat feet set to wear the iridescent mermaid tail and the high heeled one to wear either thigh high gold boots or pearl encrusted high heeled sandals. The mermaid ears with pearl clusters are probably the best thing about the accessories, as well as the conch shell clutch, which is functional. The stand base mimics a shell, making this look even more play-line, but has two alternatives, depending on whether you display the doll with or without the mermaid tail. Again, I am happy for all you people that wanted this doll so much, but for me it’s a hard pass.
You can see the doll in the video below:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Prototypes shown, the final product may vary. The display props are not included. This collectible is meant for adult collectors ages 15 and up only.
All photos and information contained herein is copyrighted Integrity Toys, Inc. and Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC 2024 and may not be reprinted or disseminated without express written permission. NU. FANTASY, NU. FACE, FASHION ROYALTY and all other character marks followed by ™ or ® are trademarks of Integrity Toys, Inc. Chesapeake City MD USA 21915. All rights reserved. The W Club is a trademark of Intercap Merchant Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.
Photography by Bill and Shaunessey Peck. Layouts and graphics by Alain Tremblay, Marketing.