Mike
Franklin is another very talented designer.His
designs include both Gene® and Barbie® and he works mostly with
what he calls “classic couture”.He
likes to create ball gowns but tends to prefer daywear, suits, sheath-type
evening gowns and cocktail dresses.
“Kennel
Club”
Mike
started customizing dolls about six years ago as a result of his doll collecting.“I
wasn’t too happy with the outfits that were available in stores.” He says,
“I was always searching for a Barbie with what I considered to be an ideal
face and acceptable hair.”
He
discovered the presence of artist dolls, like those of MiKelman and Ivan
Burton, through Paul David’s catalog and Barbie® Bazaar.After
a few years of working on his own dolls, a friend of his suggested that
he try to sell some of them.
“The
thought had never entered my mind. I was just doing this for myself and
never imagined that anyone else would be interested in them.”
Inspiration
for his dolls comes from the fabric itself.He
usually finds the fabric first, and then develops an outfit from that.He
doesn’t usually get his ideas from magazines or movies, but likes to find
different ways to interchange different pattern pieces to achieve a range
of looks.He makes sure that the
doll and the outfit compliment each other.
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