Confession: I have always had a thing for vampires.
When I was eleven years old, I watched and re-watched Interview with the Vampire--the film adaptation of the Anne Rice novel--a few dozen times. I subsequently borrowed copies of Ms. Rice's Vampire Chronicles and devoured those books about the glamorous, bloodthirsty immortal beings that are now a staple of horror and pop culture. Buffy, Twilight, and Vampire Diaries, anyone?
Fast forward nearly two decades later, and I am now an avid watcher of the HBO series True Blood. Perhaps I'll pick up the Charlaine Harris books, too. I am no longer obsessed with vampires, but they still hold some fascination. This may explain why I was drawn to Haunted Beauty Vampire™ Barbie® doll even though my collection is not focused on fantasy dolls. In fact, I opted not to purchase last year's Ghost™ Barbie®--the first doll in the Haunted Beauty series by designer Bill Greening.
The first glimpse I caught of this doll was in the teaser video (shown below) released by Barbie Collector. The spine-tingling clip shows glimpses of an ethereal beauty in a gothic setting. The red shantung floor-length coat has full sleeves and a dramatic, high collar. This initially struck me as old-fashioned, so I was surprised to find out on the doll forums that the inspiration for this face-framing billowy cloak appears to be an Alexander McQueen creation.
Underneath the cloak is a red-charmeuse-with-black-chiffon-overlay empire waist gown. Golden trim adorns the waist of the gown, which has a hook-and-eye closure in the back. A 'jeweled' collar necklace and matching blood red gemstone ring also adorn the doll. Finally, though unseen, the shoes worn by this nocturnal beauty are a lovely pair of appropriately gothic-looking black heels with painted gold accents.
To die for
Unlike the unsightly Nosferatu, this vampire is truly a stunner. Long raven tresses frame the pale face, and fall in cascading curls down to her knees. An elaborate braided up-do crowns her head. Painted white fangs protrude from her deep ruby lips. Dramatically arched eyebrows paired with dark, smoky eyeshadow lend an air of ferocity to her hypnotic gaze. This enchanting mistress of the dark is absolutely to die for!
It was a brilliant idea to provide points of articulation on her wrists and elbows--making this body a hybrid of the gorgeous, though rigid, Model Muse™ and the very posable Pivotal™ Barbie® body. A doll this steeped in fantasy and high fashion has tremendous potential for incredible photographic compositions--it deserves arms that can truly move to achieve the fullest, most intense dramatic effect!
Final thoughts
I am a big fan of Bill Greening's work for Barbie Collector. Though Haunted Beauty Vampire™ Barbie® doesn't quite fit into my personal collection, I was unable to resist her magnetic allure. I am very excited to have her in my collection, and I am sure that many collectors will be very pleased to add this magnificently spooky vampire to their collections.
What do you think of her? Leave your comments below! :)