I am very pleased to announce the beginning of a great series of interviews. There will be interviews with Blythe customizers, fashion designers and major collectors every month throughout 2010.
Jeremie, aka Mad, aka Le Chapelier Fou, makes the kick-off with his last custom Blythes. They show us two completely different styles he is into these days. Kennedy has a natural style called “Genesis”.
And Hathaway is more sophisticated. That style is called “Requiem”.
A little bit of background:
Born in France in the late twentieth century, Jeremie grew up in a small village in the South of France. His father is a sculptor and a policeman and mother is a designer and a nurse. Brought up in a lively artistic environment, he started studying fine arts, graduated in 2001 and then worked in different areas such as humanitarian association, psychiatry, surgery clinic, …) because he just loves being in contact with people and seeing the other side of the mirror.
Hobbies:
sugar, ephemeral art, photography, drawing/painting, peace, traveling by train, listening to the sound of wind in the poplars, eating, being with friends…
Now, it is Jeremie’s turn to talk!
How and when did you discover Blythe?
By chance! One morning, I turned on the TV and watched a program where a journalist had in his hand an unusual doll, little known to the general public. She caught my attention. Then I found in the art bookshop where I go quite often a box with postcards featuring pictures of these fantastic dolls (Hello Blythe). In the following days, I searched in vain these dolls in toy shops, and finally got information about them on Internet (because they are not marketed in France).
How many Blythes do you have in your own collection?
My personal collection includes a dozen of Blythe dolls, and I buy the new ones coming out for making customs.
What kind of Blythes do you prefer? Kenner, Neo Blythe (BL, EBL, SBL, RBL?), Custom?
In my opinion, each mold has its own charm: the “surprise” side of BL, the “mature” one of SBL and the “youth” one of RBL. In terms of customs, I feel that they reflect a small part of the customizer’s soul. I love the custom my best friend Baby Kitty gave me.
Where and how do you store your own dolls?
They all live freely in my room most of the time. Before that, I left them in their boxes but I felt I did not enjoy it. Now they are everywhere, relaxing their little legs and lazing in the sun!
Why did you start to customize Blythe dolls?
I have always created or customized things around me. As a child I did not have many toys, and I remember that my 1st Barbie was cut out of a catalog of toys! One year after having my 1st Blythe (Rosie Red in September 2006) I finally decided to open my first guinea pig! Blythe is not just a doll for me, but a medium that combines seamlessly sculpture, painting, sewing and hairdressing. It is also a fantastic way of expression and relaxation.
How did you learn how to do it?
I found a website explaining quite clearly how to open a big head, then I have done tests.
What gives you inspiration?
Inspiration comes at any time according to my moods and my desires. I am greatly inspired by glamor and femininity, but I especially have two sources of inspiration:
-Twin hood: the fact that two people can share the same physical appearance but not the same soul; doubles, reflections, mirrors and everything revolving around this theme.
-Children tales and their symbolic: I love the cruelty in Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales and the poetry of Hans Christian Andersen.
When you work on custom commissions, do your clients usually have specific requests or do they give you a free hand?
Most of the time people leave me carte blanche for make-up, but they want specific things for hairdressing, hair color or they ask for a special style, or even send me a picture or a sketch. It is always very interesting to stick to someone’s world because it is rewarding and you end up doing things that you would not have necessarily done on your own.
What’s your work rhythm?
All the time, as often as possible! I try to make one custom a month including custom commissions. I need one week for sculpture and make-up, and then additional time for re-root, weft, tattoo, etc, depending on requests.
How do you like to work?
I generally work quietly with music. I like doing things from one end to another, when I began carving a mouth or doing a make-up for example. I must do it at once, no matter how long it takes.
How does your studio look like?
My studio is my bedroom, where I can make my dreams come true more easily. I like to create in a welcoming space. I need a large clean space to display everything I need, and it’s close to my window because I can get good results with natural light only for make-up. On my wall, there is a patchwork of several things I like and sometimes my eyes get lost looking at them and my mind starts to wander …
All photos: Le Chapelier Fou.
Where do you sell your custom dolls?
Generally on a famous auction site (eBay) but I also have a website where I show my customs before selling them.
Would you have a piece of advice to those who want to start their own customs?
Gathering as much information as possible about what you plan to do, and then go for it frankly! Blythes are resistant and do not break easily! And most importantly, have fun and dare to do what you love!
Thank you so much Jeremie for taking the time and letting us discover a little more about your Blythe world.
Related posts:
No Comments so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.