Move Over Barbie

I never liked Barbie – she was always far too smug and a bit fickle if you ask me. Are you an astronaut or a cheerleader this week? Make your mind up blondie! Anyhow, I happened upon a doll from the `50s in The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57 that made me, to be frank, a bit envious – Miss Virginia Lachasse. Created in London in 1954, Miss Lachasse (named after her namesake Virginia Woodford, lead model at Mayfair couture house Lachasse) was designed as part of a touring exhibition of dressed dolls to raise money for the Greater London Fund for the Blind. What is utterly awe-inspiring about this perfect scale model is her custom-made couture wardrobe designed by Owen at Lachasse, in addition to a fully-comprehensive winter `54 trousseau (think printed cotton Tootal handkerchiefs, Aristoc stockings, Asprey handbag, Dunhill cigarette-holder, lighter and mini-cigarettes and Russell & Bromley sandals.) For a full inventory, go to page 108 (by Amy de la Haye) of The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-57.