European Fashion Supermodel with African American complexion by XianXian
In a post about dolls I received or purchased for myself for Christmas, I shared photos of a XianXian (pronounced she-ann she-ann) fashion doll that arrived the day after Christmas. In that post, I promised to share more pictures of the fashion doll. This is that post.
Miya arrived from China in a plastic mailer, only protected by bubble wrap. There is at least one scratch underneath the breastplate and some surface discolorations on the side of one leg (possibly machine-generated or sealant-generated), but the worst flaw is the bend in the doll's lower right leg. After finding shoes that fit the doll's larger-than-Barbie's-feet but smaller than most recent Integrity Toys' dolls' feet, I took the following photos of Miya.
The Flaws and the Feet
The upper part of the leg is rigid plastic while the lower leg below the knee joint is soft vinyl, similar to 1980s-1990s Barbies' full legs. The ankle area of the right leg is bent inward as illustrated in this photo.
Miya's right leg bend is also visible in this photo. I've tried manually bending it into the correct position to no avail.
This photo illustrates the ill fit of the shoes I found. The length is good, but the doll's arch is above the insole, which is not a major problem.
A foot length comparison between Miya and Barbie Fashionista #156 illustrates Miya's longer foot length and higher arch.
Another possible machine-generated flaw and manufacturer's poor quality control is a small plastic protrusion on the side of the left hand. I have since snipped most of this off with a toenail clipper. The rest requires sanding smooth.
Articulation
Miya has the usual five points of articulation plus the extra articulation described below.
Miya has the usual five points of articulation with additional articulation under the breasts, at the waist, elbows, wrists, and knees. The elbow and knee joints were a bit stiff until I gingerly manipulated these areas.
Clothes
I dressed Miya in a two-piece vest-style top and a pencil skirt.
I placed pearl map pins with short stems into the pre-pierced earlobes.
(This doll reminds me of the late singer/actress Barbara McNair seen in the inserted photo.)
Pretty much feeling great about herself despite the flaws, Miya struck this pose.
Comparisons
A height comparison with the now-redressed Barbie Fashionista 156 illustrates only a slight difference.
Compared to Fashionista Barbie #180 which uses the Tall Barbie body there remains only a slight height difference.
Miya appears to be a full inch taller than BMR1959 curvy-bodied Barbie.
These three divas—Miya, Midnight Orchid YaYa (by JHD), and Slay All Day Keeki Adaeze (by Integrity Toys)—are about the same 12-1/2-inch height.
Miya has unpainted stiletto fingernails. The two other dolls in this comparison photo, Keeki and YaYa, have painted stiletto fingernails.
Confession
While I was disappointed by Miya's flaws, after watching a XianXian YouTube video review by Elastic Planet 21 and seeing the other two dolls in actual online photos, I ordered one more XianXian supermodel from a different seller whose shop link is provided in the video description. (The other doll will arrive soon.)
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
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Enchanted Styles on Instagram and Etsy designs and sells elegant fashions for Barbie and similar-sized dolls.
I've followed Enchantedstyles on Instagram for quite some time and have admired the elegant fashion design offerings. I recently purchased a Barbie fashion from the Elegantstyles Etsy shop.
The fashion ensemble
The beautifully presented fashion ensemble arrived swiftly after the purchase packaged in a transparent gift box that was perfectly protected during shipping inside a corrugated box.
The dress, two pairs of shoes, and matching earrings were included.
Each ensemble piece was attached to the liner of the plastic box and included a geometric-print dress designed to fit Curvy Barbies, two pairs of shoes (I only expected to receive one), and drop bead earrings. I hesitated to disturb the perfect presentation and left everything untouched until I determined which doll it would grace.
The dress and earrings are as well-made as I had imagined.
After recently sharing photos of my Curvy Barbies in a Facebook group, I reviewed the photos to help me decide which doll would get new clothes. Being curvy with high-heeled feet and already unboxed were the only requirements for the chosen doll.
The turquoise shoes could not fit either doll. Barbie Looks Model #2 wears the lovely dress with the black shoes that were included in the package. I added the black clutch that I made a few years ago from a leather glove.
Next, BMR1959 Barbie models the ensemble with a different pair of black shoes which are shown in this photo with a close-up in the next.
This is a close-up of the black shoes that BMR1959 Barbie chose to wear with the dress.
It was a hands-down decision that BMR1959 Barbie wears it better.
There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
BMR1959 Barbie dolls of color from waves 1 and 2; (the doll in orange is from wave 2.)
Barbie turns 63 today because of which I am celebrating the broad range of diversity in the Barbie line that has occurred in recent years.
The BMR1959 dolls shown above include dolls of different complexions, hair colors and textures, heights, body sizes, and genders. Note that only the dolls with the deepest complexion are illustrated here. See all the dolls from BMR1959 wave 1 here and wave 2 here.
Barbie Looks Models 4, 7, and 2
I am also grateful for the Barbie Looks dolls. Looks #4, #7, and #2 are my favorites from this line.
I hope Mattel continues to offer diverse lines. I'm also keeping my fingers crossed that the Shonda Rhimes Barbie will be produced and in sufficient quantities for everyone who desires one to purchase at retail. Mattel, can you hear me? "Shonda Rhimes is CEO of the global media company Shondaland... In her career, Rhimes’ work has been celebrated with numerous awards including induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. She has shifted the entertainment industry’s business model and changed the face of television." (Shop.mattel.com)
Happy Birthday, Barbie!
Update: Please sign the petition for Mattel to produce the Shonda Rhimes Barbie. Please sign it here.
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There are countless items to collect and write about. Black dolls chose me.
__________
Thank you for reading. Comments that are not spam are appreciated. Spam comments will not be published, so don't waste your time. To contact me directly regarding dolls or any of my posts, please use the contact form on the right of the home page, which is visible in "web view." A link to web viewing should be visible at the bottom of this page.
If you're not already a subscriber, visit, "like" and follow the Black Doll Collecting Facebook page or bookmark the Black Doll Collecting home page and visit on Tuesdays and Thursdays when typically new posts are published.
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