Winifred of Romantic-Breeze and Anu (former Tensiya)

I'm on the fence about her. Her face sculpt is interesting, but the limbs look anorexic and the hands are too big. In general, she seems to have more the proportion of a mannekin for fashion clothes rather than a doll, which makes sense if you understand her purpose as being to show off Anu's lovely clothing designs, but makes less sense if one wants a realistic doll.

It's also a little frustrating that Anu isn't going to make clothing for big boys any more. A lot of us have quite a few large Dollshe and other large boy dolls, and clothing for them is always difficult, whereas there seem to be about 100 places to get outfits for a skinny mini-size girl. But I guess artists will do what makes them happy.

 

Dollshe and Anu did dissolve their partnership but having said that, I don't think Tensiya is completely gone nor do I think that Anu has completely given up making clothes for the Dollshe boys. I just think it might be another year (or more) before we see anything again in the form of Dollshe clothes. Looks like she wanted to focus on her own project.

From my understanding, it looks as if Winifred's design is inspired by a swan, lean and graceful movements. I know annina mentioned that Winifred is a limited edition of 33 but what is also interesting here is that her head and her body will never be made again or reused with another doll release. Sounds like she is the first doll in what sounds to be more dolls from Anu.

Bunnydots, I think you on the correct line of thinking here as I think, the impression is that Winifred is a doll to display Anu's fashions, which is why she is so lean and lanky. She is not meant to sit around nude but instead to wear clothing. And likely not just any clothing but these very involved and grand dresses that are Victorian in their inspiration. She is meant to look pretty with clothes on and not clothes off.

Like Dollshe, I think Anu has taken a very different approach to designing a doll.

 

She can be compared to rosettedolls (but those are by far more graceful to my taste) in the lanky sense, and her size corresponds to them.
What I dislike about her are her hands - they really mismatch the body. Perhaps if those could be worked through a bit, and the form of the head slightly altered, she would look much better.

I do agree that to this point, she looks like a display for clothes, and not like a "traditional" BJD. I still hope they will find good new homes and loving owners. Because in the long run, "in taste and color, all markers are different" (an altered Russian saying ))

 

I was able to grab only 2 photos for people who can't see her.





I think by the way she looks, that she is probably going to be the only one to fit the clothes and from the my understanding the clothes are going to be limited as well.

 

I think she is wonderful. I am so glad that Anu has got a new project. It is a shame that Winifred is limited to only 33 as I can't afford her right now - like annina, I'm saving/paying for my dream doll(s).

But I do like the doll's design - she is quite stylised and I like the big hands. I'm a bit surprised some people are so negative about her.

 

When I first looked at her I didn't find her appealing at all, but the longer I looked at her, the more compelling she became. There's something very appealing and ethereal about her face. Her body isn't realistic, but it has a certain insect-like appeal, like the previous generations of Dollshe bodies.
That stuffed animal horse though! Yeeech.

 

Oooh! I actually love her weird hands, they are very much like a drawing, like a Tim Burton character.

 

I agree with Bunnydots and Selurnis... she looks like she's all bones... very anorexic and sickly... nope not for me.. ah well i wish her well on her venture but not my cup of tea

 

Looks like Winifred is officially for sale .... but I think people need to sit down when they see her price tag .... $2,000 US.

 

Her face reminds me a lot of Dollstown Ariel somehow. Her hands, with the fingers all connected to each other (at least I think most of the fingers are connected?), do not appeal to me at all. The stick-skinny aesthetic, as seen in this doll, is pretty unique, but not exactly appealing. I would have expected more from Anu, honestly!

 

The face is very sweet, but the hands look very fragile and just won't fit the rather wide wrists...

Yes, she does look anorexic but I think she's not to play with but to show of the rather gorgeous clothes - which you can't buy...

The price is too steep for me - spending $ 2.000 on a doll even if she is limited - 33 is not exactly a small number - is a bit much.

Another thing - there are no clothes for her, and as I read the description of her body I saw that her feet are nearly as wide (4cm) as they are long (5cm). Hopefully that is just an error.

The pictures of her are marvellous, the details in her room are fantastic - but if I would buy her I certainly wouldn't be able to build her a surrounding that would fit her.

For a costume designer it would be a nice model but luckily she doesn't tempt me.

 

I love the outfit and the extra outfits - one of which would come with her are lovely, but the doll itself strikes me as very ordinary. Certainly I don't consider her worth $2000. She looks more like a beginner sculpt or one of the chinese style sculpts. I'm comparing her to my Rosette School of Dolls Marguerite who is also long and lanky and there's no comparison. The outfits especially the fullsets are equally as lovely, the price is 1/4 and the bodies and sculpting are infinitely better in my opinion. I love Anu's work but it's wasted on this doll. There's no way I'd pay $2000 for that sized doll anyway. I don't know of any MSDs that sell for that price, even the Volks limiteds. Still, I guess I can be glad she doesn't tempt me.

 

I think she is lovely. When you look at the body shots, the boobs and bum are not 'anorexic' at all. She has a good torso. The limbs are thin, it's true, but she does not give off an illusion of being ill. Good luck to all who try for her I just got Ryoya Kanoe so I am done for this year, unfortunately. If I'd had the funds, though, I would have been there!

 

Her site says they won't be shipped out til the end of the year (oct-dec) so it'll be a while before we see owners pics, if there are any.

And echoing the fashion doll look to her. Theres so little detail in the body sculpt. I wonder if she intended this to be a fashion doll as opposed to an abjd (would she be considered OT here?).

 

I want to be clear here, I HAVE a Luna, and I modified the heck out of it to make a silk (or at least cotton) purse out of that particular sow's ear. I am REALLY familiar with the Luna, probably more so than anyone but the original sculptor.

And this is NOT a Luna body. Luna has a 2 part torso, this has a 3 with a much much much nicer chestplate. Luna has horrid, horrid hinge joints at the elbow and knee, this has swarrico'd joints at the elbow and some really nice double ball-joints at the knee. Looks like the hips were swarrico'd too. There is a lot of work on this doll.

But aside from the bewbs of doom and the behind of utter phail of the Luna, the proportions are pretty similar and the hands in particular look to me to be of identical proportions. My beef with the Luna is over the detail sculpting, not the proportions.

But hey, YMMV.

 

Has anyone asked the mods if she's on-topic?

I'm not seeing BJD-ness in her. Those tiny wrists and big scoop hands are so stylised, I cannot see her looking right next to BJDs. And her body reminds me of vinyl dolls a lot.

I can see that she may appeal to some people (as was mentioned, Tim Burton fans or fashion doll fans) but I can't see her breaking into the BJD market. Especially, as was mentioned, you can get a Bobobie Luna for more then ten times less in price and wait time, and IMO and I think a lot of people would agree, Luna has a less jarring body.

ETA: You could buy at least 11 Lunas for one Winifred. Luna soccer team!