Tonner on Tyler

More of this Feature • Part 2: Tyler and Tyler News • Part 3: Tyler's Fashions on Real-Life Models    Join the Discussion "I really like my Tyler. I have started to set up an office for her." HELENEKAREN     Related Resources • Tyler Wentworth Links • Tyler Wentworth in the Price Guide • Fashion Femme Fatales    Elsewhere on the Web • Robert Tonner Website • Tonner Porcelain Fashion Models • Robert Tonner's Models • Robert Tonner at iDolls

Tyler Wentworth is one of the most interesting and well-received fashion dolls to be produced in the last few years. Tyler Wentworth was created by well-known doll designer Robert Tonner, and is produced by his Robert Tonner Doll Company.

Recently, at the UFDC National Convention, I had the opportunity to attend Robert Tonner's seminar about Tyler Wentworth.  The seminar was a rare opportunity to learn all about the design and production process that brought Tyler to the market, as well as a chance to hear about some upcoming exciting plans for the Tyler line.  Mr. Tonner graciously gave me permission to include the information that he passed along in this seminar in this article.

History of Tonner and Pre-Tyler

Robert Tonner comes from the New York fashion business. For 18 years he worked for designer Bill Blass in New York.  Tonner loved fashion shows, but not dealing with buyers and salespeople.  Tonner had always been interested in dolls and fashion dolls.   He remembers seeing Little Miss Revlon and  other smaller fashion dolls in the 1950s, and then Barbie in the 1960s.  He thought Barbie was very good, but he felt something else was missing, and could be done even better.  

Tonner Started The Robert Tonner Doll Company on a shoestring in 1991.  He knew that eventually he would create his idea of the perfect fashion doll, but Tonner wasn't ready to create HIS fashion doll right away.  

The first fashion dolls that Tonner created were made of porcelain (the first American Model dolls).  These dolls were very intricate--they had 17 joints, and, being porcelain, they could obviously break.  The dolls were also very expensive and very limited.  Although these dolls were gorgeous, Tonner was never happy with the length of the legs of these dolls, and knew that the dolls were the first steps in creating his dream dolls.  

For awhile, The Robert Tonner Doll Company focused on little girl dolls, while Tonner continued to ponder how to best present fashion dolls (Tonner has created and produced the popular Betsy McCall and Ann Estelle dolls, among other popular little girl dolls).  Part of this process was to make little girl dolls in vinyl in order to learn the vinyl doll process in-depth before creating the vinyl fashion doll he ultimately wanted to do.

 American Models

In 1993, Tonner took one more step toward his dream of the perfect fashion doll, and he created his vinyl American Models.  Again, these are lovely dolls and highly sought-after be collectors.  Tonner, however, was searching for perfection, and he felt that the arms were not "pulled"  right, so they appeared too long--he also was not happy with the length of the shoulders.   But, Tonner felt that this doll WAS in better proportion than the earlier porcelain dolls.  When Tonner discusses pulling the mold, he is referring to the process of pouring liquid vinyl into a metal mold.  The liquid vinyl is heated to cure it.  It becomes soft an pliable when hot, and pliers are used to pull the doll out of the mold.  The vinyl has mold memory, and a heat box shrinks it back to size.

Tonner always knew that he wanted to do a BIG fashion doll, NOT Barbie size.  BUT, he also knew he didn't want to ultimately do a doll as large as the 19" American Model.  The American Models were also very expensive--they retailed between $250 and $350.  So, as lovely as the Fashion Models were, Tonner was still designing the ultimate fashion model doll. He felt that the American Models, were a bit too big, and too expensive to be his ultimate dream fashion model doll. And, very significantly, these weren't dolls that you could take home and "play" with, which was also a requirement for the doll Tonner wanted to create. 

At this stage in the development of Tonner's dolls and his company, Tonner's friend, Mel Odom, was creating the Gene fashion doll, which debuted in 1995.   It was Mel's own doll, totally his own sculpt, and the doll had a great story line.  This doll, and how well it was received, encouraged Tonner greatly. 

Zoe and Julia

Around 3-4 years ago, Tonner's next fashion doll creation, the 16" Zoe doll, was released at Toy Fair.  Zoe was the first non-American Model fashion doll created by Tonner.  She was also a smaller doll, which was important and closer to Tyler.    Zoe was introduced around the time of Gene's introduction.  Zoe had thin, elongated hands, and it was again hard to "pull"  the vinyl parts out of the mold.  This doll was for another company, and had a big launch.  However, Tonner and the other company couldn't come to terms, so the plug was pulled on the project.  Around this time, the Robert Tonner Doll Company moved into a new factory.

Also around this time, Tonner was still working on little girl dolls.  He created the Magic Attic dolls for Georgetown.  This was like the American Girl dolls, but made in Germany.  Knickerbocker bought the rights to these dolls. The doll is still made using Tonner's molds but he is no longer involved creatively or otherwise with their production.  Tonner's Betsy McCall was also introduced, and this doll is still being actively produced by Tonner and continues to be well-received. 

The next fashion doll Tonner produced was Julia, who was created for Georgetown since Tonner felt he was still not ready for in-house production on a fashion doll.  Julia was introduced at Toy Fair 1998.   She was vinyl, 16", and she was a romance novel heroine from the 1840s.   She also had a twist waist.  She was a popped-together doll, with no stringing.  Her head tilts but doesn't turn, her arms go up but not out  They also had problems with uneven legs on this doll because of a hard time pulling these molds.

The Julia dolls started out owned by Georgetown, and then she was owned by Knickerbocker. There were 3 books in a series written about Julia, but she was never taken further as a doll.  Julia's rights now belong to Ashton Drake, and Tonner hopes to get the rights to Julia back. This doll has a small, dedicated following....but, Julia was most important, because now Tonner felt ready to tackle, for his next project, the doll that ultimately became Tyler Wentworth

Next page > Tyler Wentworth:  Tyler's Development and Tyler News > Page 1, 2, 3 

The Live-Model Tyler Fashion Show > Page 1, 2, 3

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