I discovered Fashion Royalty in 2006 with the debut of the Modern Pompadour collection. Lucky timing for me because this was the launch of both the first FR male dolls and the first wigged dolls – the stars were aligned. I couldn’t believe the quality and detail of this range and I continue to be astonished by what this company achieves.
Follow this link for an overview of of FR dolls, or go to this Integrity Toys’ fans’ archive for a comprehensive list of the company’s output.
We’re gradually putting together a series of videos about the Fashion Royalty line-up (see below). We’ll keep adding to the list as these mini movies are published:
Fashion Royalty Dolls – 2001-2009
Agnes Von Weiss – the Movie
Natalia Fatalé – The Movie
Kyori Sato – the Movie
It’s well known that the vision behind the design of these dolls is Jason Wu who learned how to sew by designing and sewing for dolls, and went on to study sculpture in Tokyo. At sixteen he create freelance doll clothing designs for toy company Integrity Toys under the lines “Jason Wu dolls” and later “Fashion Royalty”. The following year, he was named creative director of Integrity Toys. He studied at the Parsons School of Design, New York, and later interned with Narciso Rodriguez.
Wu launched his ready-to-wear line of clothes with earnings from his years of doll designs. His first full collection debuted in 2006 and he won the Fashion Group International’s Rising Star award in 2008. In 2008 he was nominated for the Vogue Fashion Fund award. Bruce Weber photographed the designer for W magazine’s “Summer Camp” portfolio last in 2010.
Wu’s early clients included Ivana Trump, January Jones, and Amber Valletta. He also worked extensively with drag queen RuPaul, ultimately designing six RuPaul dolls. Michelle Obama was introduced to Wu by André Leon Talley, Vogue Magazine’s editor-at-large, who had been advising the future First Family on their appearance. She bought four dresses from Wu early in the year, wearing one of them for a segment on Barbara Walters Special shortly before the November 2008 election, prompting many in the media to consider her his “career-launcher”. She wore another, a custom-designed one-shoulder, floor-length white chiffon gown, at the inaugural balls on the night of President Barack Obama’s inauguration.