To celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the re-imagined JamieShow Muses line, the designer, Owensu, has produced a phenomenal capsule of high-end couture!
Here is the promo photo showing the ensembles! Photo property of Jamieshow/Owensu.
There were ten complete Looks offered in this collection. All of them are formal. As much as I love the Muses line (and if you follow me, you know that I do), I was slightly underwhelmed with this collection. Owen's designs for the Time & Timeless and Masterpiece collections set the bar very high for future purchases from me. Although Muses items are quite elevated in comparison, I can't help but see Silkstone and Integrity Toys items that are similar: Silkstone Gala Gown, IT Pink Perfection Poppy Parker, various Monogram ensembles, FR Spectacular Spectacular ... to name a few.
Since I don't own Spectacular Spectacular and it only fits the older, tall FR body any way, my pre-order included Look 5 and Look 10. Everything is beautiful, but I couldn't justify ordering color variants of a similarly styled gown at $300 each. I don't usually have criticisms for Jamieshow/Muses but this collection seemed rushed and under-designed compared to the last few. As a five year Anniversary Celebration, I definitely expected more. Unfortunately, it pales in comparison to the Premier Collection that inspired it.
There were no Accessory Sets included in this capsule. Wigs included three regular magnetic skull cap designs based on previous issues and two hand-made new couture hard cap offers.
As a nod to the first five characters from the Premier Muses Collection, Jamieshow/Owensu chose to offer newer versions inspired by the originals. Here are the promo photos of the 5th Anniversary Muses dolls posted by Jamieshow/Owensu placed next to their Premier inspiration conterparts (photos of Premier dolls borrowed from Muses Dolls Reference Site.)
First up is 5th Anniversary Sasha.
Next up is Ginnie.
I'm confused by this one. I don't see any resemblance at all. Premier is gorgeous, but I must say there is something special about the Anniversary edition. Another easy purchase choice.
There is only one version of Lilly in my collection, Enchanted, and she is one of my very favorite Muses girls.
I'm really not a fan of pencil-thin eyebrows. I think the anniversary version completely pales in comparison to Premier and I fail to see any inspiration at all. Anniversary Lilly reminds me a lot of Go East Sakura. She will probably redress beautifully, but she's not in my pre-order.
The last Muses in this collection is Nicole.
I'm not sure what to write here. I hope those who love her truly enjoy having her in their collection. How's that for being diplomatic? Again, I only have one version of Nicole in my collection, Summer Kisses, and it looks like she will continue to be the only version in my collection for the time being.
Whether you are new to Muses and curious or have been with them since the Premier release, it's worth going over to the website and checking them out. You will definitely find something you love. (Remember that the ensembles fit most other 1:6 scale fashion doll bodies!) Here is the link to make it a little easier: Jamieshow/Owensu Five Year Anniversary Collection . The pre-order window has already started and ends December 22. Collectors pay 20% deposit on their order and are billed the balance with the collection is ready to ship.
So what do you think? Share your opinions by leaving a comment. I would love to hear other collectors' thoughts!
12 comments:
I agree with many of your views on this collection. While, I personally LOVE gowns, this isn't a particularly ground breaking release. I haven't placed my order yet, but I think it will end up being Ginnie and gowns 5 & 6. I am sorely tempted by gown 10 and had it in my cart, but I am trying to keep to my absolute must haves.
I missed out on earlier releases and have had Lilly on my wishlist since I started collecting last year. This Lilly is so bland though! It feels like an incredibly plain cousin of Enchanted Lilly.
The Nicole sculpt can be beautiful, but this faceup isn't it. Paired with the straight blue wig, it feels almost play line to me.
I think Owen has made the mistake of spoiling collectors with some extremely strong recent collections. It's also difficult to top some of the earlier versions of these characters. I believe newer collectors to this line will be ecstatic with everything and that is a very good thing. The OG's though are becoming more difficult to impress when the quality of design and production has been so incredibly high.
Like you said, I am underwhelmed by the collection. I understand the reasoning behind the collection, but the dolls and wigs are not for me. I do like some of the outfits but none is screaming "yes, this is a definite". Spoilt - definitely.
I'm with you on Nicole, I don't know what they were thinking, but I'm sure she'll sell out. I'll stick with my Enchanted Nicole. And the wig choices were limited for an anniversary collection. I only purchased two of the short, cropped hair versions that I've wanted for some time. Keep up the good work!
Question: Most of these have underskirts. Do you think that they will still look good without the underskirt?
Also, are the hair ornaments for the period? Or just an addition?
Isn't it nice to be spoilt?! At least to the pocket book this time around!
I am a little surprised by the wig cap choices as well. I think the Premier line had 9 wig style in at least six or seven colors each. JS re-ordered the wigs a couple of times and, at one time, were planning to keep the Premier as a regular in-stock item. I guess the $45 vs. $30 price point was the deciding factor. There were some gorgeous styles in that Premier collection!
Hm, yes, I felt the same way. So much that I didn't preorder anything. I was tempted by Ginie a bit. I am not sure it was a smart move to start selling dolls nude, and so fast. At least a pair of simple shoes and a swimsuit (lingerie), or simple dress, should be included. Like in most businesses, the urge to get more profit will harm the growth. I am sad from this point I missed Legends, it was the best collection, very creative and beautiful.
Just from prior experience with Jamieshow items, the skirts of their ensembles are generously cut and proportioned. They should still look good without using the stiff slip underneath. There are many less voluminous slips in previous ensembles (and in other brands). I know Owensu likes to make a statement and the slips will definitely help the ensemble to do that! Hair ornamentation, fascinators, and hats are often standard with MANY JS/Owensu ensembles. And these are fantastic! They can be used with other ensembles or left off when you dress your doll.
Even though I would appreciate some sort of shoes, lingerie, etc., I appreciate the fact that Jamieshow/Owensu has not raised prices to balance tariffs or even charge tariff costs to collectors. I plan to wait and see post-production photos of Ginnie before making up my mind on her; hopefully I can get her in the leftovers sale if I find I can't live without her. I did pre-order Eshe and Sasha. I only ordered one ensemble, Look 5, and a couple couture wigs. It was one of the smallest orders for me in a long time. I love my items from Legend! I actually have two of Legend Daphne and Legend Thea as they are my very favorite Muses ever produced. I think Time & Timeless was exceptional and I can't wait for Masterpiece to get here.
I have been looking at the Muses for about a year but have never bought anything. I have to really be in love to justify the high prices to myself. I am not sure if it is the case like Integrity Toys that they are cheaper for US customers, but even if not, paying with Canadian dollars puts a doll and an outfit at around $1500. I might do that once or twice, but that's it, so I am in no rush.
The only thing that tempted me here is the black and pink gown in the centre. At least in the photos, I prefer the Premier for every doll, although I do like the new colours on Ginnie. There were some things I liked in Masterpieces and am hoping to pick them up in the leftovers. Other than that, I'm fine with Integrity Toys, and I have far too many dolls anyway.
I have sold a lot of my IT collection to finance my Jamieshow/Owensu addiction. You might want to start with a couple ensembles/accessory sets to determine the added value of the quality to you personally. These items aren't cheap, but the quality truly is quite phenomenal. When get your first JS doll, unwrapping it is like a religious experience! LOL!
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