Muses The London Season Is Open For Business

[EDIT:  The pre-order window for The London Season is now closed and the link is now broken.  I hope everyone was able to acquire something their heart desired.  I'll post a review of my purchase sometime this winter when it arrives.]

Owensu never fails to impress!  The latest 12" collection, "The London Season", is now available for pre-order.  Here is the promo of the collection ...

There are five dolls offered this time around:

1. The second version of Valentina that was last seen in 2023 (Moment of Joy Valentina has become a grail among Muses collectors.)

2 and 3.  A pair of sisters in different skin tones named Elodie and Eloise

4. The fifth version of collector-favorite male character Gabriel but this time with a ginger beard!

5. The second release of male character Christian but with freckles!

The dolls are resin (a proprietary, patented blend that ages well), are ball-jointed and strung with elastic cording, and are hand painted and blushed.   Each nude doll comes with a stand, dressing hands, and a wig cap.  The males are limited to an edition size of 150 and the females are limited to 250.  The cost is $475 each.

Pre-orders are currently being taken until 10:00 p.m. EST on August 15.   Collectors must pay a 30% deposit with the balance due when the collection is ready to ship.  The price of items includes the tariffs and shipping is free if you spend at least $1500.

The collection includes 15 ensembles (11 for females and 4 for males) priced from $200 - $250, 10 accessory sets (8 female at $110 each and 2 male at $95 each), and various wigs in different colors and various prices.

The ensembles are inspired by designers Vivienne Westwood (4 Looks), Chanel, Christian Dior, Simone Rocha, Kenzo, etc.  They are meticulously detailed and come with incredible accessories.  I'm not going to lie, this is one of my very favorite collections Owen has released.  The ensembles fit Integrity Toys dolls (may be a little snug on the upper torso of Fashion Royalty) and other similar size/shape 12" dolls.

EDIT:  In response to a comment from a follower, here are the "inspired by" photos of the fashions.

Four Looks Inspired by Vivienne Westwood:

Look 5 (Fall/Winter 1995)

Look 8 (The Puppy Corset With Different Skirts/Different Color Palette)

Look 12 (Westwood Personal Wardrobe but worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in "And Just Like That" Season 3)  More an "inspired by"

Look 14 (another Westwood Personal Wardrober worn by Sarah Jessica Parker at a red carpet event for "And Just Like That")

Look 13 Dior Spring 2010

Look 3 Chanel Spring 2018

Look 6 Kenzo Fall Winter 2007

Look 9 Simone Rocha Spring Summer 2017

Look 10 Simone Rocha Balconette Midi Dress (Changed to black)

Look 1 - everyone probably recognizes the Christian Dior newsprint dress worn by Carrie on Sex and the City.

If you've been on the fence with resin ball-jointed dolls or need some new ensembles for your 12" guys and girls, take a look.  You will definitely be impressed.  And you won't be disappointed when you receive your order in a few months!

Jamieshow/Owensu Muses "The London Season" Link

Easy As 1, 2, 3

It's hard to believe that it has been five weeks since my last blog entry.  I promised myself I would get better at posting, but it's been sort of quiet on the retail doll collecting front.   

First, I would like to thank everyone who participates in this blog.  It truly encourages me to keep doing this.  

With Valentine's Day coming up this week,  Jamieshow/Owensu Legends Thea borrows Integrity Toys 2004's Red Blooded Woman Kyori Sato's gown and fur but combines it with the jewelry and hairpieces from Integrity Toys 2007's Veronique Perrin's Photo Realism. The wig cap is Jamieshow/Owensu Go East Style 2 in black.

In January I received my first doll of 2026.  I had pre-ordered this doll from an online retailer several weeks ago and she just got shipping in January.  

Collecting Cycle 2026 - Number 1 is Integrity Toys Misaki Neo Wave.

The next dolls were just received from Integrity Toys' most recent shipment.

The first was one of the four dolls in the Modern Muse Collection offered to W Club members through a lottery opportunity.  I entered for this doll because we don't see a lot of nice denim offered by IT, so I really wanted this business casual ensemble with all the accessories.  When she arrived, I was so glad I got her because she is gorgeous.  The makeup and hair just work so week with the sculpt.

Collecting Cycle 2026 - Number 2 is Integrity Toys Fashion Royalty Shopping Suite Elyse Jolie.

The next doll was also offered as a W Club lottery and represents a new sculpt/character for Fashion Royalty.  We get another Perrin system with an open mouth smile; this time wearing a version of a Jason Wu original.  Photos do not capture the beauty of this particular doll.  She's extraordinary in hand.

Collecting Cycle 2026 - Number 3 is Integrity Toys Fashion Royalty Constellation Anais Perrin by Jason Wu.

We are off to a slow start this year and I hope we can truly limit the number of girls joining my collection.  The first three are a great start!

Merry Christmas 2025

Every year I choose a doll that joined my collection in the previous 12 months to feature on a digital Christmas Card.  This year I chose one that didn't qualify for my "Best of Countdown" because she was produced and released prior to 2025.   

Merry Christmas from Jamieshow/Owensu Premier Sasha.  May you find yourself richly blessed this holiday season.  Thank you for visiting my blog.  I have truly appreciated your comments and support.   

Collecting Cycle 2024 - Jamieshow/Owensu Legend Collection

The Jamieshow/Owensu Legend Collection arrived earlier this past month.  Every time a box from this group arrives it is like Christmas and birthdays all rolled into one!  I like to take my time and savor every moment of experiencing the sheer decadence of these collections!

There were four dolls in this collection, but I only ordered the two new characters.  The first doll I chose to release is called Daphne.  Here is the Jamieshow/Owensu promotional photo of her in stock.

This doll just truly checks all my boxes.  When she arrived, I decided she needed a more vibrant wig color.  The great thing about Jamieshow/Owensu Muses is that it is so easy to change their wig style and color.  Collectors are offered interchangeable wig caps in a variety of colors and styles.  In this collection, the wig style the dolls came with were offered as separate purchases.  There were four colors; Daphne's wig color is Bronze and Thea's is platinum.  It was also offered in pumpkin and black.  I wanted to try Daphne in something more modern and chic.  Here she is in a Van Oscar Met Gala gown.

I do love this so much!  She looks like a modern Rita Hayworth!  Another great thing about collecting Jamieshow/Owensu Muses is that the Facebook Fan Page is very active.  It is so much fun to see how other collectors style their dolls.  Another collector posted a photo of Daphne in a silver wig - the converse of my idea of going with a vibrant color. I couldn't believe how beautiful she was!  Next step ... silver wigged Daphne wearing Look 11 from the Jamieshow/Owensu 2021 Dangerous Love collection.  (The wig is from Instagram member Maovi92.)

This doll is just extraordinary.  Her faceup works with every color wig.  I don't know how this line keeps improving, but they just get better and better.   Collecting Cycle 2024 - Number 24 is Jamieshow/Owensu Legend Daphne.

The second doll I ordered turned out to be one of the most popular Muses ever created by this designer.  Here is the Jamieshow/Owensu promo photo of Legend Thea.

Those eyes are remarkable, aren't they?   Again, based on another collectors' styling choices I chose to put her in a different JS/Owensu wig cap in Bronze color.  She is wearing Look 7 from the JS/Owensu Bonjour Paris 2022 collection.

Collecting Cycle 2024 - Number 25 is Jamieshow/Owensu Legend Thea.

As you can tell, the dolls aren't the only items I love from this production team!  The ensembles are just incomparable.  The designs, construction, fabrics, accessories.  Everything is just out-of-this-world amazing!   Here is the JS/Owensu promo photo of the Legend collection showing all the ensembles.  

I have been disillusioned by other fashion doll manufacturers for several years now, even before the Covid pandemic.   The quality control is all over the place and the quality often suffers due to quantity of merchandise produced.  JS/Owensu Muses are produced in edition sizes less than 150.  The faces are actually painted by hand.  The bodies are blushed by hand.   The ball-jointed bodies are resin. Again, collectors have to pay for this quality.  Each doll currently retails at $475 (which is more than double their plastic counterparts).   These dolls were introduced in Winter 2019 with a delivery date of late spring 2020.  The original price of the dolls was $425 (they have increased $50 since that time).  The original ensembles from the Premier Collection ranged in price from $150 - $200 (the upper end of the Legend collection pushed $250 which is another $50 increase).

Even though the luxury is substantially higher than other fashion doll brands (ensembles often cost as much, or even more, than most Integrity Toys dressed dolls), collectors seem to be willing to pay it.   To offset the expense, each ensemble comes fully accessorized with jewelry, footwear, purses, and often hats/headpieces.  But the cost is quite prohibitive of purchasing entire lines.  Here is where this collector has to exercise some serious self-restraint or she would be in the poor house.

From the 16 ensembles offered in the Legend fashion capsule (12 female and 4 male), I only allowed myself five of them.   Since Thea and Daphne were busy modeling ensembles from earlier collections, I decided to try using some of my Muses that I have struggled bonding with.  

The least expensive ensemble from this Line was Look 1.  Its retail price was only $125.  It came with this wonderful resin breastplate that looks like wings.  Here is Go East Sakura modeling.  This is the first time I have liked this Muses girl.  

Next up is one of my very favorite looks from Legend, Look 12.  The silk is so soft and beautiful.  The draping is just crazy good!  Here is Summer Kisses Ginnie modeling.

Then we have one of my favorite Muses, Dangerous Love Valentina, wearing one of my favorite Legend ensembles, Look 5.

Another doll that I've always been unsure of in my collection is Go East Bella.  I decided to put her Daphne's stock dress and accessorize with an IT Meteor crown and designer earrings.  I think she really pulled this off beautifully.

That leaves the two ensembles that I most looked forward to from the Legend collection.

First I have to give credit where it is due.  I stole this idea from my doll friend Lorraine.  Legend Look 11 needed a little something extra to tie it in with the theme of the rest of the collection.  This ensemble came with a narrow tube-top-like bra in the same fabric as the the skirt.  The resin bra is from Etsy seller Little Janchor.  With tax and shipping it was less than $35, but it totally elevated the whole look.  It is being modeled by one of my new favorites, Let Them Eat Cake, Eileen.  The ensemble even came with the cat as one of the accessories.  How cool is that!  

The last ensemble is one I am saving for my countdown later this year.  There is no doubt in my mind that it will be included with Thea modeling it.

I don't know how they continue doing it, but Jamieshow/Owensu Muses just keeps getting better and better.   I know the edition sizes have risen in response to the crossover collectors from other lines.  Once you experience the luxury of these dolls, the decadence of the ensembles, and the wig cap system, it's hard to go back to anything less.

Best of 2023 - Number 1

It's hard to believe that I have been collecting Jamieshow/Owensu Muses for three years now!   This line continues to impress me more than I can express in words, and I have amassed quite a number of dolls, ensembles, and wigs.  2023 was another outstanding year for Jamieshow/Owensu Muses.

The last capsule collectors received in 2023 was called Moments of Joy.   Similar to Integrity Toys, Jamieshow/Owensu Muses premiers a line to the public prior to production.  They take orders on their offerings to gauge popularity with collectors and then place their orders with the factory.

There were only three female dolls and one male doll included in the Moments of Joy capsule, but there were 13 ensembles, 11 shoe packs, four luggage/pet accessory sets, and three new wig cap designs in various colors.  This capsule had a more formal feel than previous collections this year.

Here is the promo photo for Jamieshow/Owensu Muses Moments of Joy.

From this collection I only added two dolls and three ensembles.   

The first capsule making its way to collectors in 2023 was Bonjour Paris.  This collection was more to my liking.  It was very "casual chic" and the dolls seemed younger somehow.  Here is the promo photo for Jamieshow/Owensu Muses Bonjour Paris:

I don't usually order so many dolls, but I wound up with all three females and one of the males.  I also succumbed to five ensembles!   What is so fantastic about the fashions is that they can be worn by other 12" fashion dolls.  Here is my Dominion Doll Nika wearing Look 2.

Arriving in the summer, we received my very favorite capsule ever produced by Jamieshow/Owensu (and it was the one I was most skeptical about when it premiered).   Here is the promo photo for Jamieshow/Owensu Go East:

I just pretty much lost all reason with this collection.  I ordered 5 of the six dolls and 8 of the ensembles!

Here are some photos of my favorite 2023 Jamieshow/Owensu Muses wearing some of favorite 2023 Jamieshow/Owensu ensembles.

First up we have Bonjour Paris Eileen wearing Bonjour Paris Look 7:

Also from Bonjour Paris is Sabina wearing my favorite Bonjour Paris ensemble Look 6

To showcase Bonjour Paris Look 8, we have Go East Natalie: 

While we are at it with Go East, here is Go East Lan wearing the most intricate and detailed ensemble in my collection Go East Look 5

How about Go East Sakura wearing Go East Look 8

And my favorite Go East girl, Sasha, wearing Go East Look 1:

From the Moments of Joy Collection, here is Moments of Joy Grace wearing a look from last year's Enchanted Look 4 (that I just purchased secondary market this year):

And probably my most photographed doll from 2023 is Moments of Joy Valentina wearing Go East Look 11

My dilemma with creating my countdown this year was that Jamieshow/Muses would've dominated the top 10, especially if I took into consideration these amazing ensembles.  All it takes is a change of the magnetic wig cap and you get a completely different look!  And all the dolls can share the same wig caps.  I know it doesn't seem fair to compare Integrity Toys dolls to these little resin works of art individually painted by hand, not using stencils.  And they do cost almost three times more than a Fashion Royalty doll.  And besides that, I wanted to try and include a doll from all the lines I collect.  My only solution was just to group them together as one collection as my Best of 2023 - Number 1, Jamieshow/Owensu Muses 2023

More Muse-ing-s : Collecting Cycle 2023 Numbers 36, 37, and 38

My father worked in furniture design and building his entire life.  When I first got married and moved away from home, he gave me some very sage advice, "Always buy the best you can afford; always wait until you can afford the best."  He explained that you really do get what you pay for and the cheaper an item is, the quicker you will be replacing it.   It is better to save your money and get better quality because it will last a long time and cost you less in the long run.

I think of this advice whenever buying furniture, appliances, and even cars.  It has served me well.   So, it only seems that I should carry this philosophy over into my doll collecting.  Collecting Integrity Toys products replaced collecting play line dolls.   (Don't get me wrong, I find myself needing a quick fix every now and then when I'm at a department store, but they no longer hold the same place in my collection.)  When Jamieshow/Owensu introduced their Muses line, I couldn't quite get fully on board because the price was so much more than IT dolls.   But once I received my first Muses, I could hear Daddy's words of wisdom whispered in my ear.  Simply put, the quality truly is quite a bit better.

Last year, I was tempted into purchasing my first Muses male doll.  He even made it into my year end Top 10.  I thought I was choosing the best male doll from that collection until collector photos started showing up.  I regretted missing Dangerous Love Daniel.  Recently, a collector sold me his below retail and even included an ensemble from Enchanted.   How could I resist?  Apparently, I didn't!

Number 36 of Collecting Cycle 2023 is Jamieshow/Owensu Muses Daniel.  Isn't he handsome?!  See why I had to add him to my collection?!

I recently posted about another Jamieshow capsule, Go East, where I purchased five female dolls (and I may have failed to mention that I also purchased nine ensembles and two accessory gift sets):  Jamieshow/Owensu Go East .

So when the subsequent collection, Moments of Joy, was advertised, I had to show some restraint.  Fortunately, there were only three female dolls included in this capsule.  One of these was a new character mold, Valentina.   Here is the promo photo of Valentina.

She is just as unique and beautiful in person.  Here she is wearing IT's 2011 Only Natural dress and hat.   I love how these dolls pose sitting down!  The wig is from an artisan on Instagram named Marga. 

And a closeup showing exactly why Jamieshow/Owensu Muses Moments of Joy Valentina became Number 37 of Collecting Cycle 2023.

The other dolls were new versions of Lan (I had just purchased her from the Go East Collection) and Grace (I already had Summer Kisses with lavender eyes and Enchanted, one of my very favorite Muses ever produced).  I thought I could easily pass on both, but that Grace just wouldn't let me be.  She haunted my dreams!    Here is the promo photo of Grace.

This doll is just remarkably beautiful.  Here she is wearing Look 4 from the Enchanted Collection.

Jamieshow/Owensu Muses Moments of Joy Grace is Number 36 of my 2023 Collecting Cycle.

Although I passed on Lan, collector photos prove that she is quite beautiful as well.  If she should ever show up at a reasonable price on secondary market, I might have to get her. 

Surely though, there can't be that many more dolls coming to my house in 2023, right?

Oh no! Here We Go Again - Numbers 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 of Collection Cycle 2023

After the great deluge of dolls that arrived in January, I was really not looking forward to the arrival of my order from the Jamieshow/Owensu Go East collection.  When I first saw this collection advertised, I thought it would be too costumey for my personal tastes.  Here is the promo photo.

It's actually a very modern take on Eastern couture!  There were six female versions this time around.  Three were newly released 12" molds (Sakura, Lan, and Natalie) which were included with three new versions of Lilly, Bella, and Sasha.  

Here is a full length photo to see how they came dressed (but wearing different wig caps).

I had made up my mind that I was going to try and get at least one version of each Muses character, so that made the purchase of the new girls an easy choice.  I did not have a previous version of Bella, so she went in the cart also.  Enchanted Lilly is one of my very favorite Muses, and I didn't think Go East Lilly was at the same level, so that was a pass.  For some reason, Go East Sasha just kept calling to me.  Her screening is not traditionally something that I would like, and I already had three other versions of her.  In the final days befor pre-order cutoff, I broke down and added her.  That meant, five new Muses from Go East was joining my crew!  I needed to start saving money!  

Surprisingly, Go East Sasha is my favorite from this collection.  There is something sexy but innocent about this doll.  Here she is in her production ensemble.  Number 19 of 2023 is Jamieshow Go East Sasha.

I am glad I waited for this version of Bella.  She is quite striking.  NOTE:  Bella's and Lan's production ensembles "stain" their bodies.  I put quotation marks here because the color doesn't actually absorb into the resin.  If you use the little magic sponges that come with the dolls, you can carefully "sand" away the color.  But you have to be careful not to "sand" away the body blushing.  Jamieshow stepped up and offered replacement bodies to any collector that requested them.  Great customer service, don't you agree?

Number 20 of 2023 is Jamieshow Go East Bella.  She is wearing an early IT Fashion Royalty ensemble, 2004's Shanghai in Bloom.

Although it has been a struggle to bond with Lan's eyebrows, she is a very striking doll.  She is wearing a Hoang Anh Khoi ensemble with Mattel's Spring in Tokyo's hat.  Number 21 of 2023 is Jamieshow Go East Lan.

Natalie was not only a new sculpt, she was a new skin tone for the Jamieshow Muses ladies.  She is wearing a wig cap from the Go East collection and is modeling an oriental fan.  Number 22 is Jamieshow Go East Natalie.

The final doll I added from this collection is Sakura.  I haven't been able to spend enough quality time with this striking sculpt.  Here is a photo in a custom wig and her original ensemble.  Number 23 belongs to Jamieshow Muses Go East Sakura.  I apologize but I didn't even get a chance to redress her before packing her away.   

I felt deja vu back to January with five dolls arriving at one time.  Fortunately, when you preorder these dolls you put down a deposit of about 25% and are billed the remainder when they are ready for shipping.  It gives collectors time to save money and sell other dolls to make room for them.  Jamieshow/Owensu Muses are just incredible to own; however, the quality is reflected in the price.  Each Jamieshow Muses doll retailed for $475.  Ouch!  But when you see Sasha so stunningly re-dressed in a silkstone ensemble and a different wig cap how can you deny them?