Don’t Break These Figurines!

6a00e5508e95a988330134817ac6f1970c-640wi.jpg

Lladro

I have a mild obsession and fascination with people who collect fuddy duddy porcelain figurines.  My mother was temporarily drawn to them and so we have a few 18th century Rococco-dress figurines staring down at us from the shelves, dusty and odd looking in their painted expressions.  Sadly she wasn't committed enough to go out and buy hundreds and hundreds of them so the sparse few on the shelves just sort of look sad and unloved.  I've come across a few Lladro figurines (the ones above) in my car booty time (don't ask me why my dad loved hauling us to car boot sales… but I feel my brain is better enrichened for it…) and I just know somewhere out there, there's surely plenty of Lladro obsessive conventions going on, where ladies in twin sets might be poring over their figurines competing over how complete their sets are.  I may even have to dedicate a portion of my later life to go out seeking these conventions and sit in like a limp bystander with nothing to bring but my enthusiasm and a Nikon L35 camera to photograph them.

I never thought a designer would actually take Lladro's pale pastel porcelain hues and transfer them to clothes though in Bangkok-based label Sretsis' whimsical and playful world, I suppose it makes complete and utter sense.  As designer Pim Sukhahuta says "We love old-fashioned stuff because they are honest and direct. However, we have twisted, and looked at them from a totally new angle that enables them to be more interesting than ever.‚Äù

Sretsis' A/W 10-11 collection 'Stolen Moments' does exactly that – takes those oddly twee and lovable figurines and transfers their elements to the collection.  In this instance, it's actually the influence that makes the collection completely endearing to me.  The palette from the figurines is the obvious transition point – pale pale pink, ice blue, clay grey are the main colours.  The movement and faux 'joy' of the figurines seen in voluminous skirts, bows and drapes are also incorporated into the collection as well as the trompe l'oeil print of a porcelain texture as well as the gold rim elements.  Cuteness of all cuteness though is the "Smitten Kitten" print that are directly inspired by Lladro kitten figurines, which also adds to the kitty/birdie print trail that undeniably Miu Miu have blazed.  Under most circumstances, I might guff a little at the overall girliness of everything but actually, by going beyond the call of twee, and calling upon the strangely mesmerising powers of the Lladro figurine, I'm ready to… dare I say it… become a human incarnation of a figurine?   

14

15

02

11

03

22

07
42

18

27

36
41

37

46 comments

  6. My grandmother collected Llardo figurines, she diden’t have very many, but when I get old I’ll start collecting. The Sretsis collection is really pretty, thanks for the tip:)

  9. hey i wanna make a video of this photoshoot
    i want your permission so pls write to me
    thank you
    shalini

  15. What an amazing concept. Love the styling an the photos are out of this world! Love them so much! Thanks for sharing.
    kss
    myfashion-notes.blogspot.com

  16. These are AMAZING!!! My family was very close friends with another family growing up, and the mother of that family collected these figurines and well as Royal Doulton ones. They were kept in a special display cabinet in their formal livingroom with all the other china, and I would have to ask permission to go in and stare at them, which I would of course do every time we visited. The entire living room was pastels, the windows were swathed in drapy pale blue chiffon, the carpet was plush, and the couches were white (this was the only family I knew who had white couches! Very fancy for small town country living!) I have such vivid fond memories of these figurines, and part of why I loved them so much was the attention paid to the clothing they wore! This is truly genius!

  18. I never could get myself to like those figurines (the word “figurine” makes me cringe) but this collection is brilliant! Beyond adorable and so on-trend, but timelessly girly at the same time. Love it!

  19. Brilliant idea for a photoshoot, these have come out really well!
    I used to get things like porcelain kittens as a 7-10 year old from my grandmother’s sister. I thought they were the dumbest things ever, stuff to put on a shelf and dust, I’d rather gotten crayons instead.

  21. Wow – that is so creative. I’m blown away by these things that some people say ‘oh, anyone could have done it’ because the point is, they did do it and that makes the difference.
    Beautiful clothes (love the shirt with the jewels) in a lovely palate. I think that they ought to have left out the black though – it seems incongruous and as if they haven’t taken enough time editing. It makes it all seem less directional, somehow.
    The actual figurines? I can’t think of anything worse!! But the one where the people are covered in flowers is quite cool (bottom left).
    Charlotte xx
    http://stylerail.blogspot.com

  27. wow, i remember Lladro figurines from the halmark stores i was just enchanted with as a child. this really brings up childhood and do not touch signs for me.

  29. Fabulous pictures and the whole idea of the figurines photo shoot is just amazing. The models have done some great job. Love the styling and the looks.
    I do remember these kinds of figurines from my childhood and the resemblance is definitely there.
    Susie, you always find great and very original things for your blog. Nice post
    elenavasilieva.blogspot.com

  31. Not sure about the clothes, some of them are cute. But I particularly like the stylised hair and fabric moving in some sort of static breeze. I need to improve my photography skills…
    xx
    Duck

  32. Cool concept for a photo shoot, and I have to say I definitely find some of the clothes endearing, especially the stuff done in shades of gray. Some of it’s just a little too fairy tale princess for me, I’m just not that girly.
    LOVE that two-tone dress though, and the ruffled confederate gray top.

  41. I love the concept. Truly beautiful. I would say this collection is very fit for the summer too.

  42. wow not often a label comes along that can be old fashioned but so fashion forward, lovely to see some soft colours and prints, the cat is perfect! pity it’s all so damn expensive

  43. wowww sretsis is amazing as always!!! love the designers to the MAXXX
    check out my fashion blog at thetalesofselfindulgence.blogspot.com

  46. Thank you for your post. I enjoyed reading it. I also have some helpful information on Lladro.

Comments are closed.