Doing backups, I found a forgotten folder in an old hard drive. It had contained immense nostalgia: wax sculpting photos from over a decade ago when my dream of a doll of my own began.
Inamorata dolls weren’t released until late 2012, but on 2007 I was already making the very first 12″ sized wax models for my own doll. You can see the first immobile sculpture standing next to my early repaints of Momoko and Integrity dolls, before I cut it apart to make joints. Truly the humble beginnings but the shape of the doll is already recognizable Inamorata.
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The curious thing is, I had forgotten that my 2007 prototype actually had a moving neck joint! At the time, the main market was for mannequin type fashion dolls, and together with my business partner Jing we decided that breaking the neck area with a joint was too visible and scrapped the idea in the end. However, the trend now seems to be towards mobility and I’ve been playing with the idea of bringing this early concept to life.
These photos are from the 16″ final version I was hand sculpting on 2012. I also had no idea at the time of the shrinkage caused by mold making and resin casting. My wax models shared the exact measurements (although very differently distributed) of my then favourite dolls: Numina and Sybarite. However, the final doll ended up losing almost 2cm in height and being rather petite next to her inspiring sisters.
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Jing and I really had no idea how to go about doll production and the first few years were an nightmare of trial and error, dreadful factories and other hardships, but we learned as we went along. Hard times but also happy ones, as we worked towards our dream. For many years it was a part time job / hobby for both of us. I taught Chinese and arts to stay afloat. It makes me so happy that now I can make a living doing what I love. That’s the greatest treasure of all.