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Tyler Wentworth® Collection

Tyler Wentworth® is a 16-inch, vinyl/hard plastic doll with rooted hair and an extensive, stylish wardrobe.  Her friends Sydney Chase, Angelina, Esmé and Kit join Tyler.  Since 1999, Tyler has had many other characters introduced to her world such as the exciting ladies of the Chase Modeling Agency, Mei Li of Aurora Cosmetics, and let's not forget the gentlemen, Tyler's beau, Matt O'Neill, his younger brother Sean O'Neill, and Matt's best friend Russell Williams.  You can learn more about Tyler and her world at the Tyler Wentworth Archive by clicking here.

Tyler Wentworth® is a registered trademark of the Tonner Doll Company, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Tyler Wentworth® Collection ©1999-2005 Tonner Doll Company, Inc.

Features in Detail:
Sculpt - Sculpted by Robert Tonner, Tyler's realistic proportions suggest an athletic look and appeal to the collector.  The head sculpt gives Tyler's head a free swiveling motion that comes from a carefully designed neck joint that is derived from Robert's years of doll-making experience.  Other Tyler characters are either sculpted by Robert Tonner, or they are sculpted under the direction of Robert Tonner.  The head is cast in high-quality vinyl, suitable for hand-painting and hair rooting.  NOTE: Vinyl heads are generally not intended to be removed and replaced...the company does not recommend nor warrant the removal/replacement of the head (unless done by the Tonner Doll Hospital).  Removal/replacement of heads may cause irreparable damage to the vinyl head and neck joint.

Many dolls designed without earrings still have earring holes placed in the ear lobe; however, vinyl has an excellent memory to it's original casting, and the earring hole may close to a point where it is not visible.  The hole may be re-opened using a strong hatpin, push pin or needle.

Tyler's leg sculpt includes unique features such as 90-degree posturing when seated and shoulder joints that are designed to conceal the swinging hinge.  This hinge allows Tyler's arms to move back and forth, side to side, and combinations of both motions without the shoulder seam inhibiting the lines when wearing strapless fashions.

For the styles that come with bending arms, collector's will delight in Tyler's full range motion in bending arm capability.  The bending arm features a different hand sculpt to create more variety in arm poses.

The body torso, upper arms and lower arms are constructed of hard plastic; the lower limbs and head are made of high-quality vinyl.  This combination provides durable quality at working joints without compromising a blended look.  Joints are hand-sanded to minimize their appearance to the eye.  Tyler bodies are manufactured using "sonic welding", which minimizes the use of glue and fuses the hard plastic parts together for durable construction.

For the newest articulated Tyler bodies, the engineering is truly remarkable.  A side-to-side bending mechanism allows for drop shoulder posing.  The swivel waist turns from left to right.  Finally, the rotational hip joints allow for legs to be crossed, as well as a full range of leg stances.  In the latest 'Bending Wrist' dolls, articulation is added to the wrist and increased elbow movement is incorporated.  Because collectors' taste varies in articulated jointing, Robert offers many different body types.

Undeniably, collectors are always sold on Tyler when they hold her.  The characteristic most frequently cited by collectors and retailers as one of Tyler's strongest features is her 'feel'.  This is a combination of sculpt, material and weight that create a combination that must be 'felt' by the collector to appreciate.  
 

These are the current Tyler Body Types (please note selection of body type is largely determined by Robert's specific aesthetics for a given design):

Original Body - Not currently in production - includes non-bending arms and articulated movement at the neck, shoulders, hips (hip joints are not rotational ball joints) and knees.

BA Body (bending arms) - includes articulated movement at the elbows, neck, shoulders, hips (hip joints are not rotational ball joints) and knees.

AR Body (articulated body) - includes articulated movement at the elbows, neck, shoulders, side-to-side drop shoulder joint, twist waist, hips (hip joints are rotational ball joints) and knees.

BW Body (bending wrists) – the ‘BW’ body is the same as the AR body, but adds increased elbow movement and bending wrists.

Hair - Tyler's hair is rooted with high-quality saran.  Robert designed Tyler to have the most realistic hair in scale to a real human body.  The hair will hang and move like real human hair.  Rooting is preferred to wigs as wigging often results in unpredictable, inconsistent and low-quality results when designing fashion hairstyles; it is much more suited to child dolls with simpler hair styles.  NOTE: Hairstyles are generally not intended to be taken down...the company does not recommend nor warrant the alteration of any doll's hairstyle.

Hair-rooting is an amazingly complex process.  After the head is painted, it is heated to high temperatures to soften the vinyl.  The hair rooter then carefully follows the screen-painted hairline watching carefully for even stitching along the outer edge.  Some hairlines require a double line stitched along the hairline for styling purposes.  Once the hairline is completed, the rooter will follow a defined pattern for filling the remainder of the scalp based on the intended hair style.  Finally, center or side parts are added to allow the hair to fall in a specific manner.  Hair styles are hand-set, using heat to secure the style.

To date, the following hair colors are available:  The colors below are intended to be a reference and may not appear exactly the same on other doll's with the same hair color.  When saran is manufactured, differing dye lots result in variations of color...furthermore, blending of hair colors in rooting may result in many varying results.  The color guide below is a guide only and collectors are encouraged to view colors in person when making selections.

* BLONDE VARIATIONS:

• Wheat Blonde - offered since 1999, this is Tyler's standard blonde hair with a hint of ash. Examples: 2000's Casual Luxury & 2003's Montana Getaway Sydney.
• Strawberry Blonde - a lighter shade of red...it can be found in 2002's Ready-To-Wear Spring.
• Summer Blonde - a blend of honey and pale blonde found in 2002's Ready-To-Wear Summer.
• Honey - a true honey golden blonde. Example: 2003 Signature Style AR Blonde
• Saffron - a blonde with sharp gold hue.  Example: 2003's Rapture
• Pale Blonde - sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'platinum' (platinum on the Tonner Doll hair scale is white hair, devoid of tinting), pale blonde refers to the lightest shade of blonde, but a distinctively blonde tint is still present.  First used in production of 2000's 'Palm Beach Nights' Tyler (LE 500 - Disney Special).  Examples: 2002's Sheer Glamour Sydney & 2003's Ready-To-Wear Saucy Blonde.
• Platinum - devoid of color; white.  First used in 2002 for the special 'Manhattan Nights'; reserved for only special projects. Examples:  2003's Cinema Satin Centerpiece and 2004's Ice Blue.
• Variegated Gold- First used in the 2001 Gift Set 'All That Glitters' (LE 100 Exclusive to FAO Schwarz - Mall of Georgia).

* BRUNETTE VARIATIONS:

• Brunette (or Brown) - the standard brunette is a classic brown.  Lighter and darker versions are also available (See below); also known as Tyler Standard Brunette. Example: 2002's Signature Style BA Brunette & 2001's Framboise Robe du Grande Soir.
• Cognac - a blend of red and dark brown hair fibers. Used since 2002. Example: 2002's Signature Style Cognac & 2002's Firebird
• Variegated Red/Brown - Used since 2002. Example: 2002's Le Petit Ensemble Noir & 2003's Riverfront Park Promenade.
• Jet-black OR Raven - the purest of black with blue tones. Example: 2001's Sydney Chase & 2002's Ready-To-Wear Winter
• Sable Brown - lighter than classic brunette; Example: 2002's Ready-To-Wear Fall; also known as 'Sienna' for the Matt O'Neill™ collection.
• Mink - the darkest brown, first used in 2000's 'White House Dinner', then again in 2001's 'Look of Luxe'. Example: 2003's Manhattan Magic Mei Li; also known as 'Walnut' for the Matt O'Neill™ collection.

* REDHEAD VARIATIONS:

• Red - as with brunette, this is a standard redhead, used since 1999; also known as Tyler Standard Redhead. Example: 1999's Party of the Season, 2001's Precious Metal & 2003's Absolutely Aspen.
• Cinnamon - a cooler version of a soft red.  New for 2003. Example: 2003's Cinnabar.
• Copper -  A brassier pale reddish blonde. Used since 2002. Example: 2002's Ready-To-Wear Sydney & 2003's Blush.
• Cognac - a blend of red and dark brown hair fibers. Used since 2002. (See note above under 'Brunette')
• Variegated Red/Brown - Used since 2002. (See note above under 'Brunette')
• Rust Red - Since 2002, this hair color is slightly darker than the classic red. Example: Ready-To-Wear Career; also known as 'Auburn' for the Matt O'Neill™ collection.
• Strawberry Blonde - a lighter shade of red...it can be found in Ready-To-Wear Spring.

Make-up Artistry - Tyler's faces are hand-detailed during production after an initial screen is applied, so no two will be exactly alike.  A screen is used to place the sclera (or white of the eye), pupil, eyebrows and lips.  Face artists then hand-paint eye shadow, eyeliner, lashes, eyebrow detail (if applicable to design), and lip highlights (if applicable to design).  Blush is applied first by airbrush, then hand-detailed.  Unlike the typical face screening accomplished in mass production, a team of face paint artists work closely to reproduce the final approved design.  Great care is taken in designing differing looks for each of the dolls to offer a full range of variety to collectors, but not diminish from Tyler's signature look.  Robert oversees the design of each initial face design with a masterful eye to ensure that Tyler continues to look like Tyler.

Eye/Lip colors vary on each of the dolls in the collection in 2004.  Robert is always experimenting with different looks for the dolls and he was pleased with the realistic natural look of the painting done for Tyler's line in 2003...especially Sydney, Esmé and Mei Li.  Robert's happy to have the flexibility to offer many options that appeal to differing tastes.

Vinyl color is personally chosen by Robert to match the level of warmth he seeks in Tyler's skin tone.  Skin tones may vary based on vinyl batches...or if Robert seeks to create a differing complexion for the doll. Skin tones vary from style to style and differing varieties can be seen in caucasian tones and darker skin tones (for example, Esmé's skin tone is a darker variety and Halle Berry as Catwoman features a lighter tone).  And well...there is green, too...if you count the WIZARD OF OZ's Wicked Witch of the West.

Fabrics - You will search long and hard to find the rich apparel-industry couture fabrics used in the Tyler Wentworth® Collection.  Direct from silk mills in Italy, France and the Far East silk markets of Hangchow, Shanghai and Hong Kong, only the finest of artist dolls use such exacting fabric.  Scale is imperative as Robert searches for perfect scale jacquards and prints that meet Tyler's standards.  Occasionally, an oversize pattern of distinction will catch Robert's eye calling for a specific challenge of design balance to create drama and excitement (See 2002's 'Papillion').  These details create a class in and of itself for Tonner Dolls.

Fabrics such as these present a challenge for Robert and the design team.  They must time acquisition of the materials carefully as they compete with the Fashion Industry to obtain the same textiles.  Sometimes, the Fashion industry wins out, thereby causing Robert to re-source fabrics.  In instances like these, Robert goes to great lengths to ensure that the design composition is not compromised and the same quality materials can hopefully be found to maintain the same high-level of quality as that shown in the prototype.

Methods used in making much of Tyler's knitwear are truly amazing, using only the finest quality yarns and manufacturing techniques.  Many knits in the collection are reproduced exactly like a human-scale sweaters; sometimes with intarsia or other unique finishing details.  It is an expensive process, and unmatched in the entire doll industry.

Accessories- Tyler has an exquisitely made set of miniature, perfectly scaled accessories!  Tyler's shoes are made like actual human shoes...and they feature magnificent style and craftsmanship.  And when it comes to furniture, Tyler spares no expense in securing the best pieces for her home collection, each with extraordinary quality and elegance!

Théâtre de la Mode Collection

With a world in restoration and a city in great need, the couturiers of Paris banded together after World War II to create one of the most telling and fully complete representations of fashion splendor.  The 1945 showing of the Théâtre de la Mode opened a world of wearing apparel perfection in miniature, but not lacking a single detail known of the great haute couture Parisian houses.  Now permanently housed since 1952 and preserved by the caring hands of Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington, the Théâtre de la Mode lives as one of the most important collections of couture finery and masterworks in the world.  Traveling to the austere beauty of the Columbia River Gorge in Washington State, Regina Wentworth often drew upon the inspirations of silhouettes and themes in the collection.  An admirer of the retrospective and an innovator of new style from vintage art, Tyler Wentworth follows in her great-aunt's passions by creating breath-taking beauty inspired by the dramatic masters of the Théâtre de la Mode.

Few are fully aware of the complete actual history of the famous Théâtre de la Mode mannequins.  However, ask any fashion design student or vintage clothing aficionado and he or she will entwine you in a spell of one of fashion history's greatest endeavors.  It has served as inspiration for many a fashion designer (and doll designers, as well)...and for good reason.  The couture examples of the Théâtre de la Mode do not merely represent period fashion, but the miniature mannequins represent the finest creations without specific clients in mind.  The designers of the TDLM possessed a sense of couture fantasy, using the finest fabrics, construction, draping and finishing techniques to open the eyes of the world.  And it certainly did that.

As a part of this program, Tonner Doll Company is able to examine the actual mannequins at Maryhill Museum in Goldendale, Washington.  Sketches are made along with detail photographs and visual inspections of inner-seams to note the original color of each designer's color artistry.  The result is more than a doll collection; it is a representation of the world's finest haute couture and homage to the fashion greats that made Paris the city it is today.  NOTE: Although original Théâtre de la Mode designs inspire our line, not all designs are reproduced exactly as the original, thus allowing certain variations in the designs.