Earlier this morning, Groove announced two new upcoming releases via their blog. Pullip Katrina and Taeyang ReonHARDT are to be released in Japan in December but will not be released until one month later here in the US. Their MSRP is 18000 yen each which is approximately $172 as of this writing. Now that the basic release information is out of the way let’s take a closer look at the dolls!

My first thought when I saw these two was they look like they are ready for a party, a Gatsby party in particular! The Great Gatsby was all about decadence and excess in the 1920s, while these two dolls are original designs the 1920s influence on their clothing style is easy to see. The dolls definitely embody decadence especially Katrina with her fur lined coat (hopefully faux fur!). The 1920s were a really great time period with amazing outfit designs so I love that Groove is releasing dolls based on it.

Taeyang ReonHARDT

We really have not had many Taeyang releases in 2016, only three: Dodo from the Alice in Steampunk World series, Albireo from the 10th Anniversary of Dal & Taeyang set and ReonHARDT here. Albireo and Dodo have quite elaborate outfits that aren’t entirely versatile so it’s nice to see a Taeyang release with clothing with a versatile stock.

I was just recently thinking about how we haven’t a Taeyang in a suit in quite some time, considering how much of a staple they are in men’s fashion it’s really kind of surprising when you think about it. I’m very happy to see Taeyang back in a suit and I’m absolutely mad for pinstripes! Pinstriped suits very popular in the 1920s so he matches his companion Pullip Katrina wonderfully!

Back view of the outfit.

He has an utterly fantastic face up! The eye makeup looks really nice but not too overdone which is always a danger on the boys and his eyebrows are amazing, they look very full and are nicely detailed. His lips are a nice color too and have a slight gradient where they get a bit darker towards the center. I really, really can’t help but wish that they had chose a sandy blond or a brown wig for him as while the silver is nice it kind of clashes with his face up which is a pity (face up is done in warm tones, the silver wig is very much a cooler tone).

I love the mixtures of patterns, the color and pattern on the vest provide an interesting contrast to the blue of the shirt and pinstriped suit. I love the bowtie!

Pullip Katrina

Katrina definitely looks ready for a night out on the town in the roaring 20’s! She has a nice sheath dress with detailing around the hemline which was a popular feature at the time, the jewel on the bow is a lovely detail as well. She has patterned tights and gold colored high heels. Strings of beads complete her ensemble very nicely!

Is it just me or does Katrina have appear to have a bit of a tan skintone? It’s always nice when we see some variety in Pullip’s skintone. I am absolutely in love with her dramatic face up, the eye makeup is very intense and she has some of the fiercest eyebrows that I have ever seen on a Pullip. I love the color that was chose for her lips. I like the color and style of her wig though I think I might have preferred a bob on her.

Back view of the outfit. In college my minor had been art history, I ended up taking a course on the evolution of fashion thinking it would be a light fluff course it ended up being one of the most challenging classes I ever took but at least I can draw on that knowledge now!

Hats were a must have for any fashionista in the 1920s! The hat appears to be of the mushroom style and is embellished with ribbon and a fluff poof, it was quite common for women to embellish their hats at that time (sometimes women would redecorate their hats to keep them in style for longer after all it’s cheaper to redecorate the hat then to buy a new one).
Close up of the coat. Fur coats or fur-lined coats were very popular in the 1920s and were seen as the height of opulence. The bows on a fur-lined coat were a popular trend that originated in Paris but quickly spread from there it was considered very en vogue at the time! It’s a fantastic time period correct little nod to include the bows! It is is unclear at this time if the fur on the coat is faux or not, it looks fake to me in the photos but it can be hard to tell sometimes.

So what do you think dear readers, are you enchanted by Pullip Katrina and Taeyang ReonHARDT? Will you be getting them? I’m currently undecided but very tempted by Pullip Katrina, if I do get her I would definitely be naming her Daisy!

I’ll be sure to update when they become available for preorder via Pullipstyle and/or JPGroove.