Star Blue Studios Will Take Over The Gene Doll Line In 2006

It was formally announced at the Gene doll convention in November that The Ashton-Drake Galleries will no longer produce new Gene dolls and outfits in 2006, The Gene Marshall fashion doll line will revert to her creator, Mel Odom, and Mel's Star Blue Studios. Although rumors of a change for the line have been swirling for months, the formal announcement was made by Don Vaccarello, Vice President of Ashton-Drake Galleries at the 10th Anniversary Gene Doll Convention in Stamford, Connecticut.

Star Blue Studios Takes Over Gene Dolls In 2006

Although Ashton-Drake will not produce new Gene dolls or outfits, they will continue to offer dolls that are still in production as well as earlier Gene doll designs through the end of 2005. After that, Star Blue Studios will take over the design and marketing of the dolls.

Gene dolls hold a special place in doll history as the doll that truly brought the large, deluxe fashion doll back to collectors in 1995. Dolls such as Tyler Wentworth by Tonner Dolls and Alexandra Fairchild Ford by Madame Alexander soon followed. Gene Marshall is a 16" fashion doll with separately available clothing, furniture, trunks and accessories, as well as several friends and rivals including Violet Waters, Madra Lord and the male doll Trent. Gene Marshall is a fictional, glamorous movie star from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and she has an ongoing storyline (her story was even chronicled in a book, Gene Marshall, Girl Star). Many of the Gene doll fashions are from the 1940s and 1950s--golden eras in fashion design.

Collectors are eagerly awaiting this new chapter in Gene's life and story, and are excited to see her future with Star Blue Studios.