Harumika Mannequin Victoria

I bought this Harumika Mannequin for my granddaughter, but couldn't resist playing with it myself. (I also purchased a couple of the add-on fabric and accessory sets.)The mannequin is about the size of a Barbie or similar fashion doll, but of white plastic and with "stiff" legs and torso (the arms do move and are beautifully sculpted). The shoes snap into a plastic stand, shaped like a clover (it's very stable) and the dolls feet fit into that -- so the included shoes are important. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any way to buy extra shoes for these dolls! You cannot use the doll barefoot.The Mannequin strongly resembles a store mannequin, the kind that are white and have no features, and works well as that. Each doll has a wig, and this is the big weak spot. I guess the concept was to switch the wigs around (you can buy extra wigs, but they are pricey: as much as the whole mannequin). But the wigs, while lush and silky, are held on by a flimsy string and rubber band -- there is no "base" -- and they slide right off. This was hard for ME as an adult to put on, and it kept falling off. It is too much for a small child to deal with. I noticed my granddaughter played with this "bald". Too bad.The Mannequin has slits along her back, arms and thighs, lined with vinyl flanges, and you use a "stick" to poke swaths of fabric into the slits to create the dresses. The set comes with a starter group of fabrics. This sounds complicated, but it is actually easy and fun -- I remember as as child doing something similar when I wrapped my Barbies with fancy hankerchief's and even colored Kleenex! There are also little purses you can wrap (in the accessory kits) and jewelry and pieces of fabric trim.It would be easy to replenish your supply with ribbons, fabric scraps, samples or bits of cast-off clothing. The "poker stick" if lost could easily be replaced with a popsicle stick or a cheap plastic disposable knife.I would have loved this as a child. I also think the Mannequin is crying out for a creative kid to use some acrylics or markers to give her a face (the overall doll is very nicely sculpted). Someone needs to work out a better wig solution, though.What I ended up doing is getting a velco "dot" closure -- about the size of a nickel -- and sticking one on the dolls head and the other inside the wig; this holds it on OK.Shop around on price: I have seen these for a high of $30, and an average of $18, but I found one for $9 by shopping around. That seems like a fairer price; $30 is a bit high for this, given how little fabric is included (you will need to supplement it quickly).Harumika makes a HUGE selection of add-ons once you get the Mannequin, and they also make sets with just dress forms. The Mannequin is way more fun and interesting than the dress forms! If your child (or you) really likes this, you can add a few. Look for sales after the holidays.

My daughter loves this! She is 10 and wants to be a fashion designer. This toy allows her to play with color, texture and fabric without having any sewing skills. As someone who likes to sew, I know that making good fabric choices is what separates "homemade" from "handcrafted" clothing, and this toy is a great tool for honing those skills.My criticisms are these: There are lots of small parts that you can't lose, and the wig is too fussy. I'm going to try gluing on a velcro dot as another reviewer suggests. Also, instructions are minimal--seriously, about three sentences. A little help, please? For instance, it has slots in the legs so you can make pants, but no advice for how to wrap a flat square of fabric to look like pants. Same with the sleeves. I would love either instructions, or a sloper, or even a link to a YouTube video showing someone doing more than just basic wraps. Last, it would rock to have another slot across the front, below the shoulders--since the easiest fashion is the sleeveless dress, one needs a slot for holding shoulder straps.All in all, though, it's a brilliant toy for a young person who is interested in fashion. I would definitely buy it again.