In-Vince-Able!

Vince Nowell's Road to Happily Ever After

By Lisa A. Lawrence  

Reprint from Doll Show Magazine June 2002

Abandoned by his birth mother, baby Vince was homeless for the first six weeks of his life.  Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Vince got his first “lucky break” when he was adopted into the Nowell family; a family he obviously adores as his face lights up whenever he discusses them.  Vince, the only one adopted, is the youngest of 9, including 6 girls and 3 boys.

At age four, Vince received his first Barbie®.  That was it. He was smitten! Vince was going to grow up to be a doll and fashion designer working for Mattel® and live happily ever after! 

At age twelve, Vince asked his mother, Syble, to teach him how to sew his own clothes.  Syble Nowell made her own Barbie patterns and sewed Barbie clothes for Vince and her nieces.  She also made regular size patterns and sewed clothes for all 9 of her children as they were growing up.  Syble started Vince off with the Barbie® patterns, feeling that the smaller scale would be easier.  By the time Vince was ready to make his own clothes, he decided making Barbie clothes was more fun!  Vince’s Aunt Mare taught him knitting and crocheting, but sadly passed away before teaching him the art of tatting (lace making).  Someday, Vince plans to learn this technique in remembrance of her.

Around this same time, Syble started noticing that Vince was having episodes of sadness.  His doctor diagnosed him with depression, suspecting that the drugs and alcohol his birth mother took during her pregnancy had caused it.  Surrounded by a loving family, Vince learned to cope.  His love of making doll clothes helped by focusing his energy on something he found to be so fun.  He continued sewing and honing his skills, inspired by outfits his mother and sisters wore.

In 1987, Vince was laid off from his job in New Orleans.  He ended up losing both his car and his home.  With nothing else left to lose, Vince used this opportunity to move to Los Angeles to attend a fashion design school.  Between LA’s high cost of living and school tuition, he found he couldn’t make it. He dropped out of his beloved fashion school.  Still intent on learning what he could, Vince continuously bought and studied books on various elements of design, including pattern making and draping.  He still hopes to return to fashion school and earn his degree.  For Vince, setbacks are mere inconveniences; nothing will dissuade him from his dream.

In 1990, Vince landed a job at FAO Schwartz.  Here, he could earn a living while combining his love of dolls and their fashions.  This is where he met Gene Marshall®, whose old Hollywood glamour and style quickly overtook his interest in Barbie.  Still a Barbie admirer, Vince found that Gene’s larger 15-½ inch size was more conducive to the creative process.  He now had a larger canvas to work with; allowing greater details in his own designs.   At work, he spent many happy hours making Gene® displays for the store windows.  Life was looking up.

Joining the “Gene Team”

In 1998, Joan Greene, Ashton Drakes’® director of the Gene team, was in Los Angeles on business.  Seizing the opportunity to meet her, the local Gene club took her out to dinner, bringing their own original designs for a “show and tell.”  That evening, Joan picked out one of Vince’s outfits, which became “Bridge Club.”  Thus began Vince’s free lance career with Mel Odom and his “Gene Team!”  It wasn’t Barbie.  It was better!

As a member of the “Gene Team “, most of Vince’s projects began with an idea by Mel on how he wanted the characters dressed.  Some of the outfits were Joan’s idea; some were Vince’s own ideas.  The design and collaboration process was different for each outfit.  For instance, Vince’s “Heart of Hollywood” started out as pale yellow outfit with silver polka dots.  Joan Greene changed it to the final teal fabric with black polka dots.  Sometimes Vince would be supplied with fabric at the beginning of a project; other times, he would source his own fabric and trims.  While he made accessories for each outfit, sometimes they would be changed to designs by Wendy Solomon (AD’s project development manager) or Etta Foran’s accessory designs.  As a true “team player”, Vince was more interested in having each outfit come out perfect than he was in having it exactly as he designed it.  “I recognize and really respect that it’s Mel’s creation that we are dressing.”  said Vince.

For Vince’s “Meet Me in Paris” outfit, his original black trim was changed to a cream color.  When asked about whether he has any input into the dolls, Vince answered, “I didn’t make any suggestions for Meet Me in Paris.  For Heart of Hollywood, I really wanted that doll to have the same hair color as Destiny’s, but it didn’t happen.” 

Other Gene outfits which Vince designed include: Poolside 1999; Sunset Celebration 1999: Don’t Fence Me In 2000; Shorts Story 2000; Little Blessings 2001; Mad About Mitzi 2001; Tennis, Anyone? 2001 and Midnight Blossoms 2002.  Vince was having the time of his life!

In January 2002, Vince received a call from Wendy Solomon, advising Vince that the Gene Team was disbanding, with the formal public announcement to be made after Toy Fair® in February 2002.  Wendy Solomon and Joan Greene were out.  A new person had been hired as director.  Vince speculates that the shakeup happened after Gene inundated their customers with too many new dolls and new outfits in the last two years.  In 2000, many of the planned outfits and dolls were cut from the 2001 line.  In 2001, outfits for the 2002 line, including one by Vince, were also cut.  As recently as March 2002, outfits for Gene Marshall, Trent Osborn, Madra Lord and Violet Waters announced at Toy Fair 2002 just weeks earlier, had already been cut, disappointing many customers.  These include: Madra's Hostess Set, Gene’s Champagne Flight, Trent’s “Jacket Required” (leaving Trent with just one new outfit for 2002 – “Playing the Field”), Violet’s “Ooh-La-La!” and the Gene Ornament set. 

 

In Vince’s own words, “[My experience with the Gene team] has been wonderful, but as with everything in life, it hasn’t been perfect over the last four years.  I wouldn't trade the experience for the world, and wouldn't be where I am today had the Gene experience not happened. I have a great amount of appreciation to them in my life. But I do think Gene is evolving; I do know I AM evolving as a person, and I'm ready to take myself to the next level, which is my website, and my business.”

Town and Country Sophisticates®

While Vince’s own creations landed him the job with the Gene Dream Team, it also gave him the confidence to start selling his own designs independently.  Amazed by his “good luck” in landing the Gene job, he was even more amazed that his independent creations were selling so well!  In his words, “It still amazes me sometimes that there is such a huge market out there for doll fashions!  I think most of us fashion doll collectors spend more money on clothes for our dolls than we do for ourselves!”

Vince’s custom designs were originally limited to the Gene line of dolls.  Drawing inspiration from Hollywood starlets, Gene Tierney and Lana Turner, Vince has endless ideas on how to dress Gene.  For Madra, Vince sees Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell.  Trent’s outfits are inspired by Errol Flynn, Cary Grant and Clark Gable.  Violet is his Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne.  Vince loves designing both casual and formal outfits for all four of these dolls and intends to continue to do so.

Until now, Vince has made one of a kind outfits (OOAK’s) for his fashion doll favorites, selling them on eBay for prices in excess of $200 an outfit.  While very few other custom designers can command such prices, Vince’s own customers, knowing the quality of his designs and craftsmanship, set the price of each outfit themselves when they bid it up!  Even if you can’t afford Vince’s OOAK’s, its fun to watch them sell on Ebay!  He has also taken commissions.  In the future, getting a commission out of Vince will be just about impossible.  Even his own OOAK’s are going to be far and few between!  You can blame Tyler Wentworth!

The day she appeared on the fashion doll scene, Vince fell hard for Tyler.  He wouldn’t give up Gene® and her pals, but Tyler, along with the other new Robert Tonner dolls, Sydney Chase, Esmé, and Mei-Li were eagerly welcomed into his exclusive enclave.  Now, Vince had some contemporary babes to dress!  Vince sees Tyler as Gwyneth Paltrow or the late Caroline Bessette Kennedy; contemporary, yet classic.  Esme is his Tyra Banks.  While Sydney and Mei-Li are still in the process of defining themselves, Vince sees Sydney as “very eclectic, bold and daring. Mei-Li strikes me as direct and to the point.  Her fashions would reflect her no nonsense attitude.”  With Tonner’s recent announcement of the full-figured Emme doll, Vince also looks forward to designing for her.

So inspired by her, Vince built Tyler® her own website, Town and Country Sophisticates (http://tandcsophisticates.homestead.com/Sophisticates2.html) from which to sell his Tyler and friends custom designs. He especially likes the idea of making Tyler some play clothes, although work and formal attire will also appear.  Debuting on March 15, 2002, Vince’s first set of limited editions was the Palm Beach Blues mix and match separates, inspired by the film “Where the Boys Are.” It sold out instantly!  Limited editions are new to Vince, but his customers are demanding them!   At this point, Vince’s biggest problem is learning to sew faster!

The Future of Custom Gene Outfits

According to Vince, “Gene has played too huge a part of my life to completely give up designing for her.  I’m not sure what the future plans are for Gene professionally.  But, so many collectors have expressed the desire to see me continue to design for Gene in one facet or another, that I’m considering doing a separate website, which would specialize in vintage style designs for Geneand Kitty Collier®.  [In the meantime,] I’m excited to be focusing on contemporary fashions for Tyler as I think this will give collectors a chance to see a different side to my design capabilities.”

Collaborating with Denis Bastien of Affordable Designs®

Last October, Vince met Denis Bastien of Affordable Designs (www.affordabledesigns.ca) at the 2001 Gene Convention in Tulsa.  “I was a big fan of his work.” states Vince, “Yes, we professional artists have our ‘idols’ as well!”  Apparently, the admiration was mutual. “I became a big fan of Vince Nowell as I realized that most of the designs I preferred from the Gene line were his,” states Denis, “I feel a certain connection between his style and mine.  We met in Tulsa where Vince purchased some of my patterns.  I was floored!  Later, he sent me an email saying he was impressed by the way I work.  I decided to ask him to work with me and he said ‘YES!’”  Denis asked Vince to join him in creating “Easter Parade”, which would include outfits for all four Gene characters.”  As Vince states, “Since Denis had invited me to collaborate with him, I gave him first choice of dolls. He chose Madra and Violet.  I was given the designs for Gene and Trent. Then, we decided on a color scheme built around a pale yellow shade that was very Spring-like.  After that, Denis let me go with my creativity!” The collaboration worked out so well that Denis is also planning on selling patterns of Vince’s T & C Sophisticates designs on the Affordable Designs website!  Future collaborations are a certainty!  (Look for a feature article on Denis Bastien in the September 2002 edition of Doll Show Magazine!)

Looking Forward

For the near future, Vince plans to keep his business “small, personable and manageable.” Vince does, however, have bigger plans!  “Eventually, I would love to have my own fashion doll series.  But, I don’t see this happening for several more years.  The market is saturated with fashion dolls right now, and I’d like to wait until we’re ready for the next wave.  This also gives me time to plot and plan!”  Plot and plan?  Vince isn’t plotting and planning.  He already knows full well what he’s going to do, as long as he can secure the appropriate “rights” for his upcoming doll!  While it’s currently under wraps, he is also intent on having his new dolls “promote literacy.”  As Vince puts it, “Reading is so important.  I really want this new doll series to promote literacy by having each doll connected to its own full scale novel.”  Maybe these novels already exist?  If not, Vince assures, “I’m not writing them!  Someone else will!”

Happily Ever After

Within the last few years, beginning with the Gene job, Vince’s life has been taking dramatic twists and turns.  “I am so blessed to be able to work at what I love,” Vince states, “and I thank God each day for that!  I love to travel, and working for Gene for the last four years has allowed me to travel over a lot of the United States!  And I love to spend time with my partner, Lee, and our close friends; just spending quality time with the people I love!”   Vince also loves the interaction he has with his customers.  “I get tremendous response from the collectors, and I’m grateful for that.” states Vince, “I appreciate every person out there that I’m so fortunate to share this hobby with.  I have so much love and admiration for them all.”  Listening to him talk, it’s obvious that Vince not only loves his life, he’s not taking one single, happy moment for granted.  He is, finally, living happily ever after.

September 2003 Update by Vince Nowell:

After this article was written by Lisa Lawrence in February of 2002, quite a few changes have happened that I would like to update everyone on. In February of 2002, I was sad to find out that the Ashton Drake Gene Team was being disbanded and that I would be one of the designers not chosen to remain on as a designer for Gene. In May of 2002, my 10 year relationship with my partner Lee came to an end. While sad, it was an amicable split and to this day we remain friends. The summer of 2002 saw me making a move to Irvine, California where Lisa and her husband Aaron graciously opened their home to me while I made plans for the next phase of my life. During the time I lived at Lisa's, I created an exclusive Gene outfit for Stella's dolls in Portland, Oregon called Rose Festival. This outfit was limited to 60 pieces, each hand sewn by myself.  Town & Country Sophisticates continued, although at a slow pace, to produce one of a kind outfits during the Fall and into the early Winter, including a series of special OOAK ensembles for Tyler and friends, which I took to the Modern Doll Convention in October 2002. In November of 2002, my  design partner, Terri, and I attended the Cissy Tea at Annette and Friends Doll Shop in Westminster, CA.  While Cissy is not a doll I regularly design for, I did create my first collection of fashions for her, exclusive to this event, which were met with great approval.  It was a fun day for everyone and I was lucky enough to win a Maimey Cissy!!

During the Holiday season of 2002, I made a huge decision. After almost 13 years of living in California, I made the decision to move back home to my birth state of Louisiana to be closer to my family. At the end of January 2003, I boarded a train and headed back to start life fresh; in a familiar place. The year of 2003 has been a very personal journey for me, taking much time to reconnect with family and childhood friends, and to reflect upon my life.  I have a sizable amount of younger nieces and nephews, many of whom I had never met and have now become Uncle Vinnie to.  Most doll collectors probably wouldn't imagine me at a baseball game but, during the summer of 2003, I spent many hours at the ball park watching two of my nephews play for their teams and cheering them on to victory.  And I was very active in planning our family reunion, which was a huge success.  It's times like these that have made my decision to move home so worthwhile.  As for where I live now, I live in the town of Gretna, Louisiana (just south of New Orleans) where my childhood best friend, JoEllen Dewey, invited me to move in with her.  We've known each other for 36 years and in so many ways she is like a sister to me as well.  It's good to be home with family!

The Sophisticates (the website I share with my partner, Terri Patterson, www.thesophisticates.homestead.com/sophisticates.html) continues on, with a new website we debuted in August of 2003. Again, new designs have been coming at a slower pace this year than what I would normally prefer. But again, that is due to my decision to take as much time as I need personally to reconnect with loved ones I've spent many years away from. Also, I'm taking time to carefully decide in which direction I want to take my online business.  As I write this update, I'm in the process of finishing the first collections for the new website.

My doll collecting has slowed down a bit in 2003, not for the loss of love for my dolls, but from becoming more of a selective collector. Tyler Wentworth ® and her friends still remain a favorite. The addition of the new Brenda Starr ® doll  has become my latest inspiration for vintage designs. In July of 2003, I debuted my first designs for Brenda, which were a sellout collection, much to my delight. I have lots of plans for more designs for Brenda over the coming year. My newest favorite, is the exclusive fashion doll for the Tonner Doll Club, Fashion Jane, who can wear Tyler's clothing.

Also in July of 2003, I was lucky to attend my first Collector's United event in Atlanta, Georgia, which turned out to be a wonderful weekend!  I was able to spend time with several new doll friends I have made here in the Southern US.  It gave me a chance to see the new collections that Tonner and other companies are debuting soon and to connect with many online doll friends. .  I have plans for attending the next Collectors United event in March 2004, not to mention, the Tonner Convention in May of next year

Over the last year and half since this initial article was written, I have gone through many changes, personally and professionally.  I have learned more than ever to count my blessings and to be thankful for each day. Going forward into the next year and beyond, my main goal is, more than anything else, to remain constantly thankful for family, friends, creativity, my art, and this wonderful hobby that I share with so many friends