Black Dolls are Growing in Popularity

In 2003 Dr. Lisa Williams wanted to help heal negative self-image so she established the World of Entertainment, publishing and inspiration (World of EPI). Positively Perfect Dolls that are Multicultural Toy's for Beautiful Multicultural Children.

 In 2010 Pretty Brown Girl was Founded by Sheri Crawley and her husband Corey based on the change they saw in their oldest daughter Laila after they moved back to Detroit, MI. Laila wanted to have blonde hair like her classmates as opposed to her own beautifully textured hair...Laila is the signature Pretty Brown Girl Doll. And Pretty Brown Girl is one of the largest empowerment movement of its kind.

 "My Muse is a socially-minded children's company that designs, manufacture and distributes customizable 18 inch multicultural dolls."

 Cee Robinson aka Queen Dollylama is a Doll Artist and Activist who launched Herstory articulated 18 inch Doll line by way of her 2016 Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign.

Naturally Perfect hit the scene in February 2016 at the New York Toy Fair and recently the company was featured on SharkTank where they received funding to assist them with their company. "One specific aim to change the standard of beauty for young girls, one doll at a time and encourage self-acceptance, diversity and exposure."

Ozi Okaro is a fashion designer children's author and illustrator. Growing up she had no dolls that looked like her, however. After having children of her own she was inspired by her daughters who have different skin tones to create Ikuzi Dolls. She wanted her daughters to have beautiful black dolls that resembled them.

The Detroit Doll Show wanted to provide a brief overview and images of the above dolls because a few constituents inquired about various dolls in regards to our Annual Show. Positively Perfect Dolls was one of our sponsors, who we are most grateful for their support. In 2016 Pretty Brown Girl Founder received the Doll Legacy Award from the Detroit Doll Show. And Queen Dollylama Brownstone Kids are a favorite by followers on our Facebook page. All Dolls have been featured on our Facebook page: Detroit Doll Show

All of these companies are on instagram. Stay Tuned for Sandy's Land 6th Annual Detroit Doll Show. For questions contact us at sandysland@gmail.com

2016 Detroit Show in the Hub

http://www.thehubdetroit.com/detroit-doll-doll-show-founder-proves-dolls-deliver-dividends/

Our Saturday, November 12, 2016 Detroit Doll Show vendors increased to 32 which included three children authors. We are extremely happy to see that Sandy's Land Doll Show continues to grow annually.

We Thank all of our Supporters!

History Repeats Itself!

 

Detroit has a rich history of the first of various things. Did you know that there were over 16 African American Owned and Operated Hospitals in Detroit?

 

Dr. Charles H Wright a Detroit Obstetrician and Gynecologist gave birth to Detroit's first African American History Museum in the early 1960's. He donated his personal money said to be $1000 a month to pay staff and cost...

 

"I'd bring healthy babies into the world and I'd see them later and they'd be psychologically scarred." His purpose for establishing the museum was to "inspire people to have a greater sense of self-pride" his daughter Stephanie Wright Griggs stated to the News Media.

 

History continues to manifest with Dr. Charles H Wright mission in mind. Sandy's Land Detroit Doll Show is the largest doll show of its kind in the mid-west featuring culture, history and beauty with Dolls of Color. Our goal is to create self pride and to encourage children and their families to "Love the Skin They're In." states founder Sandra Epps.

 

Help us continue to make history and join us on Saturday, November 12, 2016 from 1pm to 7pm at the Historic Museum, the Dr. Charles H Wright for the 5th Annual Detroit Doll Show. www.detroitdollshow2016.eventbrite.com

2016 Detroit Doll Show Save the Date

 
 



Sandy's Land 4th Annual Detroit Doll Show was such a success, we had over 1000 people to attend the show on Saturday, November 14, 2015 at the Dr. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. It has been coined "the Largest Black Doll Expo."

On Saturday, November 12, 2016 from 1pm - 7pm we will host our 5th Annual Detroit Doll Show with more interactive entertainment, workshops, parking option, new and our favorite doll vendors, adult and children doll look alike contest, arts & crafts, dynamic Doll Legacy Award recipients, children authors and expanded space at the Dr. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Early Bird Registration is $5 until July 30th and then will increase to $10 per person.

If you are interested in participating as a vendor send photos of your dolls and a brief bio to sandysland@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Sandra Epps, Founder
Detroit Doll Show
www.detroitdollshow2016.eventbrite.com

Dr. Betts our 2015 Detroit Doll Show Honoree

Dr. Margaret L. Betts graduated from the University of Toledo College of Medicine in 1977. She has over 37 years of experience as a Medical Doctor and she is affiliated with DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital and Providence Hospital.

Dr. Betts is a well respected individual throughout Michigan for her contribution to the less fortunate, investing in Detroit people and properties. There are a few things she's known for, a humble spirit and her collection of Black Dolls.

She was instrumental in sparking the interest of Black Dolls in Detroit Michigan because she helped to facilitate the first Black Doll Show at the St. Regis Hotel over twelve years ago. Presently, at her private medical practice, Betts Medical Group PLLC is like a mini Black Doll Museum where she share stories of these historical figures with her clients. Every Doll has a Story.

If you mention Black Dolls in a conversation at least five out of ten people will say, Do you know Dr. Betts?... She's Metro Detroit Black Doll Icon.

Toni Scott Grant is our 2015 Doll Legacy Award Recipient

 

Toni Scott Grant is a successful entrepreneur, celebrity wardrobe/costume stylist and motivational speaker. Prominently featured in the HarperCollins published, “The Mocha Manual to Turing Your Passion into Profit,” Toni chronicles her journey as the owner of ‘Scott Phree”, a former Houston-based fashion boutique.

 Currently Toni’s most passionate power play by far is being CEO and Head Designer of Haus of Swag, a registered trademark brand of apparel and accessories founded in 2011.

Earlier in her career, Toni studied Fashion Merchandise and Management at NY’s venerated Fashion Institute of Technology. While in school, Toni landed a job as a showroom assistant for a celeb-favored women’s fashion brand in the heart of NYC’s fashion district. This opportunity put her considerable talents directly in front of stylists and editors from wildly-popular magazines including Vogue, Women’s Wear Daily, Essence, Glamour, and InStyle as well as assisting in the style division of TV shows such as The View and MTV’s House of Style. She also learned a considerable amount regarding the business retail aspect of fashion which aided in her own start-up journey.

Toni would later become freelance honing her craft as a fashion and prop stylist across several mediums, including film, television and print and counted clients from the elit world of Hollywood to the grit of Hip Hop. More recently, Toni has worked as a fashion and set costumer for live action shows such as Disney Entertainment, Marvel Universe LIVE, Cirque de Soleil, Miley Cyrus’s “Bangerz” tour, CBS’s televised “Fashion Rocks’, Justin Timberlake’s “20/20 Experience” tour, Madonna’s “Rebel Hear Tour” as well as Arianna Grande’s “The Honeymoon Tour.”

She is deeply passionate about the empowerment of women and young girls. In 2011, Toni was a guest speaker for Project LEAD, a Houston-based organization where she presented a college prep career workshop about fashion styling and costuming to a group of at-risk high school senior girls. The following year, she was invited to be a panelist at “Female Power,” a symposium of successful Houston-area entrepreneurs moderated by Houston’s Fox 26 news.  Toni has also appeard on Arise TV's, "Arise and Shine" and ABC 7, "here And Now."

Recipient of the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' award in 2009, Toni has long been committed to raising the bar for herself. In addition to her degree in Speech Communications, she has studied abroad at the American University of Rome furthering her interpersonal expertise and art history respectively. In 2014, Toni was selected from among thousands of participants to be one of the five women chosen as the “Face of Flower”, a cosmetics company owned by award-winning actress, screenwriter and film producer Drew Barrymore.

She is a proud member of the Local 764 Theatrical Wardrobe Union (I.A.T.S.E.) of NY and has volunteered for the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) New York Fashion Week. She resides in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and son.

Debbie Garrett's Doll Journey

Debbie Garrett has been very instrumental in assisting me with the Detroit Doll Show. Her expertise is undeniably untouchable when it comes to Black Dolls. I am in Awe and inspired by her. She is our 2015 Doll Legacy Recipient. Read a little about her Doll Journey:

Debbie Garrett's interest in collecting black dolls commenced after the 1991 catalogue purchase of a 'collectible' porcelain doll intended as a gift for her daughter. After the doll's arrival, the decision to keep the doll and to begin a collection ensued. Her avid interest in black-doll history prompted research on dolls made during and before her childhood. She began freelance writing in 1998 for Black Doll-E-Gram. Prior to writing her first black-doll reference book, The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls, Hobby House Press, Inc., 2003, Ms. Garrett's efforts to connect with other like-minded collectors culminated in founding the WeLoveBlackDolls Yahoo! Group, in January 2001. In February, 2002, as cofounder and editor of The Black Doll-E-Zine, 'the first and only e-zine (now group) devoted to collecting black dolls,' her doll research, writing, and networking with doll collectors and artists continued.

In 2008, Garrett self-published Black Dolls: A Comprehensive Guide to Celebrating, Collecting, and Experiencing the Passion, a full color book which references and values over 1000 black dolls. Her most recent work, The Doll Blogs: When Dolls Speak I Listen, first introduced as an eBook and sold through the Google eBookstore, became available as an ultra-limited edition paperback in April 2011. The Doll Blogs is the first book featuring dolls that blog.

As a member-at-large of the United Federation of Doll Clubs, Ms. Garrett has contributed to their Doll News quarterly publication. Garrett's articles have also been published in Doll Castle News, Contemporary Doll Collector, British Doll Showcase, DOLLS Magazine, DollReader, and Fashion Doll Quarterly.

Ms. Garrett, a native Texan, is the married mother of two adult children, and doting granny of two precocious boys. Her non-doll-researching/collecting time is spent working as a CMT-credentialed, home-based, QIS for a leading global provider of clinical documentation.

http://blackdollcollecting.blogspot.com/