If you are a doll collector or a Disney princess fan, then you will want to find out what is launching today. The next edition in the Disney Designer Collection Limited Edition line is Rapunzel. This is available now on shopDisney.
What’s Happening:
- The latest addition to the Disney Designer Collection Limited Edition line is Rapunzel.
- This doll features a gala-esque look with her classic long blond hair.
- She was designed by Tetsunoksuke Saiki from Yokohama, Japan and celebrates the power and beauty of diverse women’s lifestyle fashion.
- Tetsunoksuke immediately felt a connection to Rapunzel after seeing the film Tangled, as someone who was an only child and spent most of his time drawing, reading, painting, and daydreaming.
- After he graduated from university, he moved to London to study fashion and found something that he had been looking for for a very long time in the Walt Disney Company.
- Disney Parks Blog shared an interview where they sat down with Tetsunoksuke.
Interview:
What is your role at Disney?
- My current role is Product Design Manager in the Fashion department.
How long have you been working on the Rapunzel doll?
- The project started in late Dec. 2020. There were several prototype checks with the product team and finally she gets to make her debut today, July 12, 2022.
What is the creative process behind designing the doll?
- Throughout the course of this project, I considered various directions of expression. As women’s lifestyles and beauty are becoming more and more diverse, I wondered how I could make Rapunzel look even more beautiful than she already was by focusing on her dress, but making sure she did not lose her character along the way.
- To me, Rapunzel is a character that symbolizes spring. I think the way she enjoys life after being released from a long period of captivity feels like the transition from winter to spring. So overall, the image has a springtime feel to it. I chose a floral pattern that looks like small flowers in the forest. This was inspired by the scene in the village where Rapunzel is having children stick flowers in her hair. I also incorporated Maximus in the white purse and Pascal through the green shoes. (It’s always better to have a good buddy with you when you go to a party, right?)
- I designed it from the perspective that Rapunzel would actually choose the dress herself for an event. Her outfits in the story are very simple compared to other princesses. Considering her taste, I thought a simple but glamorous direction would be the best match for her, so I kept the details simple and used luxurious materials to give the dress a gala feel.
- It doesn’t appear in the story, but perhaps I subconsciously connect the sudden blooming of a beautiful large flower, such as a peony, from a tightly packed bud to Rapunzel’s story. So, I used it for the fascinator.
- When a spin-off story is created someday, if there is a scene where Rapunzel needs to attend a gala, I would love for her to wear this dress.
Rapunzel Limited Edition Designer Doll
Where do you get your inspiration?
- I am very attracted to things with history. When I travel, I tend to go to cities that are deeply connected to their long history. I am also very interested in new cultures, but most of the time they are following something from the past, or on the contrary, they are trying to reinvent their history and traditions. I believe that knowing the history is very important to create something new. For this dress, I was inspired by classic ball gowns and couture dresses. I didn’t just recreate them as they were but reinterpreted them in a modern and more lighthearted way.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
- I am very proud to be working on characters and stories that are loved by people all over the world. I used to work in the fashion industry handling fabrics, drawing patterns, and sewing, so that work is quite different from what I do now, but I feel that it is the same in that we are creating products that are loved by everyone. Disney has a long history, and it is an equally wonderful experience to unravel it and to be exposed to new works. I am lucky to work in an environment where I am surrounded by people who support me every step of the way, and that is my greatest treasure.
Rapunzel Limited Edition Designer Doll