Doll Customizers and Redesigners: (List will be updated as we continue to interview people for this category.)
- Laurie Lenz, from the USA, owner of Angels Doll Studio
- Hextian (a.k.a. Christian), from the USA, Doll Customizer, Repainter, YouTube content creator
- Stacelina Monique, from the USA, doll customizer, doll miniature and diorama artist
- Servando Hernández, from the Mexico, doll customizer, owner of Livin' Plastic Dolls
ITDW Celebrates Festival of Black Dolls with Stacelina Monique, Doll Artist
Stacelina Monique
PODCAST: To hear the interview, visit:
- our Buzzsprout page
- our Apple Podcast page
- our podcasts page
"Stacy is a wife and a mother of two children and resides in the Bay Area. She is currently an active member of the African American Black Beauty Doll Artists of Oakland, CA .
Stacy came up with the name Stacelina Monique when she joined Facebook in 2015. She wanted a whimsical name for her doll page that would separate her from her personal life.
"Stacelina Monique has been designing dolls since the early age of six. She started off drawing round face paper dolls, crocheting, painting, crafting and now customizing Barbie dolls creating a culture scene in a diorama format that is mounted to a doll stand which makes her dolls unique. They are ready to be displayed on a shelf as a piece of artwork that has always been a wonderful conversation piece as her customers would say.
"Stacelina, also customizes "Look a Like" dolls that bear a remarkable likeness to her client, she enjoys the challenge of being creative which en-tells a lot of detailed craft work by re-rooting, repainting and designing a miniature "Look a Like" outfit from a photo. These dolls are not recommended for children.
"You have to have the passion and some awareness to the culture to make relatable art that one can relate to. Her custom dolls are for adult doll collectors or someone who is looking for an extraordinary One Of A Kind gift.
Stacelina Monique finds inspiration through friends’ conversation, stories she hears or something that catches her eye. She is a positive influence on young girls in the creativeness of her dolls." Bio written by Stacelina
To learn more about Stacelina and her dolls, visit her Etsy, Instagram, FaceBook, and TikTok. Stacy's etsy site is: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StacelinaMonique
PODCAST: To hear the interview, visit:
- our Buzzsprout page
- our Apple Podcast page
- our podcasts page
"Stacy is a wife and a mother of two children and resides in the Bay Area. She is currently an active member of the African American Black Beauty Doll Artists of Oakland, CA .
Stacy came up with the name Stacelina Monique when she joined Facebook in 2015. She wanted a whimsical name for her doll page that would separate her from her personal life.
"Stacelina Monique has been designing dolls since the early age of six. She started off drawing round face paper dolls, crocheting, painting, crafting and now customizing Barbie dolls creating a culture scene in a diorama format that is mounted to a doll stand which makes her dolls unique. They are ready to be displayed on a shelf as a piece of artwork that has always been a wonderful conversation piece as her customers would say.
"Stacelina, also customizes "Look a Like" dolls that bear a remarkable likeness to her client, she enjoys the challenge of being creative which en-tells a lot of detailed craft work by re-rooting, repainting and designing a miniature "Look a Like" outfit from a photo. These dolls are not recommended for children.
"You have to have the passion and some awareness to the culture to make relatable art that one can relate to. Her custom dolls are for adult doll collectors or someone who is looking for an extraordinary One Of A Kind gift.
Stacelina Monique finds inspiration through friends’ conversation, stories she hears or something that catches her eye. She is a positive influence on young girls in the creativeness of her dolls." Bio written by Stacelina
To learn more about Stacelina and her dolls, visit her Etsy, Instagram, FaceBook, and TikTok. Stacy's etsy site is: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StacelinaMonique
Servando Hernández (PODCAST: To hear the interview, visit our podcast page. )
Servando Hernández, Mexican industrial designer and plastic artist, was born in 1991. He discovered his vocation at a very young age. Even a s a child, he would occupy himself by making beautiful drawings. It was very common to see him with sheets of paper and colored pencils. His parents encouraged his artistic passion by giving him free-reign to express himself through art. Some of his most outstanding pieces were silhouettes and faces of beautiful women.
When he was a bit older, Servando was taken care of by his maternal grandmother, a talented seamstress. Under her tutelage, Servando learned to bring to reality the outfits he had dreamed of and had seen only in his imagination and drawings.
In 2012, Servando began to collect Barbie dolls. He said that he liked the "aesthetics and emotional charge" that Barbie represents.
Servando's education includes bases of Industrial Design, Photography, Pattern Making, and Visual Arts.
To learn more about Servando and his dolls, visit:
Servando Hernández, Mexican industrial designer and plastic artist, was born in 1991. He discovered his vocation at a very young age. Even a s a child, he would occupy himself by making beautiful drawings. It was very common to see him with sheets of paper and colored pencils. His parents encouraged his artistic passion by giving him free-reign to express himself through art. Some of his most outstanding pieces were silhouettes and faces of beautiful women.
When he was a bit older, Servando was taken care of by his maternal grandmother, a talented seamstress. Under her tutelage, Servando learned to bring to reality the outfits he had dreamed of and had seen only in his imagination and drawings.
In 2012, Servando began to collect Barbie dolls. He said that he liked the "aesthetics and emotional charge" that Barbie represents.
Servando's education includes bases of Industrial Design, Photography, Pattern Making, and Visual Arts.
To learn more about Servando and his dolls, visit:
- His Face Book page: https://www.facebook.com/livinplasticdolls/
- His etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LivinPlasticDolls
HeXtian (PODCAST: To hear the interview, visit our podcast page. )
HeXtian (a.k.a. , Christian) is a Doll Customizer, Repainter, and YouTube content creator. He finds inspiration for his artistry in his favorite childhood shows, the LGBTQ+ community, and celebrities.
HeXtian began his career as a YouTube content creator. As a channel owner, he tried many different subjects before almost accidentally landing on doll customization. One day, he posted a video of himself repainting a doll and was surprised to see a spike in the number of viewers! He continued repainting and customizing dolls and his viewer numbers continued to rise! He realized, he had stumbled upon his niche'!
HeXtian is now a YouTube sensation, with almost 1M subscribers! He makes a living with his YouTube channel. He is a sensitive young man who speaks honestly about his art, being queer, and being a young person during 2020--a time of fear, revolution, and hope.
To learn more about HeXtian and his dolls, visit him on:
HeXtian (a.k.a. , Christian) is a Doll Customizer, Repainter, and YouTube content creator. He finds inspiration for his artistry in his favorite childhood shows, the LGBTQ+ community, and celebrities.
HeXtian began his career as a YouTube content creator. As a channel owner, he tried many different subjects before almost accidentally landing on doll customization. One day, he posted a video of himself repainting a doll and was surprised to see a spike in the number of viewers! He continued repainting and customizing dolls and his viewer numbers continued to rise! He realized, he had stumbled upon his niche'!
HeXtian is now a YouTube sensation, with almost 1M subscribers! He makes a living with his YouTube channel. He is a sensitive young man who speaks honestly about his art, being queer, and being a young person during 2020--a time of fear, revolution, and hope.
To learn more about HeXtian and his dolls, visit him on:
- YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/HeXtian
- Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hextian/
Laurie Lenz (PODCAST: To hear the interview, visit our podcast page. )
Laurie Lenz, from the describes herself as "a blessed wife, and a mother of five amazing children that she happily homeschools". She teaches middle school and high school art, and has a dream job of creating one-of-a-kind dolls! She received her Bachelor degree in Graphics and Photography, and was trained at Drexel University, and Moore College of Art & Design. After college, Laurie worked in the music business as an artist who created album cover designs, photography, t-shirts, promotional packages, and portraits. She also worked as an Art Director and Graphic Artist for Tyco Toys, in the Product Graphics Department. While at Tyco, Laurie was "ecstatic" to work on doll-related projects.
Laurie has the joy and privilege of painting, creating hairstyles (either rerooted or wigged), designing and creating fashions & jewelry, and photographing dolls. She loves to work on a variation of dolls—from 12” dolls up to 28” tall. She works with a variety of doll body types including vinyl and resin as well as ball-jointed dolls (bjd).
Laurie is a member of Metrodolls and The Repaint Society. Laurie describes herself as "being so blessed to be friends with, and a member of The Repaint Society". Laurie also says she " has had the blessing of being spotlighted in several international doll magazines". The magazines include: Haute Doll, FDQ, Stand, Dolls Magazine, and Doll Customizer.
To learn more about Laurie and her dolls, visit her site: Laurie Lenz, Angels Doll Studio https://www.laurielenzdollstudio.com/
Laurie Lenz, from the describes herself as "a blessed wife, and a mother of five amazing children that she happily homeschools". She teaches middle school and high school art, and has a dream job of creating one-of-a-kind dolls! She received her Bachelor degree in Graphics and Photography, and was trained at Drexel University, and Moore College of Art & Design. After college, Laurie worked in the music business as an artist who created album cover designs, photography, t-shirts, promotional packages, and portraits. She also worked as an Art Director and Graphic Artist for Tyco Toys, in the Product Graphics Department. While at Tyco, Laurie was "ecstatic" to work on doll-related projects.
Laurie has the joy and privilege of painting, creating hairstyles (either rerooted or wigged), designing and creating fashions & jewelry, and photographing dolls. She loves to work on a variation of dolls—from 12” dolls up to 28” tall. She works with a variety of doll body types including vinyl and resin as well as ball-jointed dolls (bjd).
Laurie is a member of Metrodolls and The Repaint Society. Laurie describes herself as "being so blessed to be friends with, and a member of The Repaint Society". Laurie also says she " has had the blessing of being spotlighted in several international doll magazines". The magazines include: Haute Doll, FDQ, Stand, Dolls Magazine, and Doll Customizer.
To learn more about Laurie and her dolls, visit her site: Laurie Lenz, Angels Doll Studio https://www.laurielenzdollstudio.com/
