Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Interview With Celebrity Fashion Doll Collector - DANIEL MIAGANY!



Many of you may know him from VH1's Brooke Knows Best when he appeared alongside his partner Emmy-Award Winning Choreographer Glenn Douglas Packard. Still others may recognize him from his many pictorials in top fashion and swimsuit campaigns. But, most of you FR collectors remember him as that HOT ASS guy that won the Halloween costume contest at this years FR Convention in Chicago last month!
I just have the pleasure of knowing him as my little buddy - Daniel. In the world of doll collecting I've had the pleasure of meeting some great people. Daniel is as beautiful and sweet on the inside as he is gorgeous to look at on the outside. He has a heart of gold, is generous to a fault and is extremely kind. He loves his dolls with joy and abandon. He collects for the sheer bliss of it!
When it came time to decide who my first interview would be for boyFRiends, there was no one else I could think of that I would like to interview most. Below is an email interview that I conducted with Daniel about his love of collecting FR dolls. Enjoy! 
P.S. Hope you like the pics too....of his collection! Dirty minds! ;-)

INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL MIAGANY



boyFRiends: What got you into collecting fashion dolls?
Daniel Miagany: Ever since I could remember, I've had a fascination with "fashion-sized" dolls.  I used to make my own "dolls" by making "hair" from the plastic ties that came from the Sunday paper. I don't know how this ingenius idea came to me,  but I'd split them into tiny strands and tape it to the top of a pencil.  I'd straighten and curl it (this was around the time spiral curls were in). When I grew up, I pushed my interest in dolls to the side and got interested in BOYS! (LOL)  Only about a year and a half ago, I started meeting adults who shared that same interest in fashion dolls and now that I'm with a guy of my own who collects comic books, we kinda have the collectables-thing in common.

boyFRiends: We know that your partner is Brooke Knows Best TV Star Glenn Douglas Packard. What does he think about your doll obsession? Do all your friends know you are into dolls or are you in the doll closet?
DM: Glenn actually didn't realize it at the time, but he created this doll monster! For Valentine's Day, 2 years ago, he gave me an eBay gift card.  I'm not one to purchase clothes online because I'm always worried about how things will fit so it took me only 2 seconds to think of another option so I searched "fashion doll" and it's been an eBay love affair ever since. He loves that I found a hobby and I've also encouraged him to bring out his Storm/Marvel memorabilia from boxes under the bed and display them.  
I am NOT in the doll closet at all! Are you kidding! I too have a blog and I announce a new purchase all the time via Twitter or Facebook. And, friends and fans are always surprising me with nice things. I've gotten so many nice dolls as gifts from people that know I collect them because they've read it through one of the many media outlets that have interviewed Glenn and I.

boyFRiends: How did you find out about Fashion Royalty dolls?
DM: Well, not to blow steam up your ass but I couldn't have been introduced to FR by anyone more qualified and knowledgeable about them than you, Frank! Just to let the readers in - you and I share the obsession with dolls and your partner, Peter is into comics just like Glenn. When Glenn mentioned to you I was a newbie in the fashion doll community, you insisted I attend the FR convention held in Pittsburgh in 2010. Ever since then, I have been ever so grateful you did! (LOL!)

boyFRiends: You’ve been collecting FR dolls for a couple of years now. What do you like best about them?
DM: I love how limited they are and how special I feel when I hold one I've been lusting over in my hands for the very first time.  Does that make me sound like a weirdo? (LOL)  I love how extremely posable they are. And as far as the quality of the fashions, in my opinion they are the best in the fashion doll world.

boyFRiends: How many do you own? Do you have a favorite character?
DM: I own over 150 dolls all together. Not bad for only 2 years time! But, 45 of them are Integrity Toy dolls and about half of those are FR. I also have a couple on their way in the mail that I can't officially count as MINE! (LOL!) I'd own more but they're so rare and often sold out that it wrecks me that I have to wait until September for next year's convention (which by the way I'm so glad that it is in Orlando so that I can save on the flight and just drive up with Glenn!). As for my favorite character, I don't have one per se. I love all of them because of their own individual fierceness and...DRAMA!

boyFRiends: Do you collect other IT brand dolls like Dynamite Girls, Monogram or Poppy Parker?
DM: I do own other IT lines. I can't get enough of The Dynamite Girls because I use them to do mini photo shoots and turn them into celebrities for my blog but I just got 3 Eve Kittens in the mail yesterday. Even though they're not articulated, I love their attitude and they're pretty hard to find as well. I only have 3 Poppy Parkers, 2 AG Clones, a Monogram (on the way) and a couple FR2's.

boyFRiends: You’ve been to 2 conventions now. What is the best thing about 
FR Convention?
DM: Meeting the fellow dolls collectors from around the world is the best part for me. Also, I love the gasps from the audience everytime a new doll is revealed on the big screen! It's awesome. Oh, and let's not forget - ROOM SHOPPING! 

boyFRiends: Do you display your dolls or keep them in the box?
DM: I take them out of the box and display them because, as you say so yourself,"I'd rather enjoy them now before another queen gets hold and plays with them." That always stuck with me when you said that! Plus, they are just as easy to put back in the box due to Alain's brilliant packaging.

boyFRiends: With your background in fashion, do you ever see yourself being interested in designing one of a kind dolls?
DM: I respect the OOAK artist territory too much to even think of trying my hand at it. I know how hard detail is at that scale and  the challenge it is to keep it at a quality. For right now, I'll stick to "styling" my dolls!

boyFRiends: If you could have any “holy grail” dream doll show up on your doorstep, which would it be?
DM: Oh WOW! Just the though of it makes me HOT! (LOL) I love gowns so I'd die for a True Royalty Vanessa or Flame Rouge Veronique. But, I guess I would settle for Red Queen Tatyana (which BTW is Glenn's favorite, too).

boyFRiends: If you could give  the Integrity Designers  a hint of something you would like to see more of or something they haven’t done yet – what would that be?
DM: Geez! I don't know what I would say to the amazing IT Designers, I think they do such a wonderful job keeping us on our toes as it is! I'm always excited by their new ideas. Maybe a new celebrity doll? No one in particular, but someone that hasn't been done by any company yet. That would be cool!

1 comment:

  1. Oh yes! The hot guy from the costume party. Now I know exactly who he is! Great interview. --Diane T.

    Here's a video featuring Daniel I made at the Pucci Dance Party:

    http://youtu.be/vUFDEqbBpgA

    Here's one that features you very well Francisco!

    http://youtu.be/95Qt93o4TmQ

    ReplyDelete