In this issue, we had the pleasure of speaking with ISSY&Co. from Thailand! ISSY&Co. has established a unique style with visuals that are both cute and cool. Let's learn more about the doll culture overseas through their enthusiastic message~!
■Profile
Brand：ISSY&Co.
Facebook：https://facebook.com/issyandco
National：Thailand
──First of all, could you please give us a brief self-introduction?
Hi everyone! We are ISSY&Co. from Thailand. We are an easy-to-wear doll clothing brand focused on ¼, ⅓ and above. At first, we just wanted to make simple but cool clothes for our dolls, then everything started to get more and more serious and before we knew it, our brand has operated until now.
──You're from Thailand, right? What kinds of dolls are currently popular in Thailand? How do Thai doll fans obtain information and purchase (welcome) dolls?
In Thailand most people follow the news from doll brands’ sns and from Facebook pages that act as dealers in ordering dolls from overseas. If we talked about what’s currently popular in Thailand, observed by ourselves from all the hype, some groups that appreciate large-scale doll seem to be excited with the competition of 75 cm muscular doll bodies from many companies. There are a lot of indie artists’ male doll heads which cause an increase in demand for doll body. While large-scale doll keeps getting bigger and bigger, the interests of small doll enthusiast, such as Latidoll or Blythe, are leaning into the designer art toy, plush toy and blind box doll/figure. However, that's just from our perspective., not for all.
──What sparked your interest in dolls?
Everything began when we saw BJD pictures for the first time, there's only one word sparked in our head, 萌え! (lol)
It was just coming with ‘cute’ at first sight before the glimpse started to run wild in our head to the point where we're like "that's my child! I must own him!" And then we are here now, as you can see.
──Recently, you participated in Japan's I・Doll VOL.69. How did you come to participate in this exhibition? Do you also participate in other exhibitions held in Japan? Could you tell us about any upcoming activities you have planned in Japan?
We really like Japan and want to travel there all the time. We’ve seen that there are many doll events and would like to attend at some point (also it's an excuse to go on a vacation lol) Our first event in Japan that we’ve participated in was I・Doll VOL.56 in 2019. At that time, we’d also planned to go to I·doll West vol.30 but unfortunately, a pandemic occurred and that caused a gap of several years until I・Doll VOL.69. Both events we attended were held in Tokyo so next time we have a plan to try going to an event in other areas.
──Could you share your impressions of Japan's doll culture, including your experience at the exhibitions? Also, if there are other aspects of Japanese subculture that interest you, could you tell us about them?
Speaking from our perspective on attending the latest I・Doll event, Japanese doll community is much bigger than ours. There are more varieties of products in various styles. We really enjoyed seeing people dress up to match with their doll, it gave out a refreshing vibe and positive energy. Personally, we are fans of lots of Japanese subculture including anime, manga, fashion, and crafts. It makes us feel like the doll event in Japan has everything we are interested in!
──I see that you make cool easy wear for 1/3 and 1/4 dolls. What kind of innovations do you bring to the design process of these doll outfits?
Our main goal is to make clothes that make our doll look good. So, our clothes must deliver the intention to our customer properly. We are certain that if our outfit can be neat and sleek on our doll, it can be like that on customer's. About the design process, we always like to keep changing the theme of each collection as you can see (mainly because we get bored easily.) Our collections have a wide range of diversity. That way is more fun for us and we're glad that our customers enjoy it as well.
──If you don't mind, could you introduce us to your favorite doll in your collection?
Then let us introduce you to our face of the brand! If we are a kpop group, Randy is our main visual. He always gives out a cool and laid-back kind of vibe which matches with ISSY&Co. the best.
And for the girl's side, we have Mirukii who's like our Muse. She is a very special girl who can pull off any look with extra good energy. She is just a normal DDH head without any modification but this girl is clearly a proof that one doll has unlimited possibilities.
──How many dolls have you welcomed into your collection? Are there any specific points you check for when choosing a new doll?
There is only one criterion: love at first sight. Most of our dolls succeed to capture our heart just from a single company promotional photo. We love to give our dolls a storyline and their world keeps expanding. So, when we see some new faces and there's a glimpse of possibility to be our characters, we will get them without hesitation. Now we have about 20 dolls in the ISSY family and the number is constantly increasing. We haven't had an opportunity to use many of them as models, but we will work on it in the future.
──Our company, LaPeonier, sells a doll brand called TinyFox. Are you familiar with this doll brand?
There is a lot of interest in Tiny Fox here in our country. The original design is both striking and charming. In our opinion, Tinyfox is a great choice for newcomers but also appealing to those who enjoy collecting full-set dolls. Actually, it's on our wish list too. We like how they're light in weight and the durability of joints that makes it easy to pose. However, we are still a little worried about collecting doll that is smaller than 1/4 because if we couldn't find clothes matched with her character, we would definitely have to create a new brand for ⅙ doll (lol).
──Considering that some of our readers may be beginners in the doll world, what do you think is the joy of dolls?
Looking back, we've never thought that we would be able to experiment with so many things ourselves. In order to get a doll that matches our imaginary image the best, we practiced face-up ourselves, tried styling wigs, and changed dozens of pairs of eyes, set a big indoor setting ourselves or went out to find a perfect scene outside, and took countless photos to present his own world, just for that. Despite all the difficulties we faced, it's also fun and challenging.
What I would like to tell new players is: Don't hesitate to step in and try to find your own fun. In the end everyone has different preferences. Some people are satisfied with collecting full sets of dolls while some people enjoy finding their only one doll to customize as their favorite character, to dress him up or take her on a date. You never know, someday you may end up wanting to try sculpting your very own doll and become an artist. This rabbit hole is difficult to climb up indeed. However, why not jump down when there are so many fun things to try, right?
──In the doll community or other genres, if there's a creator you respect, could you tell us about them and their works that you like?
We are not really sure who to mention because we look up to so many people. From photographers, artists, designers, cosplayers to craftsmen, we’ve always learned from everyone. Their works that pass our eyes are like our teacher, they give us many lessons. Especially in doll industry, whether it's an old brand or a new one, we always observe their effort and accomplishment with admiration.
──What are some new challenges you'd like to take on in the future? Also, if there's any announcement you'd like to make, please tell us!
We've been thinking about separating the girl and the boy collection more clearly for a while. Therefore, in 2024 there will be the launch of ISSY’s new sister brand for sure.
──Thank you for the interview! Finally, could you please give a message to our readers?
Thank you for your interest in us. We are a humble brand from a small country, but with a big dream. We want to go to every country that ever organizes doll events, doll exhibitions, doll markets, etc. If the organizers happen to pass by and see this message, you are more than welcome to send us the news of your doll event (lol). If all conditions are ready, we will be there. Nice to meet you all!
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