After more than a year of detailed and artful sculpting, the Madame Alexander Design Team is proud to have created the perfect new face sculpt for the debuting 'Jade Lee' doll. Determined that Jade's features be a perfect blend of her American and Asian heritage, the result is a face that betrays strength of character, intelligence and beauty in its subtle, fine planes and delicate features. All three dressed 16-inch Jade Lee dolls are distinguished by their high quality and exquisite attention to detail, characteristics shared by other great works of art.

When Alexandra Fairchild Ford, the editor-in-chief of Élan, the hot fashion magazine, decided to relocate their New York office to a Soho loft, she didn't think twice before choosing award-winning architect Jade Lee to redesign the space. Alex knew that the talented young architect would transform the vast square footage to reflect the spirit and style that Élan has come to represent. In fact, Alex admired Jade's design and fashion instincts so much that when she saw the stunning pieces of furniture that Jade had designed for Élan's publisher's home, Alex immediately asked her to be the guest editor of the magazine's "On Image" column for an upcoming issue. Discussing the marriage of "Form and Function", Jade's "On Image" column explains her approach to both fashion and architecture as being informed by cultural influences and creative vision, and describes a few examples of recent outfits that illustrate her philosophy.

Form and Function: Style Notes
Inspired by her Asian heritage, Jade incorporates the traditional cultural emphasis on balance and harmony into her architectural designs but imbues them with a fresh, original and modern sensibility. Jade also adopts the same approach to her own personal style, translating it into clothing with clean lines and modern silhouettes in fabrics and colors that recall the flavors of the Far East.

For the grand unveiling of a building she designed in her native San Francisco, Jade chose Golden Lotus, a perfect blend of ancient tradition with a contemporary twist. She wore a modern take on the traditional kimono - a cropped red silk bodice featuring with sheer iridescent gold organza. The deep "v" neckline echoes the shape of the long, split kimono sleeves that fall away gracefully to reveal the upper arms. Patterned with scattered butterflies, the vibrant red and gold silk brocade straight skirt gracefully fishtails out below the knee for ease of movement. At the waist, an obi-like sash of sheer iridescent gold organza is tied at the back in a dramatically oversized bow. This stunning look is perfected by a beaded choker, matching bracelet, delicate strappy gold sandals and a tasseled evening bag. Sections of Jade's glossy hair are woven into braided buns, while the rest falls to her waist and the polish on her fingers and toes matches the rich tone of the silk kimono. Golden Lotus is a Limited Edition dressed doll of 1,000 pieces.

When Jade was honored recently as "Architect of the Year" in her hometown of San Francisco, she had the perfect opportunity to showcase her hip fashion sense. For the occasion, she chose to wear Cherry Blossom, an outfit that juxtaposes contrasts of texture, style and color. A sheer black cropped top flocked with red velvet flowers is layered over an attached bra of sparkling stretch red velvet and is paired with a matching low-slung straight skirt. Her exposed midriff is accented by a ruby that winks from her naval and a long jeweled chain belt adds a glittering touch of color as it swings from her hips. Strappy black high heeled sandals, a matching velvet clutch and dangle earrings accessorize the look as does the rich crimson lipstick and dramatic braided hairstyle that Jade wears for this special evening. Cherry Blossom is a Limited Edition dressed doll of 900 pieces.

A simple color palette in a bold pattern - and the right accessories - can make a strong statement. Graphic Impact, a terrific outfit that is equally at home in the office or a trendy restaurant, is a sleeveless wool turtleneck top in a black and white houndstooth pattern with a back button panel and finely detailed side closures. Both the top and the matching miniskirt are edged with a narrow black border at the hem and are worn with knee-high black "suede" boots for maximum impact. Though a seemingly small detail, the fact that the boot zippers are 24 karat gold-plated and embossed with an "A", bespeaks a quality that is uniquely Madame Alexander. A coordinating bag detailed with white piping and a miniature cell phone accessory the finishing touches for this contemporary classic.

Like many creative people before her, Jade ascribes to the wisdom of marrying form with function - in architecture, fashion and all other areas of design. When designing furniture for Elan publisher Richard Sebastian's Newport home, as always, Jade was guided by the fundamental precepts of feng shui with its emphasis on environmental balance and harmony of form and materials. A duplicate set for Alex's New Retreat was created and included an armless easy chair with a squared back and seat and a matching ottoman all covered in dusty blue taffeta. The chair is also accented with a matching loose back cushion and both the chair and ottoman are detailed with a line of piping and box-pleated skirts in the same fabric. Also included is an Indonesian-influenced faux bamboo square side table with a walnut finish and a pair of faceted, cut-glass candlesticks which make a lovely table-top accent.

The Alexander Doll Company, a New York-based company, celebrating its 79th Anniversary, continuing the tradition, elegance and innovation of Madame Alexander® dolls with a full line of fine quality, handcrafted collectible dolls, baby dolls and play dolls. The company has created a series of "firsts" that have shaped the doll industry and has always been a pioneer of style and quality in this community. The Alexander Doll Company is the only remaining major manufacturer of handcrafted dolls in America.

For More Information Contact: Sally Fischer Public Relations, 212/246-2977

Alexander Doll Company, 615 West 131st Street, New York, New York 10027 Phone (212) 283-5900, Fax (212) 283-4901