Exclusive: Doll developer Joan Greene on designing Ashton Drake Princess Diana tribute doll

An Exclusive Interview with Joan Greene, Product Designer of the Ashton Drake Princess Diana Doll

As reported in Gene doll developer and art director Joan Greene inspired by Barbie, doll artist, developer, and art director Joan Greene was at a doll collectors' convention in Nashville on August 28. As part of her presentation, she mentioned that she had been called in to work as the product designer with sculptor Titus Timescu to create a Princess Diana doll for Ashton Drake immediately following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Ashton Drake Galleries Porcelain Princess Diana Doll Series

According to Remembering Diana, Princess of Wales, with Collector Dolls, Ashton Drake Galleries launched a series of 19" porcelain bisque Princess Diana dolls in 1997 starting with a doll in the famous Travolta gown. I asked Greene, who now resides in Nashville, to share her story about creating the Princess Diana dolls with Examiner readers for the anniversary of Princess Diana's death, and she graciously obliged.

Ashton Drake Tribute Diana Doll to Honor Princess Diana

"Diana died in the early morning hours of Sunday, Aug 31, 1997," Greene remembers. "I was in Las Vegas with Mel Odom for a Gene signing at FAO Schwarz and had not turned on the television as we were busy getting out of the hotel for the event. Just as I was leaving the room, my phone rang and it was the general manager of Ashton Drake asking me if I knew that Princess Diana had just been killed. He went on to say that I needed to get back home ASAP to begin a memorial tribute Diana doll. He wanted Titus Timescu to do the sculpt and for me to be the product designer."

Joan Greene on Princess Diana & Diana's Charities

Greene says she was personally touched and saddened greatly by Diana's death. "Somewhere in all of us is this little girl who wants to believe in Cinderella, and Diana was our Cinderella." She suggested Ashton Drake should donate part of the proceeds from the sale of the Diana dolls to Diana's charities, which Ashton Drake did.

Racing the Clock to Get Ashton Drake Princess Diana Doll to Market

Ashton Drake had a Princess Diana doll sculpt ready within 10 days and the first ad was out within 30 days of Princess Diana's death. "The Ashton Drake Diana doll was the first doll to market after her death," Greene shares. "Many people worked pretty much around the clock to make that happen. As crazy as it may sound, I think somewhere inside of us we were paying our homage to the young woman who was, in our minds, a princess."

Greene reports that the process to get the Diana doll to market was "a crazy whirlwind," saying, "I think I spoke with Titus before I left Las Vegas to begin the sculpt," says Greene. "I remember that in those first few days after her death we were racing the clock to be the first to market with the doll. Titus actually went to London to witness her funeral because he was so moved by her death. He did this all on his own and because he wanted to be there. He told me that all of London smelled like flowers because of the many bouquets left in her memory."

Gene Doll Product Prototypers Worked on Ashton Drake Princess Diana Doll

"Several product prototypers that worked with us on Gene were involved," Greene says. "I enlisted Etta Foran to personally drive the original sculpt to Michigan for the molding process. We did not trust that any courier service would understand the value of that clay sculpt. Then for the prototype decorating or painting the features, a member of my staff took my personal credit card for expenses, and hand carriered the molds to the East Coast for a weekend with Katherine Geddes, the person that we chose to pour the original porcelain prototype dolls and do the painting."

Princes Di's John Travolta Dress and Diana's Famous Sapphire Necklace

"In the meantime, we had a seamstress in Chicago making a replica of that famous blue velvet dress that she had worn to a White House dinner in 1985 in which she danced with John Travolta," Greene reminisces. "Due to the time crunch, we did not have time to get that famous sapphire, diamond, and pearl necklace created in miniature. I remember even going into Harry Winston in New York to see if they could be of any help. In desperation to get the doll photographed on time. I had a sapphire and diamond ring that I owned taken apart to create the necklace. My ring was never put back together again. Once in a while I run across the pieces in a small jeweler’s zip lock bag and wonder, 'What was I thinking?'"

Princess Diana Tribute Doll #1 Best Seller at Ashton Drake

All of Joan Greene's hard work and sacrifice as well as the others on her team paid off for Ashton Drake and for collectors of Princess Diana dolls. The Princess Diana tribute doll was the number one best selling doll at Ashton Drake Galleries in 1997 and 1998.

This Exclusive Interview with Joan Greene is continued here.

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