Tri-County News Write-up

http://tritown.gmnews.com/news/2002-12-26/Front_page/097.html

Passion is what gives our lives meaning and depth. It is the glue that holds us together.

Some people only dream about honoring what brings passion into their lives, but Stacia McDonough of Freehold Township is one of the lucky ones — not only is she honoring hers — she’s actually beginning to make a living at it, too.

McDonough has managed to parlay her childhood hobby of collecting dolls into a business that keeps her on the go and includes traveling back and forth to St. Petersburg, Russia, at least four times a year.

McDonough researches and designs authentic Russian porcelain dolls, has them crafted by skilled artisans in Russia and then ships them to their final destination — a new home.

"My dad traveled a great deal and he brought me home a doll from every trip," she said.

About five years ago, McDonough’s father brought her home a doll from Russia.

And so the story begins.

Graduating with a degree in literature from Monmouth University, West Long Branch, McDonough said she has always been fascinated by historical characters, real and fictional. Her love of history and literature led her to the desire to "do" something to continue this instant "love affair" with the Russian doll, which became the impetus that resulted in the business she owns today.

"The doll was nothing like these," McDonough said, pointing to the collection of at least a dozen of her porcelain beauties lined up along a living room table.

"I wanted to bring all of this to America," she said with enthusiasm, opening her arms to the dolls.

Not wanting to waste time ruminating about whether "to do" or not "to do" what was floating around in her mind, she took action on what she explained was an idea she knew would work and boarded a plane for Russia.

"I just knew I had to do something," she said, trying to put into words the emotion she so obviously felt when she spoke of her dolls, her business, her love.

When people are engaged in doing what they love to do, it shows. And it showed in McDonough; on her face, in her gestures and in her voice.

In addition to providing doll collectors with a quality product, McDonough said she’s also helping to keep Russian history alive. Her heritage has always intrigued her and now learning about that heritage has become her work.

All of her dolls are crafted with porcelain heads, hands and feet and some have bodies crafted of porcelain as well.

One of the latest dolls manufactured by her company, Neva Dolls, (named after the Neva River in Russia), is Anna Karenina. This doll is limited to a production of 10. Custom-made molds and hand-crafted costumes replicate the tragic heroine in Tolstoy’s novel.

A plush, black velvet gown, ornately embellished with mink pelts, is designed in the fashion and fabrics of the late 1800s.

"Anna Karenina is such a fascinating character that it truly was a challenge creating her. Her costume was designed to be lavish and glamorous, yet due to the misfortunes of her character we wanted the costume to also reflect the drama," McDonough explained.

To help launch the presentation of this doll, McDonough has included a copy of the 1987 Warner Brothers production of the movie Anna Karenina with each doll order.

Finding authentic characters to replicate involves much research, according to the doll designer.

Two huge volumes of Russian fairy tales sit on a living room table. These are just two of the sources she uses for her designs.

"Years ago only the wealthy people in Russia could afford a porcelain doll," McDonough said.

One look at the lavish costumes lead you to understand why.

Plush velvet fabrics in rich black, green, red and gold, genuine mink and swan down trim, beautifully crafted faces, hand-sewn beads, sequins and trims as well as human hair topping the crowns of the beauties are all crafted in a small factory in St. Petersburg.

McDonough supervises the work from her home here or in Russia, where she has rented a small apartment near the factory.

Finding the artist to make the dolls was a matter of one person telling another "and so on and so on and so on."

From museum curators to women whose mothers and grandmothers spent most of their lives making dolls, McDonough has gathered experts in the field and the results are stunning.

The Swan Princess, one of her largest dolls, wears a finely detailed white satin dress trimmed with tiny white and iridescent floral rosette sequins and tiny beads which have all been hand sewn one at a time.

The Swan Princess, named after the heroine in a Pushkin fable, is a limited collection of 24 dolls, according to the designer. The doll has genuine swan down trimming the neckline and sleeves of the beautiful gown.

Each doll comes with a certificate, a story about who she is and a bit about her historical significance. The dolls range in price from $300 to $9,500. Neva dolls have been shown at shows throughout the country, including the Doll and Teddy Bear Expo in Washington, D.C., and the International Toy Show in New York.

Information about Neva dolls can be obtained by calling (732) 625-1800 or by visiting www.nevadolls.com.

"I want to give (the public) an authentic historical insight and guide them on an extraordinary journey through Russia’s remarkable past. When people purchase a doll from the Neva collection they are actually purchasing a piece of Russia," McDonough said.