In 2015 Rootstein released this gender bender mannequin based on the body of fashion designer Phillipe Blonde.
Phillipe and his partner, David are the design team who created costumes for all the major pop divas – JLO, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna etc
The release of this mannequin was billed as the first time in history both female and male mannequins were being sculpted based off the image of a single individual.
However based on my research on Rootstein, they released a gender bender mannequin in 1996: Zaldy. You can read about him on my blog here: https://blog.mannequinmadness.com/…/rootstein-mannequins-s…/
When Zaldy was released in the Boy/Girl series there wasn’t as much fanfare about his image as with the Blondes.
In the 1990’s the idea of a male dressed in drag wasn’t as widely accepted, tolerated, or appreciated as it is today.
In fact the Zaldy image in the Rootstein catalogue was a free standing insert so it could be removed when the printed catalogue with the other mannequins in the series was mailed to certain retailers.
Ironically Zaldy was a model who became a fashion designer for celebrities, including Rupal. And Phillipe Blonde was a fashion designer who became a mannequin later
If you want to buy a Rootstein mannequin, we frequently have used ones for sale here. You can also sign up to receive an email the next time we get more used Rootstein mannequins in stock or follow us on Facebook.
