A few weeks ago my friend Zara dropped me a quick email; it simply read “Check out this link and email this person, I really think Modified Dolls are up your street.” Obviously there were links and email addresses involved…and Zara is right. The Modified Dolls are amazing!
Everyone has heard of the Suicide Girls and Gods Girls and I can honestly say that the Modified Dolls are going to be right up there with them in the very near future….only with a small twist. A very charitable small twist.
Unlike SG and GG, The Modified Dolls are a non-profit charitable organisation and instead of being “tied” to a single charity, they choose a different charity each month to be featured – we (yes, I am a Modified Doll) do themed shoots, donate not just money but a lot of our time to tell people about our months chosen charity. We spread the news via social networking and our own blogs and through the power of pictures.
September is all about Reach Out and Read (http://www.reachoutandread.org/ ) who help to prepare America’s youngest children for success in schools. They have programs based in hospitals, health centres, clinics and private paediatric practices in each of America’s 50 states; Washington DC, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Military bases overseas…and they continue to grow.
Our next charity is breast and brain cancer – cancer affects 1 in 3 people however it affects so many more; everyone related to the person who has been diagnosed. “The Big C” is something people rarely talk about, it’s not something discussed over a cup of tea and chocolate biscuits, it’s not as taboo as it once was – however there is further to go.
I have two stories for you; the first is of my mother who has beaten cancer twice and is today, healthy. I remember the hospital visits and the tears of relief when she was given the all clear.
The second is of a school friend; my mum and his are best friends. His name was Lee and at the age of 15 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor; after treatments and scans he was finally operated on. They found that the tumor was spread across his brain and there was no way to remove any of it without killing him. He was sewn up and survived a further week. He died, two days before he would have received his GCSE results telling him that he was going to college to become a chef.
I distinctly remember the tears that were shed from more than 400 people at his funeral; he touched many lives in so many ways and didn’t get the chance to see it all. Spare a thought for your cancer charities and give what you can to help them find treatments and eventually a cure – even better, volunteer your time at a shop or manage your own fund raiser!
The Modified Dolls revolve around two key words; support and promote. Supporting all those who need it and Promoting positivity and acceptance. Every amount raised through Modified Dolls goes to a charity supporting animals, children or cancer patients. The Modified Dolls also show the 21st Century Society in which we live that the different can make a difference (that’s their motto), that we are not to be pigeon-holed or feared.
Difference Is Good!
These are testimonials from just a few of the 100+ Dolls – click on the picture thumbnails to see the full size image.
My name is Jessica, but most call me Jessi. Before moving to Denver, I used to be a CNA for my grandparents. After I would always donate my time to charities, or even help watch children play at pools for parties. I absolutely love donating my time to things for the right cause! I hope to be able to do Alzheimer walks here in Denver because it is a very touching, and emotional disease that took one of my loved ones away. As of right now, I am currently looking for a job but I do alternative-modelling to build my portfolio for college for cosmetology. Being apart of Modified Dolls has enabled me to better myself and even find better opportunities to even help out even more charities that I haven’t even heard of. The group is absolutely amazing in many ways!
I’m an Aquarius, born under the amethyst. I’m 27 year old wife of six years and a mother of three gorgeous children. I work full time as a hairstylist sporadically for the past nine years. Being modified is my outlet, I love that I can choose how I want to look and not have to worry if it fits. Being a modified doll is a privilege, I’m proud to be a part of something that I feel will be a big deal everywhere someday soon. I hope to change at least a couple peoples perspectives about modified women and to make a difference.
I have been modified for only a short time, but I have always been different. Which is something that no one seemed to ever want to let me forget. Over the years I learned to stop shying away from that which set me apart from others and embrace it. As I reached adulthood, I began displaying my unique personality on the outside like a badge of honour. When I found the Modified Dolls I knew I had found other women who had dealt with the same prejudices I had, whether because they had tattoos, because of their sexuality, race, religion, or just from being a woman. But these women were interested in taking action. This group decided that they were tired of being called different like it was a disease. They were sick of receiving labels like “junkie”, “slut”, or “trash”, because they had decided to decorate their beautiful bodies with beautiful ink. Colourful, meaningful ink that told the story of who they were, where they had been, and what mattered to them. So they decided that instead of getting bitter and disenchanted with people, they would instead try to change the world they lived in. They would not only work to help change peoples ignorant opinions that tattoos and piercings are the sign of a disgusting freak, but they would help to make their world a better place at the same time.
That is our belief as modified women: we are different because we are the ones who are supposed to make a difference. We don’t think this will be easy or quick. We have a lot of minds to change and there are a lot of people who need our help. Growth can be very painful, but then who among us doesn’t like a little pain?
Fashion Designer and Tattoo Artist, Mischa Pearson founded her first business back in April 2010. Initially working as a tattoo designer while preparing to launch her first clothing boutique, she has recently become the founder of her latest addition to the empire; ‘Mischa Love Bridal’. It is here that she has directed her energies to designing bespoke couture wedding gowns for the elite bridal ‘fashionista’s’ of the world. ‘Mischa Love’, the parent company officially launched in January of 2011. Mischa Pearson together with support from her friend, mentor and reputable fashion photographer, N. Anthony Mason, launched her first collection to celebrate the birth of Mischa Love alongside the likes of Ann Summers and Miss Sixty in an exclusive fashion show held at Christmas to support Leukaemia and Lymphoma research in 2010.
Since then, Mischa has opened her first tattoo studio to further grow her former tattoo design brand ‘Sparrow Ink Design’ and is fast becoming a respected tattooist alongside her entrepreneurial aspirations to take this side of the business mobile whilst travelling the world with her family. Mischa is a now faithful fan of the work done by her fellow dolls at The Modified Dolls and despite her arguably insane lifestyle as a 25 year old mother to 3 year old son Christian, she has no intention of ever compromising the committed direction of her career, charitable commitments or her fundamental role in being a great Mom for Christian.
My name is Magenta Costley. I am a 23 year old pin-up model from LaGrange, GA. Being a true Georgia girl, I enjoy spending time in my vegetable garden or tending to my flock of chickens. I’m a huge book nerd, reading is my passion. I love musicals. Labyrinth is my favourite movie in the whole world. I have a heart for animals and support the ASPCA because I strongly believe in their cause. In addition I have started an Organization called OPERATION ZIPLOCK, which fills bags with necessities for the homeless. Vincent Price is my hero. I believe in fairies. I think my husband is the greatest man alive and my brother is a close second. I am a Christian. I am a wife. I am a model. I strive to be a Godly woman and show Gods love in everything that I do. (picture by Paperdoll Photography)
Being a Modified doll to me is the chance to raise awareness of the different types of people in the world who are kind hearted and willing to share their experiences and love with people less fortunate and at the same time let the rest of the world know that stereo types are a thing of the past and that you should look deeper than tattoos or piercings. I have always wanted to give back to my community to the world, but never knew how. I jumped at the chance to be a part of something so Epic and so welcoming. I am also blessed to have dozens of women with different points of view to talk to and seek advice from. To me, being a doll means being an example. I want to show people that women are beautiful and how they choose to display that beauty is not a reflection of their character.
Reluctantly aging punk rock girl, restless print production manager & part time alt model with a love for my dog, music, tattoos, the beach, and a good burger. I love being a part of The Modified Dolls because it’s an organization of awesome women doing awesome things for charity, and making a difference! My charity efforts are split between first the Alzheimer’s Association – in memory of my grandfather and because I watched first hand what the disease can do – and second any and all animal rescues and no-kill shelters; I believe very strongly in being the voice for animals.
Hi everybody! my doll name is Azure Dawn, i am a 30 year old tattooed and pierce hair dresser with a wonder supportive husband of 2 years, a cute little dog and one adorable snake. I have done hair for almost 12 years and absolutely love it. I’m working at a new alternative salon in the area called strange independence. my second passion in life is being in a fusion belly dancer for almost 9 years in a performance troupe called the bare naked bellies. When I heard about the dolls I was so excited to join. I thought, what a wonderful way to do some good in the world, help others, and be part of a awesome supportive group of women. I’m a strong believer in not judging a book by it’s cover, sometimes what you find inside is worth more than you see. I think that there are many reasons we modify our selves and that it is our right as a human being to express ourselves artistically and emotionally on the out side the way we feel inside. Also, we should be able to do so proudly and free of rude glares and hateful words! like my husband always says when somebody says “don’t you know your body is a temple” his response is “Yep, and I will decorate it how ever I want!”
I admit, I have always felt the need to feel like I fit in – I never did at school and when I started modifying myself in college, others saw it as a way of gaining attention and not defining who I am and how I feel on the inside. As much as I adore my modifications, as I became more heavily modified (with visible mods) they did become a hindrance; people saw me in a different, bad way. It made getting a job a lot harder, though not impossible – in March 2010 the manager of my local Cancer Research UK shop gave me a chance and until November of the same year I enjoyed volunteering greatly. In October that year I took part in a charity play piercing, strip photoshoot and helped raise over £300 in sponsorship – there were frilly knickers, feather boas and very little else. Around the same time I was lucky enough to get offered my current job which is awesome – I can work it around my own hours due to my Fibromyalgia and along with being a Modified Doll, I can tie in everything I love doing; Modelling, Modifications, Fashion and Charity work. I love showing society that just because I look different, doesn’t mean I am unfriendly or dangerous – which is what I generally get.
The Modified Dolls DO have a website and you have to keep checking back as it’s under construction; http://www.modifieddolls.org however they can be reached more readily at their Facebook page; https://www.facebook.com/themodifieddolls and get your merch! Kit yourself out in the coolest of gear http://www.cafepress.com/themodifieddolls
Now… get on over to these links…. get the first edition of their magazine here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/218368
and the second edition here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/270002/follow (Your intrepid author is in this one!)
And as a good Doll I shall tag into an article when the next publication is out 
