Details behind quality mannequins
Our company has been in the business of selling mannequins for a while now, we have seen a lot, grown and learned a lot. Because of that , we thought we'd share some "behind the scenes" information with our customers and readers.
In the rest of this article, we want to share with you how to make mannequins and information about what custom mannequins are. Surely this article will help you when buying a mannequin. It is important to consider these facts because a mannequin can "make or break" a store or maison, as they saying.
In the beginning
The word mannequin comes from the French language and actually means "an artist's model". In the early years, it was attributed to fashion models in the UK.
In France, in the middle of the 19th century, the first mannequin was made. Later, the preferred material for making mannequins became wax, as it gave them a more realistic appearance. And later, by 1920, the wax used to make mannequins was replaced by plaster, which offered greater durability.
As technology has advanced, mannequins have also evolved and can now be made from a wide variety of materials, but the most important are fiberglass (1940) and plastic. The difference between the two is in the cost of production and overall appearance, so fiberglass mannequins, which are much more realistic, are more expensive than plastic mannequins.
For example, during the 1980s and 1990s, faceless and headless mannequins became more popular and more affordable because they did not require hair or makeup.
manufacturing process
To make a mannequin, you must have the right tools, materials and, of course, time.
For a mannequin, you need at least a month. It may seem like a tedious process, but quality products require focus and an impressive level of detail. But this type of process refers exclusively to figurative sculptures.
The process of making a sculpted mannequin was documented by Len Gifford, one of the artistic minds working for Rootstein. "Making Laura" is the true story behind the making of a figurative sculpture used to create actors' mannequins.
The pose of the sculpture is determined, after which photos and measurements are taken. Using these dimensions, an aluminum body is created, on which wood and wet clay are glued. The head, arms and legs are added to the frame and the detailing process begins. After finishing the clay statue, they make molds of the parts of this beautiful model.
Another step to getting the perfect store mannequin is to make a mold of a real person. We know it sounds a bit complicated, but how do you expect to achieve anatomical accuracy and perfection?
Fiberglass is the standard material used in the manufacture of beautiful mannequins that help retailers sell their products and create attractive window designs and displays, simply because it is lightweight and can be perfectly sculpted to suit specific needs. It is also the best material for work in the sense that it allows mass production of realistic mannequins that include very fine details such as makeup, muscles, distinctive facial features, abstract mannequins that allow the imagination to be used. . For separate parts of the body that perform only one specific function at a time.
This type of material is not as durable as wood, but it can certainly withstand some external factors (weather, certain types of damage).
Since there are many different types of mannequins, we can explore different ways to create them. For example, flexible or foam mannequins have a completely different process that is realized with the help of machines.
We invite you to browse our collection of beautiful and high-quality mannequins to find the right mannequins for your storefront and display.
