Jem Collection - In Stitches Jem/Pizzazz Duet Gift Set

There wasn't much to watch on the tube during that warm September's night other than a marathon of “Oldies but Goodies” on MTV. Granted, the Pop stars adored the music of Duran Duran, Michael Jackson and Rick Springfield, but the omission of Stevie Nicks was a deal breaker. So Kimber joined the Starlight girls in an evening of slapstick comedy as they gathered together to watch Nickelodeon. Then 8:00 rolled around and the girls clicked the remote to watch 24 hours of video power on VTV. Within seconds of viewing the show, word traveled through the television speaker from Lin-Z of a Rock fashion competition in Venice, Italy, and she reported the full list of requirements and credentials. Then her host, the promoter of the event, Tony Cassini, revealed his top two picks to compete. When Jem and the Holograms discovered that they were one of two bands chosen, they nearly flipped the couch with excitement! Lin-Z went on to mention that the contest was Shana Elmsford's opportunity to demonstrate her fashion-designing expertise. Minutes later, the pressure from the announcement consumed the bronzed beauty as she sat still at her drafting table in her bedroom questioning her capabilities and whether she was good enough to exceed the expectations for a worldwide competition. Kimber and Aja walked in to check on their best friend, and Jerrica followed with a reminder of how amazing of an artist she's been to their group, and that a successful collection of clothing depends on the mood of the model and designer. Now, with the worst of her worries behind her, Shana was prepared to bring her A-game to Italy! A few neighborhoods over, up the stone walkway of Gabor Mansion sat the Misfits who, after watching Friday the 13, Part 6, were already tuned into Lin-Z's report and practically snubbed their own victory. It wasn't that Pizzazz didn't care, she just knew that there would be a lot of talent involved, and scoffed at the thought of creating her own work. So she smuggled Zipper into Venice where he accepted a small cash bonus to help the Misfits with stealing Shana's sketches, which he did twice throughout the trip! After one failed attempt, he came through the second time with flying colors, and the Misfits had what they needed to create their own version of her creations. To spruce up the wardrobe with her own personal touch, Pizzazz decided she would dye the bright material black to match their rock-star personas. Ms. Elmsford wasn't going to stand for any funny business, and she tried all she possibly could to rescue her work, eventually hightailing it to the Misfits' hotel with Jem, Kimber and Aja to confront everyone involved! A tornado of shredded clothing passed through as the Misfits noticed their rivals, and out broke an all-new battle of fabric with a lengthy foot chase to the top of the Rialto Bridge, some tug of war, lots of screaming, clawing, fighting and thieving, all leading up to Jem and the Holograms' victory in the Rock fashion contest, and the Misfits' disgraceful reputation as a colossal international flop!

 

Season One's “In Stitches” episode has to be one of my favorites by reason of my love for Shana, and for fashion! The animation is also an important factor, and it started to look absolutely flawless around this time in the show. Right now, I'm finding it difficult to take my eyes off this set. It's unbelievable! Almost too much for words. Just like the “Who is He Kissing” gift set, we have another decorative box that's used to house both dolls, and an awesome slipcover to hold it all together. For this duet gift set, Integrity's created a turquoise blue cover that resembles a strip of fabric with a pair of shears cutting through, “Jem and the Holograms” on one side, and “In Stitches” on the other in purple font. As I lift the lid to the box, I'm thrown back by the appearance of both dolls! A double-headed stage light is shining down on both characters and their slammin' outfits, so I'll zoom in on Jem first and start with her newly styled hair. One startling fact is that she's rid herself of her straight, sharp-layered bouffant and has made a conscious decision to use a mild perm to give herself long pink locks with massive curl and bounce! Her product pictures were so on point with her appearance in person, and I never once doubted the outcome. The curly/wavy style was never even considered an option in the show, and she's only ever had pin-straight hair as a fashion doll, so the new hair pattern only boosts the authenticity of this version and sets her on a pedestal in the collection! Jem's also wearing a curly, more fuller set of bangs that lay overtop her brown eyebrows and pink monochromatic eyeshadow which she purchased in “Sweet Surrender”, and it covers the entire area of her eyelids and brow bones. Then, in typical Jem tradition, she circles the shadow around under her lash lines. The one-toned shadow she uses also matches both her pink lined lips coated in “Like, Whatever!” And her fingernails are neatly painted with “Totally Tubular” nail polish. Also, her black “Party Over Here” eyeliner is simple and runs neatly around the shape of her eyes without flying off track. This version of Jem has a side-eyed stare with blue feathery-soft eyelashes that are teased with “Sassy Superstar” mascara, and she flutters them at Pizzazz as her casual way of telling her to kiss off! The outfit magnetized me right from the start. I'm impressed at how identical it looks to the show! Both her long shiny lavender jacket with pockets and shiny blue skinny-pants were created with the same fabric, and turned out exceedingly well. She wears a short yellow sleeveless minidress under her jacket and it's made with a scratchy dull-like material, not bad at all, just less shine to it. The outfit brightens back up again with her matching blue belt with golden chrome lining and a circular buckle. I haven't seen such a stylish belt in the collection since Video Montgomery's. I also never thought Jem would get the grand treatment with her high heels, at least not like the pair she has with this set. THEY'RE FANTASTIC! The style takes my breath away. I swear, Jem's shoe collection just shot through the roof with these pink imported heels. Could they be any cuter?! Just look at the craftsmanship on the pink insoles, the tan outsoles, and that classic cut on both sides separating the toe area from the heel. YEOW! And I love how she's barefooted with only her tan skin peeking out from between the vibrant pink. She loves flashing her red star-shaped earrings for fun, making Pizzazz jealous and leaving her to question their power. Too bad because she'll never know the truth, and it's none of her business anyway! Jem's the type of fashionista who has to match her outfit with her accessories, so you have to assume her wireless microphone to have a lavender and golden finish on it, just as her jacket and hot belt. And after a brief scuffle with Pizzazz over Shana's sketches, she's managed to strut away with two important pieces—far from Pizzi's unfinished version—and she will protect both mini drawings with her life! Starlight Music's melodist is dressed to impress. She's comfy, adrenalized, and ready to rock Venice AGAIN!

 

Who's that sweepin' through the night sky with a trail of neon green exhaust shootin' from her broom, and her silhouette seared into the full moon? Why, it's Misfits Music's wicked witch of Rock 'n' Roll, Phyllis “Pizzazz” Gabor! The biggest ball-breaker on the West Coast, Pizzi holds herself at a high standard and swaggers down the avenue with her “don't-f**k-with-me” attitude. She's the enforcer of violence and intimidation—standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the burliest men alive and wrestling around with them for sport—and if she can't handle you alone, she calls on her gang the Misfits to take you down like a group of bloodthirsty tigers! To cross her path is like being engulfed in fire and brimstone, and it's important to have an escape route because once she welcomes you to the jungle to rumble, there's NO turnin' back. She's careless, selfish, underhanded, unable to be swayed or played, and you would have to rise at the crack of dawn to pull one over on her. She's Pizzi G!—like it or not. Sheesh! When I really stop to think about it, she's pure evil lol. I'm real big on respect, fairness, right/wrong, simply treating others the way you would want to be treated; it's been that way for as far back as I can remember. So when I used to watch the show during its run I'd always cringe at the Misfits' behavior, and wondered why Jem hardly ever fought back. Seriously, IT IRKED ME TO THE MAX! But, hey, in Pizzi's defense, she's had a tough childhood as was explained in her backstory, and that's the ONLY THING which saves her from me writing her off completely lol. Nah, I'll admit she's actually funny in the show! Her words have a certain flow that I love. I also get a thrill out of her sudden outbursts of anger when she screams and throws temper tantrums lol. My goodness, is it possible for someone to be angry throughout every waking moment of their existence? Surely she has at least one shred of decency within her body?! I'm almost certain that, under all that war paint, there's a mellow, upstanding human being waiting to appear. I think I'm getting a little ahead of myself lol. Anyway, she's here in doll form and I've now seen the greenlight lol. No doubt she belongs to a group of degenerates, but none of that matters when it comes to her fashion doll. “In Stitches” Pizzazz is positively perfect! There's not one blemish or a strand of hair out of place. While I'm on the subject of hair, I must commend Integrity on their decision to give her a thicker mane compared to her first wave edition. It's a pinch longer in length, her bangs are fuller, and boy is it easier to style. I'm loving the green color as well! It's almost hard to believe that she was born with green hair, but, in the world of Jem, anything's possible...just ask Purple People Eater, Clash Montgomery lol! As I investigate her insane makeup I begin to slowly fight back the possession of its hypnotic allure. You don't need to hold her close to your face or use a microscope to view the details of her cosmetics because the only thing that's required is a quick observation at eye level, and BIG BAM BOOM, it's all right there. She's a tigress on the loose, a creature on the prowl, and she's gettin' ready to HOOOWL! I know that the mere thought of her rockin' a face full of paint that resembles Twisted Sister may sound a bit scary, but the wild designs accent her skin tone with a playful tease, never once appearing to be unpleasant or unwelcoming. After all, this is the lead singer of the Misfits we're talking about here. Hell, if she can't glam up her face with funky designs while demanding respect at the same time, then who can?! She's totally snatched with purple lines, in “Kingdom of Terror”, that curve downward from the center of her forehead and veer off outward to where her eyebrows should be! Pizzi then added a visible amount of white highlighter on her brow bone areas, in “Ghost Town”, and dragged it upwards to the tips of her lash paint. Feelin' frisky with her work, she decided to confine the highlighter with “Paralyzing Pink” eyeshadow that rides across her eyelids, outwards to the tips of the purple and white paint, and then back around again, settling along the entire length of her bottom lash lines! Boy, oh f**kin' boy, I love my angry, green-haired rebel lol! She looks as though she just won a fight with a can of light purple paint, resulting in a single scratch mark downward on both sides of her cheeks. I really have to take a minute to give her black eyeliner special recognition. For starters, it comes in “Flatlined”, it has a slightly different design than her first edition, and looks bolder and thicker! The liquid liner shoots across her top lash lines and makes a sharp turn backwards with a slight dip, and then races along the remainder of her bottom lash lines. There is danger in her eyes! Her emerald green pupils move in on her prey. If Jem's smart, she'd keep out of her way because Pizzi's throwin' her a side-eyed stare that could turn her to stone. I'm loving her lips, too! They're covered with dark pink “Good Girl Gone Bad” lipstick, lined with red “Thrill Seeker” lip liner, and coated with “Slippery Vertigo” lipgloss. Pizzazz is proud to wear an outfit that was never her brainchild to begin with, but she wears it well, so I suppose that's all that matters. The long shiny black jacket is a true stunner, and comes fully equipped with left/right side pockets. She assumes since she dyed it black, it's hers, and if there's one thing I know for a fact, it's that you simply DO NOT argue with Pizzi G! Ms. Gabor has paired the color of the jacket with a glossy purple sleeveless minidress, and it too looks great. You really do have to bow with respect to her shiny red skinny-pants with light purple tiger-print designs. I mean it when I say she's a fashion guru in her own right! She even created a shiny red neck choker with golden circular studs to match her damn pants. But did she halt there? HELL NO! Accessories are her forte, and nothing brings her more joy than to brag and flaunt her style in front of Jem as she's doing right now with her matching black belt with golden chrome lining and a circular buckle. She then bawls up both fists, extends her arms pointed at Jem, and gives her an up-close-and-personal view at the details to her golden gloves, which are separated into 2 pieces: a pair of long shiny golden cuffs that cover her wrists, and a set of golden chrome hands that are interchange! And she stokes the flames of her fierce fashions with a pair of purple hoop earrings that match her glossy minidress. The Misfits' head mistress is burnin' up with unbridled desire, and seeking every strategic move in the book to grab the attention of Rio, so she slipped into her pair of shiny black heels with their blood red insoles and black outsoles to turn him on. Unlike Jem's heels, Pizzazz's were imported in glossy black with a classic cut only on the inner side, separating the toe area from the heel, and then covering the outer area in traditional style! As I said before, this rock 'n' roller has an eye for mixing and matching accessories, and would never pass up the chance to outshine another woman with her flashy sense of style, as she's proven here with her shiny red/golden wireless microphone that she personally created to match her pants and belt! Modern music's Rock and Pop genres have melded together for the “In Stitches” duet gift set, offering a bigger bang for your buck, and Pizzazz and Jem the opportunity to join forces in partnership. But, at the end of the day, Pizzi's still a Misfit, so, of course, she couldn't resist stirring up a pot of mischief by stealing a sketch from Jem that belongs to Shana and concealing the mini drawing inside her accessories compartment. Whatever you do, don't ask her why because she's not the least bit ashamed. Damn thief lol!

 

Kudos to Integrity Toys' success in bringing this gift set together! Of course, my comment was not meant to suggest that Jem and Pizzazz are good friends or confidants, but it's refreshing to see them in close proximity of each other. Early in the series, Pizzi labeled herself the “Queen of Rock 'n' Roll”, and even wrote/recorded a hit song to make her message clear. Rarely is she credible, but, for once, she's absolutely right, seeing as how Jem's more Pop-oriented than hard-edged Rock! With all things considered—and I do mean ALL THINGS—I gladly give my stamp of approval to this set! In my opinion, there are no winners here, for neither singer outshines the other. The scuttlebutt is that both entertainers think they're better than the other—and that may very well be the truth on the charts—but if the banter has anything to do with this gift set, then the position of QUEEN is a title they both share! 👑

Done