In honor of the Neo Blythe International Beauty Contest, I am interviewing some of the participants who are involved in the contest, and just so happened to make it to the top 50 semi-finalists! If this is the first post in the series that you’re reading, I encourage you to start with this post and then read the previous interview.
Leading up to August 23rd (when the top 25 finalists of the Neo Blythe Beauty International Contest will be announced), I’ve interviewed 6 participants who entered their original designed Blythe doll in the contest. I have two interviews scheduled to drop each week in August, so you will be getting a lot of extra posts from me this month! I’m beyond excited for this interview series so that you all can get to know the amazingly creative minds behind these stunning Blythe dolls!
Today, I’m interviewing Madyson of Blythe_fever, the creator of “Mima Futura”. In her interview, Mady discusses how she used her traditional art and architecture skills to create her one-of-a-kind doll, the big role the Blythe community has played in her life since discovering Blythe, the yearning for that retro futuristic style from the early 2000s, and more!
We cover all this, plus what inspired her to enter the Blythe Beauty International Contest, behind-the-scenes stories, obstacles, and more. Please enjoy this interview with the maker of the Blythe doll “Mima Futura,” Mady!
1. Introduce yourself (e.g., how you became a doll lover, how many Blythe dolls you have, other dolls you love, other hobbies, etc)
Mady: Hello! My name is Madyson Price. I’m 28 and I live in Arizona, USA. I made Mima Futura for the 2026 Blythe Beauty Contest, celebrating the 25th year of Neo Blythe. Super short bio: I’ve always been an artist. My mom taught me to draw and make art at a young age and it’s been a huge focus of mine my entire life. As a teenager I became really interested in fashion and my grandma helped me learn how to use a sewing machine. After high school, since I was good at creative thinking and math, I went to school for architecture.
Dolls: I loved dolls as a child. I have always been fascinated by their tiny accessories. I had Bratz and MyScene dolls growing up, but abandoned it as an interest around age 10. Flash forward to age 24 and I started collecting vintage toys here and there, amounting to a pretty substantial Monchhichi, Sonny Angel, Sylvanian Family, and gashapon collections. When I began collecting Blythe dolls, I was so excited about the creative potential that hair and outfits brought to the table. They quickly became my favorite thing. Now, I have over 50 Neo Blythe dolls. Other fashion dolls I like and collect (in much smaller quantities than Blythe lol) include Unaweek Moof, Momoko, Jjorori Art, Licca-chan and her boyfriend Wataru-kun, vintage Kamar dolls, and I even have a 1965 Little Miss No Name by Hasbro.
2. How did you discover Blythe?
Mady: Someone had posted this Blythe sticker sheet and I remember doing mild research because I thought they looked familiar. I learned they came from Japan and just banked that knowledge until planning for a trip there, remembered that was something that I could find, and made it my mission to look for them while I was there.
3. Your first Blythe doll?
Mady: In 2024 me and my boyfriend went on a trip to Japan for my birthday, I got my very first Blythe, Simply Peppermint from a vintage toy shop in Akihabara! The addiction was real and immediate and I ended up getting three more Neo Blythes, one Middie Blythe, and 1 Petite Blythe on the same trip. We had to buy new luggage.
4. What inspired you to enter the Neo Blythe Beauty contest?
Mady: Well for one, I’m just such a big fan and the Blythe community has become such a big part of my life over the last two years, so it’s great to have this sort of friendly competition among like-minded creatives. But mostly I saw it as a chance to create my dream doll, something that doesn’t exist yet and something I would go to great lengths to get for myself. So many people I talk to in the Blythe community, myself included, yearn for the 2000s themes to come back into production. I took this as an opportunity to showcase the type of doll I would propose if I could sneak into a CWC and Good Smile Company creative meeting.
5. Tell us about your doll entry (explain the concept, name, the Blythe you used, the techniques you used, etc)
Mady: My doll entry is Mima Futura! She’s an ode to retro-futurism and y2k nostalgia. Her lore is that she comes from an alternate timeline where by the year 2002, things like flying cars, robot pets, and space age fashion became the norm.
Seeing as it’s celebrating 25 years of Neo Blythe (a big deal!) and the original Blythe concept is now over 50 years old, I wanted to create something that honored the many eras and styles Blythe has been around for. I adore Showa-era Japanese toys and styles, and my childhood was in the 2000’s, so the y2k aesthetic just naturally appeals to me. It made sense to combine them and create something that felt retro, nostalgic, and futuristic all at once.
I used Jade Garden as the base doll. I kind of designed the whole look around her dark hair and what would compliment that part of the doll. I think it’s good to put boundaries and limits around a design to help guide yourself. For me, it was knowing I only wanted to alter the hair slightly. I did this by replacing 2-3 rows of the pre-existing hair and giving her a shorter haircut.
From the very beginning I knew I wanted to put a lot of effort and focus into creating everything by hand. All of the accessories are either hand sculpted or scratch-built from random pieces of plastic I’ve collected. The grid fabric I designed for her and made myself. Everything is hand-painted, from her makeup to her custom eye chips (painted to emulate the look of Macoto Takahashi.) It was a very meditative process, but half of the time I felt like I was insane for choosing to do things the long way. For example, I considered creating a 3D model of Mima’s headset and outsourcing it to a 3D printing service. Ultimately, I think the love and sacrifice (many nights spent getting very little sleep, stressing to finish on time) were well worth it!
6. What new skills did you learn throughout the doll-making process?
Mady: I certainly improved and grew my set of skills a lot throughout the process. There was a lot of trial and error at first, including a completely different outfit made from different materials. Many things, such as the headphones and robot dog, were second or third attempts after pushing myself to do better.
The one new skill I learned as a direct result of making this doll is rerooting hair! In lieu of watching any tutorials, I decided to just figure it out by studying the underside of the scalp and I successfully taught myself the loop and lock technique.
7. What was the most difficult part in creating your Blythe?
Mady: The natural process of experimenting and adapting to unexpected problems. The fabric choice was a major pivot. Like I had a really clear idea of how I wanted the doll to look from early on, but I had to let go of that and adapt the design to what materials were actually available and what I already had on hand. Another difficulty I found was thinking I know how to make something and finding out it’s harder/more time-consuming than expected. That said, I really think that the frustrations of trial and error lead to things that are better than what you first imagined.
8. Any fun behind-the-scenes stories from creating your doll?
Mady: I noticed I did something I thought was really funny once I had the hair completed. I realized after putting the blue and yellow in her hair that I essentially morphed Mima out of my favorite Blythe dolls and myself (I have dark brown hair.) Mrs. Retro Mama (yellow hair/Showa-Era theme) and Rei Ayanami (blue hair/futuristic theme) are my favorite Neo Blythe releases and I definitely subconsciously referenced them in my final design.
For more behind the scenes info, please check out my “Making Mima” post on instagram.
9. Who’s your favorite doll from the top 50 semi-finalists?
Mady: Hmmm… well Mima Futura is my favorite but there are so many great ones! I think all of the entries are incredible works of art and it’s amazing to get a glimpse into the creative minds of others. I think I can list my personal 10 favorites from the top 50. My choices are based on the theme’s originality, execution, and generally by the visual appeal and what I’m drawn to. In no order:
- “my bedroom land” by kopika66
- “Trompé L’Elle” by The Seventh Prince
- “Yūjin Bītsu” by angel.wip
- “Indigo Darling” by Normande Pierre Louis
- “Fifi” by Lila Wills
- “ファヨラ ザ・スターセイラー” by Thread
- “Lumina Celestia” by onclo
- “Hana Harmony” by Dream Girl Things
- “Lottie Letter” by Rangtique/Muse of Sol
- “Riel (リエル)” by Rilfina doll
10. How did you feel when you found out you made it to the top 50 semi-finalists?
Mady: Absolutely elated. I was already so proud of my work and Mima has basically become my favorite doll in my collection but just getting that external validation and seeing how much support I’ve gotten online, from friends and doll lovers everywhere, has made so much of the stress and anxiety and hard nights totally worth it. 🤞crossing my fingers for top 25 now!
11. Where can people find you? What type of content can we expect to see on your dollstagram?
Mady: @blythe_fever on Instagram! I typically do a mix of fun or unique photoshoots, doll animations (inspired by the old Blythe Theater animations, which I’m excited to get back to making soon,) and generally just sharing my collection. I have a lot of fun in this hobby when I get to use my skills as a traditional artist and things I learned at architecture school. I tend to get bored easily and it’s hard for me to do the same thing twice, so expect variety!
A huge thank you to Mady! “Mima Futura,” was the first doll entry I saw online after the contestants were allowed to share their doll designs. I was speechless and remember thinking that I was glad that I didn’t enter because I don’t think I would be able to compete with this Blythe! lol
Mady is super talented, and I’m always blown away by her level of creativity in her Instagram posts. Have you seen her latest stopmotion video? AMAZING! If you don’t already, I highly recommend following blythe_fever on Instagram. You won’t be disappointed!
We wish Mady and “Mima Futura,” a huge good luck in the Neo Blythe International Beauty Contest! We hope you make it far in the competition!