Don’t Break the Comb (DBC) has a new line of beautiful products – for adults, children, and collectors of fine and fancy things. But it’s not a new natural treatment for hair care or a mod styling twist, which are among features that the “St. Martin lifestyle brand” is happily known for showcasing at workshops and online. This time it’s all about dolls, said Rochelle Ward, DBC’s managing director and creative wiz.
DBC is offering a unique line of Caribbean-inspired dolls among the products that it distributes, demonstrates, and advise about in its stylishly informed “dedication to the preservation and celebration of kinky and curly natural hair,” said Ward.
The creator of the dolly beauties is Mala Bryan, the St. Lucian-born model who worked in the hospitality industry in St. Martin, before travelling around the world and starting her Afro-Caribbean doll line, Malaville.
Malina, Mhina, and Maisha, are some of the names of the pretty Caribbean dolls that come in a variety of rich skin tones, and natural hair textures, said Ward.
“Mala created her dolls to fill a void, to answer a need, to give as gifts, and to celebrate the love for dolls among mothers and little girls who wanted to see, present, and play with beautiful dolls that look like them,” said Ward.
“I love these dolls and people who see them and buy them are so excited by them,” said Ward. The Caribbean dolls can be purchased or ordered from DBC by contacting dontbreakthecomb@gmail.com or calling (721) 524-0486.
The dolls made their Friendly Island debut at the St. Martin Book Fair last June in the DBC exhibition managed by Ward, who is also a teacher, blogger, and a published poet under the name of Faizah Tabasamu.
In a blog interview at largeup.com, Mala Bryan who now lives and works between Cape Town, South Africa and Miami, Florida, said that she was “discovered” as a model in St. Martin. She won her first modeling contract in Paris, France and has lived in Belgium and Israel. Influenced by her mother’s crochet doll-making, Bryan said that she started making dolls at the age of 18.