Toy Fair 2005 has been noted for an increase in Gadgets and Gizmos on display and toys with computer chips tucked inside. For a toy company to exist now they better have something sci fi and computer oriented to sell or kids will look elsewhere.

One thing that will never change though, is the love of certain traditonal toys like teddy bears, stuffed animals, board games, building blocks, and the Queen of all dolls, the fashion doll. The current reigning Queens of the fashion dolls are the Bratz. Nortorious for toppling Barbie from her pink throne and wearing urban streetwise fashions, the public has spoken- they wanted a change from ballgown wearing princesses to dolls that wore the same clothes they did and had the rainbow of human skin tones they saw in themselves and their friends.

A visit to MGA's showroom during Toy Fair 2005 is like walking into your fantasy doll room. Every year their design team tops itself with lines that are creative works of fashion doll art.

New characters
Mixed throughout the collections will be 8 new characters who didn't have final names at the time of the show, but will be worthy additions to the existing Bratz Pack. Two interesting additions are a Native American girl and a Russian girl. The Bratz Pack has always said to use your imagination and give the dolls a background like your own or make one up. These are notable because they are specific in their heritage and of course both are what you have come to expect from the Bratz, hip and innovative in their design and look.

The Holiday Collector Doll
The Russian girl will be the next holiday collector's doll and her gown is quite stunning and very different from the Cloe Winter Beauty Ball gown. Layered ruffles and a shrug on her arms in a warm milk chocolate color it almost has a Southern Belle feel to it (this had been all black before but none of the focus groups liked gown that way I was told). She has lovely long straight brown streaked hair and brownish green eyes. The special ornament she will come with is a tiny replica of herself.

The New Twiinz
There are two sets of Twiinz coming up. One will be an ethnic pair of twins with warm cocoa skin and hair and another set will have pale white skin and jet black hair. They will still be expressing the "good girl bad girl" theme with fashions to match. There will be furniture playsets in purple and gold, stackable beds and vanities, with pretty white painted details.

Ooo La La
There is a Paris themed line coming called "Oo la la" but its not an official Bratz World destination like London and the Pretty n' Punk line. This is more like the Fabulous line thats based on the style and reputation of a well known city Fabulous/Las Vegas). MGA explained to me the "destinations" were not the most important thing but the concept of travel was extremely popular in the focus groups. This line has jewel toned fashions with hatboxes and a mixed modern and retro Parisianne look to them. There is a wonderful mirrored doll carrying case where you can display the doll viewable from all sides via the mirrors or you can use it as a purse. These dolls even come with make-up for their real life owners to use.

The Rock Angelz
Bratz Rock Angelz are the stars of the upcoming Bratz lines. Their fashion colors are very much red, black, and burgundy. The look is classic rock n' roll with that modern Bratz flair mixed in. The playsets have two stages, a main stage, and a rehearsal stage. There are musical instruments made in doll sizes and a line of small real instruments for kids to play by Epiphone and Gibson (even a kid sized drum set!). There will be a red limo, a red convertable car, a private jet, a tour bus and a lot of cool themed things for real people like bags and school supplies and even a pair of inline skates.
The plasma TV in the showroom was playing clips from the upcoming DVD feature and the new look is a colorful CGI style that looks much like the dolls coming to life, even their hair moves like real hair. The CD stars the Bratz singing in their Rock Angelz band which is a rock n' roll fantasy come true that you will see played out in the DVD.

Wild Wild West
The Bratz go to the Wild Wild West in this line. This line's theme is complete with cowboy boots, fringed wear and a two Horses for the Bratz to ride, a silvery one and a black one. Their shape looks like "real horses" but with Bratzy eyes and lavender lids they are as fashionable as the Bratz themselves. They will have saddles and a modern looking Horse n' Buggy for a doll and horse to use. There will also be a funky looking Hummer style vehicle. This is the line where the new Native American character will appear. The fashion colors are very much made of browns and flesh/pinks, and turquiose and blues that will have you dreaming about places like Taos and Austin and the "open range".

Bratz Campfire
Popular ideas that kept coming up in focus groups I was told were camping and sleepovers and thats what the Bratz Campfire line is all about. Its a mix in fashion feel between Wintertime Wonderland and Slumber Party which have been among the best selling lines. There are lovely knit things in this collection- knitted sweaters with colorful designs, scarves, hats and warm cozy second outfits for sleeping in. There is also a plush tent in red and white with a furry trim. The colors are pastels and candy hues with warm browns mixed in. It is a very cozy looking fashion line. This is the collection where another of the new girls will make an appearance. This will be the darker skinned ethnic girl who looks wonderful in her bright colors setting off her deep coloring.

Midnight Dance
This line has a very gothic/victorian feeling with some Tokyo A Go Go "FRUiTS" style mixed in. This looks like a line that the publication the "Gothic and Lolita Bible" would want to show off. The colors of the fashions are black, violets, umbers and dark electric blues in beautiful details throughout. They have short capes and pretty textured quilted purses with hints of roses. These fashions are truly unique. For example one featured a baby doll styled top in tiny black and umber stripes over flared jeans with black ruffles sewn into the flare. Another new character appears in this line and is dressed in a more "traditional" Elegant Gothic Lolita style. They also have eye masks that can be held up by a wand to their faces that are very Masquerade looking. The playset house that will come with this line has a very gothic/victorian feeling too including a lamp inside in the shape of a dragon holding up two bulbs! The vehicle looks something like a modern mini Daimler (or like a mini Hearse really) all in black. This is one of the most unique doll lines I have ever seen.

Bratz Dynamite
This is MGA's answer to Charlies Angels. They are in tight vinyl leather looking outfits with a hint of color- shiny glowing black and dark violet and what looked to me like a dark blackened forest green. Very sleek looking- these are packaged like the i-Candy line with no second fashion. They come in bright yellow boxes and a futuristic Japanese style motorcycle and helmet is the vehicle that will be sold as the playset.

Bratz Party
These are simply cute Bratz Party themed dolls, with pretty jewel toned short skirts and sparkly bustier style tops, and tights that come down to their calves and stop to show off the kind of fashionable shoes you have come to expect of the Bratz style. There is a pretty toy gift box that comes with them that has a bow. This was a popular request among the focus groups I was told and probably will be a great item to buy as a birthday gift for friends (or yourself!).

Sportz
New additions to this line are; Football playing Cameron (USA style football not soccer, he'll have a helmet and a different outfit from what he was shown with so we'll see what he will look like) Tennis playing Fianna, Karate practicing Roxxi (similar colors and details like Kumi the Kimono doll had) Basketball playing Dana ( I asked if she was volleyball because the ball in the showroom was grey). These were a very popular line with the focus groups so we will be seeing more over time.

The basic lines that I saw were called "Steppin-out" (Girls) and "Step-off " (Boys). The girls have lovely party style dresses as their second outfits and jeans with sparkly tops. The boys line reminded me of the first Bratz Boyz spring line in bright cheerful colors that look great for any kind of outdoor activity.

Bratz Boutique Fashion packs will come out with additional outfits for your dolls and there will also be three packs of shoes and accessory packs too.

The Bratz Babyz and Ponyz
Bratz Babyz large and small The Babyz this year will be in large size too, about 18" that will appeal to those who love baby doll sized dolls. They are vinyl and made to look exactly like the small Babyz and there will be a baby Cameron added to the line in large and small form too. His pet is a baby fireball. They will have a large Babyz motorbike and a bathtub. The small Babyz will have Pony pets but these are like a stand alone set themselves that may appeal to My Little Pony collectors too. The Ponies come with their own room playsets and shelves for their little horse shoes. The small Babyz have a house playset coming out with a decorative outside wall that will look like a real tropical aquaruim with water and moving fish down one side.

The Petz
All the Petz will also be back in themes that match the Bratz dolls like Oo la la and Campfire and Wild Wild West with fashions for both large and small Petz sizes.

There is a whole new line of Bratz themed furniture coming out for real people and a cool contest to be announced where you could win an entire room full of Bratz things. They will come into your home and set up your room in a major Bratzy way. Think of a Fantasy Bratz product filled room (housewares, electronics and bedroom accessories) and thats what it will be.

There is a fashion make-over game with mini styling heads to use and game pieces included. This game has so much more than other board games have to interact with. The mini stylin' head will be a fun part of playing with friends and having more to do than just moving flat game pieces around. There are also new styling heads that actually go down almost to the waist and have arms and hands for doing manicures.

Rescue Pets
There is also a line of non-Bratz themed super soft stuffed animals MGA is making called Rescue Pets. They will make sounds like they are doing that doggy whine when they are begging for food when you pass your hand over their eyes. They will have adoption forms included and MGA hopes this will inspire kids to want to adopt real shelter pets.

One of the great treats being in the showroom was MGA's founder Mr Larian coming up to me and saying "Nice to see you again!". I also met for the first time his daughter Jasmin (yes the real girl that inspired the Bratz to be created.) She is not a little girl anymore and is a part of the talented design team now. Then I met other wonderful MGA people I had not met before along with the people I have become friends with over the years I have done the Bratz fan sites. They always make you feel welcome and their dedication to the Bratz lines is incredible. Its more than just dolls to them and it comes through when you ask questions and inquire about details. If one person did not have the answer they found the one who did and their knowledge about the lines is endless and energetic. Its no wonder that this company and this doll line have created a toy revolution and changed the fashion doll world for the better.

Once again what we have to look forward to is so unique and creative you can't help but think again, how will they ever top themselves next year? Just enjoy this year's new lines and feel secure in the fact they always have and always will.