DALLAS, April 20, 1999/ FW/ --- When does a mannequin start its life? Does it start when it slips out of its mold or the factory line? Or does it start when a mannequin line is first conceptualized?

"The concept of a new mannequin collection is a creative process that develops out of intuition, and moods, a sixth sense of fashion that has to be able to envisage future demands. From concept to launch a collection can take as long as a year or as short as three months." (Source: A Birth: A Different Mannequin, Inspiration Magazine Issue 172)

So, when does all of it begin?

It begins with the concept - what type of mannequin does the market need? What is the current trend in fashion? What is the "beauty ideal" at the moment? What technology, old or new can be used?

Sometimes, the artist per the direction of the mannequin manufacturer is the one who comes up with the idea.

Mannequin sculptors can be in-house or can be commissioned. Mannequin companies usually have both. Once the concept has been approved, the sculptor then looks for a model, unless the model was predetermined like the Twiggy mannequin or the Christy Turlington mannequin.

Most of the times, there is more than one model used for the mannequin - one for the face, one for the body.

There are times also when the sculptor works on a "composite," creating the mannequins from different models, i.e., the eyes will come from one person, the nose from another, and so on.

The mannequin becomes the sculptor's work. And although there is an ongoing debate whether mannequin sculpting is an art or a purely commercial endeavour, no one deny the skill of the artist who creates the mannequin.

The artist sculps the body and the face/head in clay first. After the clay sculpture is done, mold makers cast a plaster mold.

From the plaster mold, the fiberglass prototype is created, and this becomes the "master mold," transferring almost every detail of the sculptor's original clay sculpture.

The master mold is "cut" in the arms, the hips, the wrist, and the thighs. The area which is "cut" depends on the pose of the mannequin - sitting, standing, the arrangment of the arm.

The cut also depends on the use of the mannequin - will it show swimwear, hence it will be given the "bikini cut," so that the areas where the mannequin separates don't show.

From the master mold, fiberglass "production molds" are made for each individual parts of the mannequin.

The factory then creates the "mannequin" via its body parts. Hardware is added to the mannequin body parts while they are in the molds.

Once the body parts slip out of their molds, they are "painted" their finish. The "faces" are made up by the make-up artist.

Then, the mannequins are assembled. Each body part is labeled meticulously for each mannequin. It is because when they are shipped, they are unassembled. The "labels" make sure that the correct arms go to the right torso.

The new line of mannequins is introduced during "Market Week." In New York, market week is usually held every December, while in Dusseldorf, it is usually in February.