Robert Tonner

Fashion Designer

Robert Tonner was born in Bluffton, Indiana, United States on July 14th, 1952 and is the Fashion Designer. At the age of 71, Robert Tonner biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

Date of Birth
July 14, 1952
Nationality
United States
Place of Birth
Bluffton, Indiana, United States
Age
71 years old
Zodiac Sign
Cancer
Profession
Fashion Designer
Robert Tonner Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 71 years old, Robert Tonner physical status not available right now. We will update Robert Tonner's height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, and measurements.

Height
Not Available
Weight
Not Available
Hair Color
Not Available
Eye Color
Not Available
Build
Not Available
Measurements
Not Available
Robert Tonner Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Not Available
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
Parsons School of Design
Robert Tonner Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Not Available
Children
Not Available
Dating / Affair
Not Available
Parents
Not Available
Robert Tonner Life

Robert Tonner (born July 14, 1952) is an American entrepreneur, fashion designer, sculptor, doll artist and owner of Tonner Doll Company, Inc.

and the Effanbee Doll Company, Inc. Robert Tonner is best known for his fashion doll designs and the creation of the Tonner Doll Company, which designs a number of original doll lines, such as the Tyler Wentworth and Antoinette series.

In addition, Tonner Doll Company Inc.

contracts with and designs for many major film studios.

They have designed dolls for such contemporary films as Harry Potter, Spider-Man 3, and Twilight, as well as classic films, such as Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.Robert Tonner has received national and international artistic awards and recognition including a permanent piece at The Louvre Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.

He has also served as President of the National Institute of American Doll Artist (NIADA).

Early life

Robert Tonner was born as a twin, to a working-class family in Bluffton, Indiana. Martin Tonner, his father, was a self-educated engineer, and his mother, Virginia, a housewife. Robert has one older brother, John; his twin brother, David; and a younger sister, Mary.

Tonner's mother Virginia was plagued with several illnesses throughout her life, including; epilepsy, encephalitis, cancer of the kidney and myasthenia gravis. The continual cost of his mother's health-care would lead to very low economic and family stability throughout Tonner's childhood.

As a child, Tonner turned to drawing and television as an escape from the difficult home-situation. Programs such as The Mickey Mouse Club, The Wonderful World of Disney, Bonanza, Bewitched, as well as many comic book superheroes, such as the members of The Justice League, would be his greatest inspiration. At the age of eight, Tonner learned to sew.

Tonner began his college career as a pre-med major, attending three different universities. However, in 1973 the struggling student abandoned his goal of becoming a surgeon and decided to pursue his true passion of becoming a fashion designer. That same year he would attend the Parsons School of Design in New York City.

Source

Robert Tonner Career

Fashion career

Tonner was hired as the Personal Assistant to Don Sayres, a New York City-based sportswear firm. Tonner started working with fashion designer Bill Blass and was eventually asked to head the Blassport brand after three years with Gamut. Tonner's "Robert Tonner for Tudor Square" was his first fashion line in 1983.

Tonner left the fashion industry and joined the National Institute of American Doll Artists (NIADA). He served as Standards chairman from 1991 to 1995, and was elected President of NIADA 1995, a position he held until 1997.

Tonner Doll Design (RTDD) was founded in 1991 by Tonner, who worked with his partner, Harris Safier. At the American International Toy Fair the first RTDD designs were unveiled that same year. RTDD saw exponential growth in the first two years, thanks to its roots in the Northern Ireland and fashion design industry as well as Tonner's partner Harris' aggressive publicizing. RTDD was renamed Tonner Doll Company, Inc. in 2000, Inc.

Robert Tonner founded Wilde Imagination, a direct-marketing company that created a collectible fashion doll design company based on Tonner's fictional character Ellowyne Wilde. With new collections based on The Wizard of Oz film, Wilde Imagination continues to appeal directly to the customer.

Tonner has returned to fashion design with the introduction of the Robert Tonner 2010 Spring Collection, which debuted on September 9, 2009 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City.

Source