The Wonderful World of BABY DOLL PLINER and DONALD & LISA PLINER’S PEACE FOR THE CHILDREN FOUNDATION

Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Images, courtesy of Donald J. Pliner


Everyone loves Baby Doll Pliner. We sat with Donald Pliner in his gorgeous showroom high above Fifth Avenue and talked about Baby Doll and the Peace for the Children Foundation he founded with his wife, Lisa Pliner. Baby Doll - an adorable white Maltese - is in all the current ads. "She’s on the front page of the Birmingham News [Alabama] in an article that was about my coming to do a trunk show at Belks," said the designer with pride in his voice, “Lisa [Mrs. Pliner] is coming out with a book that talks about what it’s like to have a [human] baby from a dog’s point of view."

LYRA MAG: It seems like Baby Doll is really part of the family.

DONALD PLINER: We’re a family of 4 – Lisa, Star, BabyDoll, and me. She travels with us, she even goes with us to Las Ventanas in Cabos and gets a massage there, minimum, once a year!

LYRA MAG: Wow, no “dog’s life” for Baby Doll! On a more serious note, you mentioned that Baby Doll was kind of a child surrogate?

DONALD PLINER: This story has a happy ending We adopted our daughter Star Emmanuelle, from an orphanage in Kazakhstan three years ago. After seeing all these children who may never be adopted over there gave us a reason to make it our mission to do something about it. That’s why Lisa and I started THE PEACE FOR THE CHILDREN FOUNDATION in 2007. When I do PA’s, I require that a % of company sales made must go to the Foundation. My spring 2008 Collection has a grouping of shoes and handbags that identify the foundation’s mission with peace symbols.

LYRA MAG: The playground project with KABOOM is a great initiative, and will help beautify Miami too. Back to Baby Doll, will she continue to star in the campaigns? Will you be restarting her eponymous line for deluxe dogs?

DONALD PLINER: Yes! Baby Doll will continue to start in the ad campaigns going forward, and we are looking to relaunch her line.

A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH KaBOOM!
The Pliners’ not-for- profit Peace for the Children Foundation has partnered with KaBOOM! to build a new playground in Miami this year. KaBoom! Is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to build a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has brought together business and community interests to construct more than 1,300 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America.
For more information, visit
peaceforthechildren.org

www.kaboom.org

For more information on Donald J Pliner, visit
www.donaldjpliner.com