Simona is perhaps the best-loved of the four Alta Moda dolls, the Italian high fashion dolls of the mid-1960s. They were made at the Furga factory in Canneto, Italy – not far from Lake Garda in in Lombardy.
Luigi Furga established his business in 1872, initially producing papier mâché, wax, and bisque head dolls. By the mid 1900s the company was making pressed felt, composition, and hard plastic and vinyl dolls.
The first three Alta Moda dolls, Susanna, Sheila, and Sylvie, were launched in 1965 and wore bathrobes and sandals. They stood at 18 inches tall, and were sold with metal stands, and a signature brass “S” pin, which gave then the collective epithet: the “S” girls. By the time Simona joined their ranks in 1966, each of them sported a cowl-neck mini shift in their own signature color.
One of the distinctions of the Alta Moda dolls is their inset eyes, made of shiny plastic, not glass – contrary to first impressions. And those eyelashes! Furga used yarn, nylon, or fabric for these, to say they are luxuriant would be an understatement: they can be pretty wild and usually need taming a little.
This video is a comprehensive overview of the dolls and their remarkable fashions, including the original fashion illustrations of the time.
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