Anouk

Everyone’s favorite French fashion icon from the 1960s is back in a brand new guise. In an FDQ exclusive from 2016, The Bold Doll finds out more from her dad, Monsieur Nav Sikand

There are some vintage fashion dolls that are hard to come by. Caprice, produced briefly in France during the 1960’s, is such a doll, and Nav Sikand is a devoted fan. His new doll, Anouk, is an homage to this chic little diva. He tells her story below:

“It has long been my dream to produce a vintage-style fashion doll. For years I have customized existing dolls but I longed to make a doll exactly as in the 1960s, the golden age of fashion doll manufacture. From the illustrations, marketing, packaging and clothes, I wanted her to be authentically vintage in feel, using original methods and techniques as far as possible. With Anouk, my hope is to make a doll like Caprice more accessible to those who can’t afford her, or even locate her as she is not normally available outside of France. “

“Anouk captures the allure and style of the 1960s. She is influenced by French actresses Anouk Aimée, Anna Karina, Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau, as well as the French dolls Caprice, Mily, and Sylvie. The initial production has uniform make up and two hairstyles – a long wavy style with partial ponytail secured with a small ribbon; and a short stylish bob with bangs. There are Caucasian, Black, and Hispanic versions of the doll.”

“While the initial run will be only 300 dolls, I am excited about future lines. These will develop Anouk’s make up and hair, as though she were evolving with fashion throughout the 1960s. My hope is that she will evoke the fond memories of a vintage doll. She is intentionally naive, with basic poseability and rooting patterns, to give her the feel of a vintage toy, as if a warehouse with unsold Anouk stock from back then has suddenly been discovered. “

“My research and design for Anouk has been a long-running odyssey, driven by my own interest in film and vintage toy collecting. The first doll I ever owned was a Britt doll from Palitoy, with light blonde hair and bronzed skin tones. I also love the movie La Baie des Anges starring Jeanne Moreau sporting pale blonde hair and a sun-weathered complexion. Hence my Côte d’Azur-inspired Anouk. Some of my Anouks resemble Brigitte Bardot, others look like Anna Karina, and some look very much like Caprice dolls. With Anouk, I knew more or less exactly what I wanted. A few concept sketches and artwork and Anouk was born.”

“There have been practical and logistical issues. Finding a factory to make Anouk the way I wanted was difficult. I wanted her produced in Europe. It may have been easier and cheaper to go to Asia but that was not in the spirit of Anouk. Europe had a wonderful doll making industry up until the 1980s. Sindy was made in England, Mily and Caprice were made in France, Italy was so prolific and Spain had a wonderful doll-making tradition.”

“As I researched, I discovered that many of these factories no longer exist, sadly. I had almost given up, when I found the ideal factory in Spain. They were a perfect fit, fairly small with only a few hundred staff, they still use vintage machines and techniques to make their dolls. As the head of production joked, “Everything is as it was in the 1960s, Nav. Only the staff has changed”. They understood what I wanted to do, and their integrity was appealing. Even though inexperienced in fashion doll making, Anouk is a challenge that they have more than risen to. There have been bumps in the road, and getting the sculpt right was a long and detailed process.”

“Packaging was more straightforward, I have a long-time friend and fellow collector in Germany, Fokke Hoekman, who helped me to design Anouk’s label, an update of Caprice’s packaging, beautifully printed and embossed (expensively) in silver and royal blue.”

“The outfits are made by an excellent American designer. She is prolific in the doll-collecting community, but wishes to remain anonymous for professional reasons. It has been a mammoth task, and not without hitches but the final results are spectacular. Her prototypes and fabric selection were exquisite.”

“A real highlight has been the positive support I have had from fellow collectors, friends and family. Being naturally reclusive, Anouk has brought me out of my shell, through promoting and marketing her. I have made acquaintances in the wider doll-collecting community. I have set up a Facebook group, La poupee mannequin: Anouk and a blog, lapoupeeanouk.blogspot.com, to document the whole doll making and design process. It has been interesting for collectors to see and understand the work involved in producing a doll.”

“The Caprice connection and resemblance is unmistakable. But there is enough Anouk in there to make her a charming and attractive new personality in her own right. I was encouraged when people wanted to pre-order her based only on the concept art and pre-production samples!”

“I want Anouk to be thought of as a 1960s doll who was produced as a clone of Caprice. Some vintage Lilli and Barbie clones were beautifully made and dressed. Many of them have become extremely collectable, commanding high prices because of the rarity, but also the beautiful quality. So it is with Anouk. Her label, packaging, outfits and looks are all emulating Caprice. She is a high quality clone essentially. But beautifully made and with a few new twists. She will have a real air of exclusivity.”

“I have created some vintage-style ads to promote Anouk, modeled by my daughter Aanya and the first pre-production sample dolls and outfits. They set the tone well for the spirit of Anouk. I would love Anouk to really fly.”

“Since I do this for a living I would like to gain some income from the endeavor, but largely I have done this for the love of it. My dream is to evolve and develop her with updates of sculpt, hair, and make up. Maybe even a best friend, and a boyfriend. I am planning exclusive lines based on favorite films, flight attendants, and historical characters. It would be wonderful, but let’s not run before we can walk! I have come to love Anouk from her concept to her final execution. She is my child. And I hope collectors will see the hard work, integrity and commitment that has gone in to making her, and love her too.”

You can buy Nav’s gorgeous new Anouk dolls at lapoupeeanouk.blogspot.com or look out for his auctions on eBay, where his seller name is navsikand2bvj. This feature first appeared in Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine in 2016.