The Bold Doll takes a new look at some perennial French favorites
Whatever your doll-collecting preferences, France probably has the perfect poupée for you. French fashion dolls have long been associated with everything chic, and they have a particular style that’s quite unique. It might be the beautiful cut of their clothes, with a nod towards Parisian haute couture, or it could be a look that’s just a little bit different from the norm.
Ruby Red Galleria’s modern resin version of Bleuette takes a spin in her Xonex Champ Convertible die-cast metal pedal car. Her traveling companion is a vintage Steiff jointed toy poodle. Driving outfit by Ruby Red Galleria, lavender wig Short & Sassy by Horsman for Rini.
Perhaps the first French fashion doll of the modern era was Bleuette. This small, articulated doll was produced from 1905 to 1960. She was originally only available to readers of the girls’ magazine La Semaine de Suzette (or the English version, Suzette’s Week). More than 1,060 patterns were published in the magazine over the 55 years Bleuette was available. During this time, many designers contributed to the design of Bleuette’s wardrobe, most notably Jeanne Lanvin.
Les Parisiennes de Kiraz dolls wearing their original outfits. (The red shoes are replacements by Michael Ben from his Mamzelles de Paris line.) There’s no more satisfying lunch than a loaf of cardboard bread washed down with a glass of paper wine.
An uncompromisingly modern doll came about in the 1960s. The exaggeratedly slender, long-limbed, pouty figures of Les Parisiennes de Kiraz were based on fashionable young women that the political cartoonist and illustrator, Edmond Kiraz, saw in Paris at that time. His cartoons were wildly successful: they were syndicated, and a range of dolls was created. Despite the popularity of Kiraz’s cartoons, the dolls were not a commercial success. Their features and proportions were perhaps too extreme for the doll-buying public. Surplus dolls from factory stock had the indignity of being requisitioned as lamps, boudoir ornaments, and even toilet roll covers. In recent years Kiraz dolls have become extremely collectible, their rarity contributing to the sky-high prices they command today.
Two dolls repurposed by the manufacturer to boost flagging sales in the 1960s. The crinoline doll is a lamp for Madame’s bedside – the skirt lights up. These are hard to find as they often went up in flames when the wrong (brighter) bulbs were used! The head-in-a-dome vitrine wall ornament was an ill-conceived idea then, and remains so today.
A more successful doll on the French market was Mily de GéGé, France’s teen answer to Barbie. In common with her American cousin, Mily had a boyfriend, a little sister, and a baby sister, too. The doll’s wardrobe was extensive and outfits could be bought separately. Her looks might be an acquired taste, and are certainly more homely than Miss Barbara Millicent Robert’s haughty demeanor.
What could be more chic than a glass of wine, and a cigarette in your underwear? Mily de GéGé’s boyfriend, Jacky, shows us a thing or two about French style. The doll channels Jean Paul Belmondo. The doll’s outfits were styled in the manner of popular entertainers of the day, such as Claude François, Adamo, and Blondo. Coffee until wine, indeed! The two elegantly coiffed versions of Mily can’t wait to tuck into that big cheese. Mily’s outfits were similar to those worn by female pop stars on the French scene including the Yéyés, Petula Clark, and Sylvie Vartan. The doll herself had an unusually distinctive face, with narrow eyes and an enigmatic smile. Her hair came in wide range of colors and styles.
Mdvanii is a fashion doll for adults conceived by BillyBoy*. This “effigy” as BillyBoy* called the doll, was a new concept, made in a limited series, and launched on Valentine’s Day, 1989. The 25-cm doll was originally made in matte resin. Mdvanii’s outfits are in the tradition of French haute couture and, prior to 1977, were created exclusively in France. The doll is human-scale with a right and left foot, she is anatomically correct, completely hand-made, and painted by hand.
A rather over-dressed Persia tries to sidle in on two Mdvanii dolls. The platinum blonde interloper even has the nerve to wear one of Mdvanii’s gowns, Champs Elysées. Mdvanii in pink wears her original Alexandre de Paris wig and the Notre Dame ensemble. Mdvanii on the right, with her piscine hairstyle, models Tour Eiffel: a fur-trimmed tweed jacket over a tailored red dress.
PERSIA IN PARIS
Looking cool and fresh, Darrell Wallace’s Persia doll, with a blonde bob, wears a crisp floral print circular-skirted summer frock. She is rather cheekily carrying one of Mdvanii’s hats.
Modern interpretations of two old favorites. At left is a porcelain-head Japonaise version of Bleuette, a popular companion to the French doll from her early days. On the right is Charmette by Ruby Red Galleria, a novel idea for updating Bleuette as a jointed resin doll with interchangeable face-plates. Both dolls wear Ruby Red outfits and are ably supported by the faithful Steiff poodle.
Another vintage French fashion doll popular with collectors, is the beautiful Caprice – find out more about her here. This feature originally appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine.