These groovy princesses of fashion are little-known outside their native Italy. The Alta Moda dolls were made for just 4 years in the 1960s, but what an impact they made with their huge wardrobe – borrowing from top European designers of the day.
The four Alta Moda dolls wearing their signature sleeveless mini-dresses: Simona, in orange; Sylvie, in lilac; Susanna in red; and Sheila in blue.
Luigi Furga established his doll factory in1872. He produced papier mâché and wax masks, and imported bisque heads from Germany. By the middle of the century Furga made pressed felt, composition, and hard plastic and vinyl dolls. Although Furga’s dolls were always of good quality, early dolls were not sold in the USA but were mainly exported to South America, Europe, and especially, England. Furga continues to produce dolls today.
The Alta Moda dolls by Furga were the Italian high fashion dolls of the mid 1960s. A range of three initial dolls, Susanna, Sheila, and Sylvie, was launched in 1965. They were joined by the somewhat wild-eyed Simona in 1966. Their range of outfits rivaled vintage Barbie in terms of style, cut, and fabrics. But like Tammy and her British counterpart, Sindy, they combined parent-appeal with a fashion sensibility. All of the dolls were sold with metal stands, and a signature brass “S” pin. The first three dolls wore bathrobes and sandals. When Simona joined their ranks, each boxed doll sported a cowl-necked mini-shift in her own color.
Everything you need for a summer’s day in Europe. From left to right: Sheila wears Alle Cascine # 8708, a pretty floral print summer frock with accessories; Simona is ready for showers in Ultime Foglie or Last Leaves #8806; and Susanna is all set for the beach in Forte Dei Marmi #8657. (Inset) The same outfits as interpreted by Furga’s illustrator for the 1965 edition catalog.
Hair colors are consistent: Susanna is always brunette; Sheila a red-head; Sylvie is platinum-blonde; and Simona is honey-blonde in Italy, although she was sold as both platinum- and ash-blonde in the US. Simona was the most versatile and widely-available doll – owing more than a little of her looks to the diva of British TV’s Thunderbirds, Lady Penelope. Simona was featured in Sears catalog from 1966-69, but many outfits were only available in Italy and other European countries.
Suited for business: high style for the modern 60s woman. Shown left to right: Sylvie wears Primavera a Venezia (Springtime in Venice) # 8759, perfectly pink tailoring; Sheila is chic in Tè Con le Amiche (Tea with Friends) #8802; Sylvie gets an updo and is ready to seal the deal after work in Cocktail #8801. The accessories shown in the illustrations were not necessarily available with the outfits in the stores.
These dolls are about 17” tall and all-vinyl, but beware the bodies can be fragile so look out for splits – you’ll sometimes see torso-less dolls for sale due to their brittle nature. Take care when re-dressing not to use force for fear of damage. The dolls are jointed at 5 points, the neck, arms, and legs. Watch out for mold too, especially on dolls bought in Italy – the home-girls seem more prone to this for some reason.
Off to the Ball, from far left to right: Moulin Rouge #8755, on the original Furga dressmaker’s mannequin; Alla Scala, in pink velvet, #8758; Gran Gala #8803 in midnight blue velvet; Ricevimento (Reception), pink and cream tricot #8800; and the glamorous off-the-shoulder Via Veneto #8701.
The Alta Moda dolls all have very distinctive inset eyes, not sleep 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. Some of the dolls can lose their hair and, like old Sasha Morgenthaler, and Color Magic dolls, the hair can break off at the roots. The most fragile of all is dark-haired Susanna. Of the outfits, take care with the plastic sandals worn by the early dolls as these can split at the back because of shrinkage. Some dolls have underarm scratches due to the metal stands.
Bon voyage: Furga produced all the essentials for the traveling Miss. Above: Bois de Boulogne #8750, a houndstooth check cape-suit with matching boots; V Strada #8750, in sturdy wool with plaid accents; and the red coat is Al Valentino #8709, a beautifully constructed princess-line coat with contrast lining and coordinating dress. The navy blue version is shown in the catalog.
Part of the charm of these dolls is their hand-painted look: for example, the manicure polish paint can seem slapped-on. But there was great attention to detail in the design of the outfits.Simona was a particular favorite – always the model of choice for wedding dresses, and modeling elaborate new hairdos for this. There was a new wedding dress each year, just like couture collections. The range of outfits rivaled home-grown ranges such as Madame Alexander.
Fantastic in Plastic. From left to right: Susanna wears Derby (8745); Sheila is in Porto Cervo (8649); and Sylvie models Orient-Express (8694). The illustrations are from the Alta Moda catalog of 1968 (style numbers are in parentheses).
Much of the marketing relied on the catalogs: outfits were often bought on the strength of the beautiful, lively illustrations. As ever with merchandising of that period, the illustrator of these dolls was not credited and remains an unsung hero of unknown identity.Accessories were often shown but were generally not sold with outfits, and were sometimes illustrated but never made. Some purses were merely a simple tube and strap – with very little construction to them, not even sides. Alta Moda jewelry can be hard to find, as are the ‘wiglets’ – little hairpieces held on with a comb.
All kinds of stripes. Fashions from left to right: Caponero (8680); Smog (8646); Megève (8782); In Baita (8776); Shake (8687); Canarie (8697); and Acapulco (8686). These knit outfits are all from the 1967-8 catalogs, as illustrated (model numbers are shown in parentheses). A full line-up of these divine dolls in all their variants, from far left: Sheila’s trademark red-head; platinum Sylvie; brunette bubble-cut Sylvie; blonde Simona sports an elegant up-do; twin Susannas with startled fabric eyelashes; and a platinum tousle-haired Simona.
It’s clear where the fashion inspiration for the catalog illustrations was coming from. There are outfits in the style of Mary Quant, Courrèges, or Pucci, for example. Famous movie stars of the day were also reference points. There are ensembles based on clothes worn by Jeanne Moreau, Brigitte Bardot, and particularly Raquel Welch in the movie ‘100 Rifles’ with Jim Brown. Locations were important too: glamorous destinations like Capri, London, and the French Alps gave the dolls a chance to model the best of European style. But ever cutting edge, by the late 60s Alta Moda had gone thoroughly psychadelic!
Checks, dots, and groovy prints. The design room at Furga certainly had a wild stash of fabrics. In the background are some archive Alta Moda patterns. Above Simona, Sylvie and Susanna (left to right) are wearing: Montenapoleone (8754); Rue de Rivoli (8811); and Surf (blouse pak 8605) with Twist (jumper pak 8604). Shown right are Susanna, Simona and Sylvie in Tour Eiffel (8810); Agente Segreto (8760); and Al Parioli (8712). All are from the 1966 catalog. In 1967 the story was spots – tiny polka dots on a navy blue ground. It seems daisies were big this year, too. Above Sylvie, Sheila, and Susanna (left to right) are wearing: Primo Incontro (8731); Brigitte (8827); and Giovane (8684). Furga was banking on the popularity of Spaghetti Westerns and Brigitte Bardot to sell the gun-totin’ prairie gal ensemble. The rifle, however, remained on the drawing board and was never part of the outfit sold in the stores.
The longevity of the Furga doll factory in Italy is not due to luck. The company has always been innovative and at the cutting edge of doll production. In particular, during the 1960s, Furga demonstrated a canny eye for what was happening in the world of fashion. Outfits produced during the 66-68 period for their four Alta Moda Dolls, Simona, Sylvie, Susanna, and Sheila, clearly show this.
Although a larger scale than Barbie, these 17 inch tall girls’ outfits rivaled the diminutive US doll in terms of style, cut, and fabrics. But they avoided the overt sexiness of Miss Barbara Millicent Roberts, an important factor in the conservative Italian market of the time.
Big prints and flowers a-go-go. From left to right: Marina Piccola (8644); Plenilunio (8823); and Girasole (8658). Bold statements and big graphics as shown in the catalog illustrations.
The Furga fashion design team watched what was happening on the streets of Milan as well as in the haute couture salons of Paris. The doll’s collections made bold statements in terms of both color and fabric. The mini-shift dress was a constant theme, but check out how it was interpreted. Shiny plastics, solid graphic prints and uncompromising knit stripes were all employed with gusto. Even the more traditional polka dot prints and woven checks were given a modern spin.
The fabric choice and the range of patterns available were especially important for the pared-down 60s silhouette – it was all about simple shape and color. The influence of Pop Art even got a look in – huge simplified flower prints appeared centered on dresses to charming effect. There’s at the very least, a nod towards Mary Quant’s signature daisy.
Glamour was all – and travel was one of the 1960s most glamorous pastimes, so naturally the outfits had exotic names like Orient Express, Acapulco, London, Monte Carlo, and Tour Eiffel. A daring suit with elegant tailoring and a Courrèges-inspired hood, was thrillingly dubbed Agente Segreto (Secret Agent), to add a little international espionage into the mix.
Now long out-of-production, these dolls are often available on secondary markets (like eBay) and are well-worth seeking out.
Try this dressmaking pattern, it works for a variety of dolls.
Download available here: furga-alta-moda-doll-dress-pattern
CREDITS
This is an edited version of a feature that was published in Doll News magazine, Winter 2011. It is published here as a tribute to the memory of Franklin Lim-Liao, who kindly loaned part of his collection. He was a fount of knowledge on all things doll-related and is sorely missed. Franklin was a member of BADDD, The San Francisco Bay Area’s preeminent group for doll collectors.
Watch a video featuring dolls from the Collection of Franklin Lim-Liao here: