The popular French entertainer was recreated in vinyl for the home market. This doll is not well-known outside France, but her unique looks make her a favorite with collectors who discover her. The Bold Doll goes Yé-Yé.
Dolls and photographs from the collection of Franck Drocourt unless otherwise indicated
The 17-year-old Sylvie Vartan sprang to fame in France in 1961, following her appearance on TV performing the song Panne d’essence with French rocker Frankie Jordan. Her distinctive dancing earned her the title ‘the twisting schoolgirl.’ She went on to have a string of her own hits in the Yé-Yé style of pop. Immensely popular in both France and Italy, her TV performances feature elaborate choreography. To date she has sold more than 50 million records and CDs worldwide, and has featured on over 2,000 magazine covers – outdoing both Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot. Her marriage to the French rock star Johnny Hallyday cemented the status of the couple in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Main heading picture, top: Raynal’s Sylvie Vartan doll wears a white and red tuxedo, replicated by Franck Drocourt from the stage outfit created by Pierre Lapidus for Lanvin, as worn in 2017 at the Olympia Theatre, Paris. The round inset photo shows the star herself holding this doll. Sylvie Vartan released the single J’ai un Problème (I’ve got a Problem) with her rock star husband Johnny Hallyday in 1973. Above: Franck Drocourt created this replica of a gown designed by Bob Mackie for the star’s Palais de Congrès show in 1981, but actually worn for her TV special Des Heures de Desirs (The Hours of Desire) in 1984.
The entertainer’s iconic status led to the launch of the Sylvie Vartan doll in 1977 by Poupées Raynal of France. A unique sculpt was developed by the manufacturer for the head, but the body is identical to the one used by Mego, for the Cher and Farrah dolls, among others.
Above, clockwise from top row: An advertisement showing the full line-up of twelve Sylvie Vartan doll outfits – six city outfits (green backgrounds) and six gala outfits (blue backgrounds). The gala outfits included copies of Pierre Fresnay designs, as worn by Sylvie Vartan at her 1975 Palais de Congrès show; A boxed doll with a publicity shot showing her in a striped blazer and pants from the 1975 show – the doll’s launch outfit; Bottom row, dolls from Franck Drocourt’s collection – he has been recreating the singer’s stage outfits from 1964, from left to right: Red Bodysuit dress from a Bob Mackie original worn at the Palais des Sports, 1981; Black Butterfly dress from a Bob Mackie design worn on TV and on tour 1978-9; White Tuxedo gala outfit by Raynal; Tarzanne dress (Raynal) by Bob Mackie featured in the chart-topping single Disco Queen, a No.1 hit in Japan; A copy of a Blue and White Bob Mackie dress, there is also a Raynal gala version of this; A recreation of the White Dress with Glass Beads, worn for the hit La drôle de fin et Georges a huge success in France; Striped Blazer launch outfit; White Dress and Cape outfit from the 1975 show; Red Gown also by Franck Drocourt. A hard-to-find, mint-in-box Raynal gala dress in romantic layers of green chiffon with floral and dot appliqué, also modeled by the Sylvie doll.
It’s not clear what the licensing arrangement was with Mego, but from Raynal’s point of view, it was probably cheaper to take this route than to manufacture a brand new body from scratch. The Raynal factory was established around 1930 when it made dolls using cloth, and rhodoid. Its heyday of production was during the 1950s, plastic dolls came along in 1957, and the company closed its doors in 1979. The manufacturer specialized in baby and child dolls, so it’s possible that they lacked the expertise to produce a fashion doll, and would only be in existence for another year or two following the creation of the Sylvie Vartan doll.
Franck Drocourt presents Sylvie Vartan with two of his dolls, wearing the Black Butterfly stage outfit, and in Bulgarian traditional costume to celebrate the singer’s birthplace.
The choice of the Mego body makes this unusual doll even more idiosyncratic. It was arguably not the most beautiful body on the market at the time, being somewhat angular, with hands that have been described as ‘claw-like’, but it does have a vintage charm, and certainly works well with the finely chiseled face sculpt the company created. The doll has rooted eyelashes and strikingly pale eyebrows.
YÉ-YÉ, YEAH!
Sylvie’s hair is in a long bob, she wears a sweet blue dress overlaid with chiffon. Frank Drocourt made this replica of the dress she wore at the Olympia Theatre, Paris in 1964 where the singer performed on the same bill as The Beatles. Her white peep-toe high-heeled shoes are identical to Mego’s Cher doll. On the wall is a tiny sampling of the singer’s hit 45-rpm singles.
However the use of the Mego body has the great benefit of allowing this doll to wear clothing and shoes from Cher’s extensive wardrobe. Quite a bonus, because Raynal produced a limited range of 12 outfits. Nowadays these clothes are expensive, and even harder to find than the doll herself – she is a niche-collector favorite.
COME INTO THE GARDEN
Modeling a loose updo, Sylvie wears a white jewel-embellished gown of pleated and gathered tulle by Jason Wu from his Fall 2018 collection, for the 2020 Integrity Toys Iselin doll. Accessorized with a triangular silver purse from Fashion Royalty’s Adèle Makéda Neo Look. Leopard print sofa by Impressions Supply Inc. Photo: TheBoldDoll.com
Raynal waxed lyrical in the press about its new product when the doll launched: “A fashion doll as pretty, as blonde, as smiling, as the real Sylvie … dressed just like her, in a magnificent stage costume! The first French fashion doll in the likeness of a shining star of song and stage. The real-life Sylvie gave us some ideas: your doll has 12 different outfits, to play sports, stay home, entertain friends, and go to a party. Sylvie Vartan is always the most beautiful doll!”
DISCO INFERNO
Two Sylvies on a Saturday night out. Left: In a shiny white suit with Pucci-inspired print shirt and contrast handbag, from 70s Disco by Mattel for Barbie. Right: She Means Business skirt suit and scarf by Mego for Cher. Photo: TheBoldDoll.com
Recently, some collectors have seen a similarity in looks between the Sylvie Vartan doll and the actor Kate Jackson as Sabrina Duncan in the 1970s TV show, Charlie’s Angels. There has been speculation (with no evidence) that the head was originally intended for a Kate doll, in the wake of Mego’s success with the Farrah doll. To illustrate the point, collectors Toy Collectors Headquarters on Facebook, created their own makeover using Raynal’s doll as the starting point (see photo, below). A brave choice as the Sylvie doll is not inexpensive.
A makeover of Raynal’s Sylvie Vartan to resemble Kate Jackson as Sabrina in the 1970’s TV show, Charlie’s Angels. Image by kind permission of Toy Collectors Headquarters on Facebook. Re-root, styling and makeup by Ray Flores.
This feature is with great thanks to Franck Drocourt, the preeminent Sylvie Vartan fan, designer, and collector. Most of the images shown here are from his incredible collection, wearing bespoke outfits he created especially for the doll. He points out that the entertainer is the only French icon to have been dressed by some of the greatest names in fashion including Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, Kenzo, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Dior, and Hedi Slimane.
Franck Drocourt with a sampling of his impressive collection. His t-shirt reads “It might seem like I’m listening to you, but in my head I’m listening to Sylvie Vartan”.
To see more of Franck Drocourt’s work, go to franckosmic on Facebook
Outfits in packs shown above are from Collectible Doll Fashions: 1970s by Carmen Varricchio, reproduced here by kind permission of the author. The 1978 Mego Sylvie Vartan fashions, six for day and six for evening, were made exclusively for the European market. Top Sylvie in a fringed suedette top and skirt worn with a beads ‘n’ boots combo from the daywear range. The six other outfits shown are: Blue satin gown with cheeky sheer net panel over the bust; White tuxedo reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich in Morocco (1930); Triple-layered green gown liberally sprinkled with roses and polka dots; Halter neck dress that re-purposes the fabric from Mego Cher’s Laverne outfit. The two daywear outfits: A saucy denim shorts set with Sylvie monogram t-shirt, groovy wide-brimmed hat and white kinky boots; A red bell-bottom jumpsuit with ivory waist sash.
CATWALK CREW
From left to right: Farrah’s deep-pink halter-top gown with matching shoes by Mego Corporation; White sparkly mini dress with belt strap detail, ring, and necklace, all for Keeki Adaeze Afterglow by Integrity Toys, shoes are Sylvie’s own; Black and silver halter-neck gown with matching shoes, from Growing Hair Cher by Mego. Sunglasses, necklace, and ring from Integrity Toys’ Neo Look Adèle Makéda. Photo: TheBoldDoll.com
You can read about another collector’s view on Sylvie Vartan dolls at Linda’s YéYé Dolls Blog.
This feature first appeared in the Winter 2020 issue of Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine.
Don’t miss our Sylvie Vartan video, for loads more detail and information:
For French-speaking visitors to TheBoldDoll, here’s the version française :