She’d like to teach the world to sing, and while she’s at it this doll shows off her wacky round-the-world take on national costumes. We travel the globe with this fashionable 1970s songbird.
She might not have been the world’s first singing doll, but Mimi certainly had the biggest ambitions. Spurred on by the global phenomenon of Coca Cola’s 1971 theme tune, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)”, Remco rapidly brought this doll to the marketplace.
Using the groundbreaking TV ad with its hilltop location and a panoramic sweep of multicultural youth as inspiration, Mimi was set for international travel. Eschewing phrase books, or any kind of regular communication – this doll used the language of song to communicate.
The basic doll came complete with four mini records, song sheets and a stand. She sang her own versions of “I’d Like to Teach…” in English, French, German, Greek, Polish, Hebrew, Spanish, and Italian, by inserting the records into a battery-operated player inside the doll’s chest cavity. She wore a Courrèges-influenced world traveler outfit with a jaunty tam-o-shanter. As Remco pointed out, “Mimi knows no boundaries… only the brotherhood of song!”
But the outfits were the thing. Available separately and beautifully made, these were a real 70s spin on national costume. And if you hadn’t heard enough of Mimi’s dulcet tones, each one included two more records with local folk tunes in both English and the country’s own language. To help you get in the swing of things, there were further song sheets for hours of sing-along fun.
Only six costumes were manufactured. Despite the inclusion of French and Greek in the basic doll’s repertoire, these countries’ outfits never came about. It’s interesting to speculate what the designers might have done for these costumes, based on their other interpretations.
Spain, quite sensibly, is channeling Balenciaga. Scotland could be by a juvenile Vivienne Westwood, by way of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. Israel has something of Yves St Laurent about it, in one of his more flowing, voluminous moments. Crossing a Vatican City Guard with the Venetian Carnevale, Italy has a surprisingly militaristic look. As does Poland, which is nowhere near the lavishly embroidered peasant blouse and dirndl combo we might have expected. Perhaps only Germany offers the most predictable approach, a highly detailed ensemble with fine pin-tucks, and plenty of embellishments, not least the edelweiss-trimmed waistcoat.
As it says on the box “She’s youth, she’s life, she’s Mimi.”
Watch the video for more detail and to find out what was the original inspiration for Mimi. You might even find yourself singing along!
This story first appeared in Fashion Doll Quarterly magazine in 2013.