Tina Cassini

The Tina Cassini Fashion Doll was made in Hong Kong and marketed by Ross Products of New York in the 1960s. The 12 inch doll was described as a likeness of the daughter of designer Oleg Cassini (who was married to the Hollywood actress Gene Tierney, Tina’s mother). Cassini was Jackie Kennedy’s couturier of choice and was the man behind many of the well-known ensembles worn by the first lady. However Cassini did not design this doll, nor did he authorise any of her outfits – also ascribed to him by Ross Products. With remarkable restraint he did not take legal action against the company as it seems that Gene Tierney had entered into a separate agreement with Ross after the couple’s divorce.

The doll appears to be an amalgam of the body of Ideal’s popular Tammy doll – the two can share outfits interchangeably – with a head mold based on either Tammy’s Mom or the larger Carol Brent doll, both also by Ideal. It has been argued that this doll was a cynical copy-cat attempt by Ross to break into the booming fashion doll market.

Tina Cassini remains something of a rarity because she didn’t take off as the company had hoped. The doll was available with a bubblecut in four different hair colors, black, platinum, a dark blonde brownette, and a somewhat alarming carrot orange. She had quite a wardrobe – beautifully illustrated in her mini catalog, although it’s fair to say that the outfits themselves didn’t quite live up to the promise of the drawings.

The vintage doll often suffers from loss of fingertips due to the fragile quality of vinyl used for the arms. But she’s a charming addition to any doll collection and the outfits reflect what the fashionable young woman of the time aspired to wear. Click on any of the pictures below to go to a photo-carousel.