Madame Alexander®, the doll company that revolutionized the toy industry with beautiful and innovative dolls of unsurpassed quality, will celebrate a landmark 80th anniversary in 2003. Always fresh and creative, throughout its long history the Alexander Doll Company has reinvented itself many times, bringing new faces to new generations, growing and changing with the times. Now, to toast the approach of their eightieth year, Madame Alexander is pleased to introduce three wonderful commemorative dolls based on three of their most popular personalities. 80th Anniversary Wendy, 80th Anniversary Cissy, and 80th Anniversary Cissette are three must-haves for collectors, dolls that deliver the very best of superior Madame Alexander design and quality. And that’s a lot to show for eighty years.
In 1953, when Madame Alexander’s “Wendy” face was first introduced, she immediately became a sentimental favorite – not the least because she was named for Beatrice “Madame” Alexander Behrman’s own granddaughter Wendy. Fifty years and countless beautiful “Wendys” later, the doll is celebrating her own 50th birthday by receiving a facelift – Alexander-style. In honor of this special year, 80th Anniversary Wendy has a new face sculpt that restores her appealing features to more closely resemble the original “Wendy” face. A very limited edition of 1,500, this doubly-special doll, marks both her own half-century birthday and the Alexander Company’s 80th anniversary in a lovely pink taffeta dress with a boat neck edged with black picot trim and short puffed sleeves of ivory lace accented with a black velvet bow on each. The waist is banded with a broad black velvet ribbon sash and the full pink skirt that billows out below is covered with an overskirt of fine ivory lace with a scalloped hem. White, lace-trimmed ankle socks and black patent leather maryjanes are smart accompaniments to this very pretty outfit. The changes to Wendy’s sweet little face are subtle – her skin color is now much closer to the creamy tone of the original, the eye area is more subtly defined and her little upturned nose is not quite symmetrical. But despite these changes, Wendy’s innate charm remains intact. And speaking of charm, in honor of this 80th anniversary year, Madame Alexander is pairing Wendy with one - a petite goldtone looped doll charm that girls of all ages will love to wear its chain as a pendant or as a special addition to a charm bracelet.
Another hugely popular star in the Alexander cast of characters is the historic Cissy doll, Madame Alexander’s 21-inch haute couture doll and the very first in the doll industry to be both full-figured and to have arched feet to accommodate high heels. Originally created for little girls to play with, Cissy made her official debut in 1955 to widespread adulation, and today remains one of the most desired and collectible fashion dolls in existence. Elegantly coiffed and always wearing the height of couture fashion, Cissy even attracted the eye of the advertising world and was featured in ads for Yardley toiletries and cosmetics in magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal and McCall’s in 1956 and 1957. Cissy is more sought after today than ever, Madame Alexander thought it only fitting to create 80th Anniversary Cissy in tribute to the Company’s landmark anniversary – and only 200 of this exclusive limited edition will ever be produced. 80th Anniversary Cissy harks back to the days when Beatrice Behrman made her first Madame Alexander doll and is the very image of ‘Twenties speakeasy sophistication in a stunning coat and dress combination. For this outfit she pairs a black satin bustier with a pink taffeta skirt overlaid with black Venice lace. The skirt is a form-fitting sheath that flares dramatically below the knee, falling to the floor in a graceful flounce. Over this she wears a satin-lined pink herringbone coat with a wide shawl collar. The coat is cleverly cut to follow Cissy’s curves and has an asymmetrical hem that graduates in length from above the knee in fronts to sweep the floor behind. The coat secures with a single large silver button and the cuffs and hem are lavishly bordered with broad bands of black faux mink and black trim. The outfit is accessorized with chic black satin pumps with braided knot straps and suspended from her wrist by a ribbon loop is a terrific little reticule bag in the form of a woman in a strapless evening pink and black evening gown with a long black tassel swinging below. Around her neck a silver pendant hangs from strings of gunmetal and iridescent red beads and on her ears are matching silver drops. In the fashion of the day, Cissy’s long auburn hair is becomingly styled in fingerwaves that frame her face and a chignon covered by a fashionable beaded snood.
Cissette, the 10-inch version of the classic Cissy doll, was introduced by Madame Alexander in 1957 and is another popular Alexander personality. 80th Anniversary Cissette, a limited edition of only 800, is lovely in an Erté-inspired sleeveless rose pink taffeta dress with a fitted bodice fashioned from embroidered ribbon. The skirt is composed of two flounced tiers scattered with pale pink rhinestones and finished with a fine fringe hem. Rose taffeta pumps and a beaded black choker beautiful compliment the outfit, as does Cissette’s simple updo.
The Alexander Doll Company, a New York-based company, is now celebrating its 79th Anniversary, continuing the tradition, elegance and innovation of Madame Alexander® dolls with a full line of fine quality, handcrafted collectible dolls, baby dolls and play dolls. The company has created a series of "firsts" that have shaped the doll industry and has always been a pioneer of style and quality in this community.
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For More Information Contact: Jane Abrahams or Lisa Olsen, 212/283.5900
Alexander Doll Company, 615 West 131st Street, New York, New York 10027
Phone (212) 283-5900, Fax (212) 283-4901
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