Fleur- You'll Love Her!

Fleur - Hollands pride amongst fashiondolls and rightly so! I´ll tell you why I think so but also some facts I found out about Fleur.  This story will be about Sindy´s dutch cousin who came into the world, or at least Europe, in 1978.

For those of you who are new here-  great that you´ve found this place. For those of you who have returned, just as great that you are here again!

Back to Fleur, the main character in this story. Who is Fleur? Why is this doll worth a special section?  I´ll share what I´ve heard in this video along with footage of my own three Fleur dolls and also some real original box and catalog pictures 

The story of Fleur in will start with Barbie because it´s maybe relevant. 1959, United States Barbie was a new kind of fashion doll that made it big and she has remained in everyone's  consciousness ever since. Mattel knows how to do it! 

A few years later, in 1962, Tammy “The Doll you Love to  dress” was created by Ideal. Also in the USA. She had a completely different look than Barbie, a fashion doll that is more like the girl next door than a mannequin. In 1963, Sindy Pedigree was created. She gets to use many of Tammy’s features and also her slogan in another part of the world. 

Barbie had the US, Sindy had UK and now it´s 1978. Dutch toy manufacturer Otto Simon is getting ready to work with Pedigree to bring Sindy to Holland. Wait, Sindy? You might think. Yes, word has it that Fleur came out of a lost deal. That Fleur came about through this collaboration that for some reason did not go as planned. It didn’t work out. But the company didn’t give up! A doll in the same kind of style would still become reality. With big blue eyes with a side glance, rooted hair and lashes, a body in hard plastic and vinyl. Quality clothes that resembled real fashion clothes and also festive and sporty models were created. 

Here follows a cavalcade of dolls that are more or less common or unusual: 1978 First Fleur- The basic one and the luxury version, Belle Fleur.  Miss World is unusual and could only be ordered by mail and of course she is very wanted by collectors. Kitties Fleur, sitting in her box. This happened with two models, Kitties and Famous Fashion.  KLM, just as Otto Simon actually did the Martinair Sindy he also did a KLM stewardess with Fleur.

Fleur came in three main hair colors: brunette, blonde and red blonde. strawberry blonde you might say. 10 years of Fleur followed. 10 years in shops I mean. She is still here. She evolved and just like her British cousin, Sindy, she got a more flexible body over time. It's going like clockwork and Fleur was sold with fashion packs furniture and more all across Europe. 

What became Fleur's downfall is what often seems to happen. The production moved somewhere else. Without taking the original feeling with them? In 1988, for unknown reasons, the launch of Fleur goes back to the UK and as if it's the spirit of the times, she is transformed into a more pink glittery version, the magic is probably lost somewhere there?

Even now Fleur is still a prized doll among collectors and luckily the doll can still be found at affordable prices on auction sites, both in used and mint condition. As always with collectors items some more rare items are prizier of course. 

Thank you Otto Simon for Fleur. 

A special thanks to Agnes at fleurdolls.com who gave me permission to use material from the amazing site as a base of facts.