The live article from the New York Times was too varied to reproduce here so I have included the link to the unlocked offering from the paper. It is very enjoyable!
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of American Girl, a beloved doll brand that is equally invested in girlhood friendships and the domestic hardships of World War II, the toymaker Mattel announced a new line of redesigned dolls from its historical collection. What immediately jumped out at fans about its new Modern Era collection, aside from the characters’ Gen Z-inspired fashion sense, was that the dolls now appeared skinnier.
Of course, the backlash on social media was swift; in the replies to an Instagram post unveiling the new line, Ozempic jokes abounded.
Sophia Elizalde, a 20-year-old cosmetology student in Provo, Utah, said she loved the four American Girl dolls she owned as a child. “They had those little cloth bodies and they resembled little girls,” she said. “I didn’t look at them and see a skinny Barbie doll.”
The new Modern Era collection, unveiled on Feb. 11, plucks the first six American Girl characters from their historical contexts and imagines how they might look and dress if they lived in our world today.
For the 40th-anniversary transformation, Kirsten Larson, a Swedish immigrant in the 1850s, had her braided tresses pinned into space buns and saw her classic blue calico dress swapped for a fitted, over-the-knee frock with ruffles.
The Addy Walker character, who escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad, was now wearing her hair in long twists with slicked-down baby hairs, instead of her classic straw bonnet.
Since the 1980s, the American Girl brand has held a special place in the hearts of not only those of doll-playing age, but also adults who have grown up with the characters and maintain an abiding fondness for them.
So how can a self-described “multigenerational” brand remain committed to its traditional ethos that satisfies older fans, while also tapping into the trends and culture of its new ones?
“We want to spend the year honoring the legacy of the brand and the ongoing legacy of our characters because that’s what first ignited consumer passion,” Jamie Cygielman, the global head of dolls at Mattel, said in a phone interview. “And so Modern Era is a creative extension, really meant to celebrate the original historical characters in a different form.”
According to Ms. Cygielman, the new dolls weren’t redesigned to look thinner or to resemble teenagers. Unlike the original dolls, which were 18 inches tall, the updated dolls are 14½ inches, an established size that has existed in other American Girl product lines. The primary reason for the change of size and weight was for “ease of play” for younger consumers, she said.
“We are still deeply committed to the original 18-inch dolls and their stories,” Ms. Cygielman said, adding that American Girl would continue to sell “reissues of the original dolls, but also tell some new stories too.”
One American Girl fan, Emily Marks, 31, said she thought the new dolls were cute and was excited for this new collection.
“They still look like kids to me,” said Ms. Marks, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., and owned an American Girl doll as a child. “I like that it’s an entry of more interest into the historical dolls.”
Still, some fans claim that the style and beauty alterations gives the dolls a mature appearance, unlike the modest and historically accurate clothing they traditionally wore.
“I feel that the heads on these new ones look a lot bigger compared to the body,” said Adriana Ryan of Blackwood, N.J., 32, a recreation director at an assisted-living community, who also grew up playing with the historical dolls. “They’re almost very cartoonish-looking to me.”
“Maybe the dolls might appeal to kids today, but I think it’s definitely missing the historical appeal,” she added.
A former children’s textbook writer named Pleasant Rowland debuted the first three American Girl dolls in 1986, with characters from different historical periods and accompanying books for each telling their story. Mattel acquired her company in 1998 and, since then, has released a number of new products, books and doll lines.
Ms. Cygielman said when she joined the company in 2019, American Girl was finding that most of its adult consumer interests revolved around the original characters, but that younger consumers were gravitating toward the contemporary collections.
“I think the opportunity has been for us to merge history and modernity and get kids interested in storytelling and talking about the past,” Ms. Cygielman said.
Emily Kokidko, 28, who started the Instagram account @ModernAmericanGirlDolls, creates parody memes of different American Girl characters, including one who is obsessed with her air fryer and another who enjoys bagged salads and shopping at TJ Maxx. Ms. Kokidko says she believes her content is popular because of the universal nostalgia surrounding the brand.
“To see them in a new light, as maybe around their age, is fun for them,” she said. When she saw the announcement of the Modern Era collection, Ms. Kokidko said she was “excited at first.”
“And then when I saw the dolls themselves, I was kind of taken aback,” she said. “I was like, Wow, they are kind of skinny.”
From the promotional advertisement:
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN THROUGH 3/24/2026 ONLY
SCROLL DOWN TO REGISTER NOW!
Join the W Club for 2026 and be part of the premier doll club and collector community on the planet- now in its 21st year!
The W Club is the one and only Official Collectors' Club for Integrity Toys, covering all their hottest brands including Poppy Parker®, Fashion Royalty®, NU. Face™, NU. Fantasy™, East 59th®, The Monarchs: Homme™, Meteor™, Tulabelle True & Co.™ and much more!
Registration is only open once a year, so make sure to register by 9 PM ET on Tuesday, March 24th! You definitely won’t want to miss out!
VALUABLE CLUB PERKS
A base membership (one time $50 fee) covers all of these perks and more for the 2026 membership year:
Please see our registration video or contact us if you have any questions.
In addition to the first-to-know information, members-only forum, online chats, priority customer service and special events, W Club members will receive the following opportunities:
*THIS IS FOR MOST, NOT ALL of the items. There may be some items excepted, including but not limited to collaboration projects or sales outside of Integrity’s control, such as through dealers.
**If there are any limited attendance events, priority access does not guarantee every W Club member a spot. Some spots may be held for the public or other purposes. Access to any online events does not guarantee access to event-specific products offered.
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As noted above, you can pay to enhance each membership with one, two or all three of these beautiful dolls!
The Registration Exclusive dolls are $175 for each doll above the price of the base membership. Only $30 per doll is due now and the rest will be due at shipping*.
*Taxes, tariffs and shipping are extra. Estimated tariff/custom fee surcharge, if in place (portion passed on to customers; see the FAQ page for more info): $7.50 for each Poppy Parker doll and $10 for each Nadja Rhymes doll and each Vanessa Perrin doll.
{Why is the tariff lower for Poppy Parker dolls?} |
| Poppy Parker® Dressed Doll The Poppy Parker® London Look Collection |
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| Sakura Season Nadja Rhymes™ Dressed Doll The NU. Face™ Collection |
___________________________________________
The above is a brief version of the 'invitation.'
___________________________________________
I have been a member of the W Club since its inception. It was a lot of fun the first few years as we would meet in Manhattan at FAO for a reception and see new dolls. Two years in a row, there was a snowstorm that began while we were in the store in the evening. That wasn't as much fun but we survived.
The chat board has changed a great deal and it's much bigger with better oversight. The liaisons answer questions very quickly. One still runs into the attention whores who have to comment on everything. Best to ignore them. They've been on for a long time and nothing changes. The craziest thing to happen was when a Nazi lover doll collector from Finland insisted that it was OK to post dolls in Nazi uniforms! Seriously. I wondered if she knew the Germans lost the war. No, I never saved any of her photos.
The Club is still the same $50. We used to get a $20 coupon per membership and a few dealers would provide certain perks to members. Those days are gone.
Prices of the dolls seem very high. Even Barbie dolls are priced ridiculously high. If you don't like the price, don't spend the money. It's a business for Integrity Toys. Businesses must make a profit or what's the point?
I don't buy many IT dolls any longer. If you have been following my posts on Facebook you know that about 10 years ago, I became involved with Kingdom Dolls. If you buy 6 Integrity Toys' Dolls now, you are spending just more than the same amount of money as for one basic Kingdom Doll!
Have fun. Play dolls.
Terri
This is it. No more Lucy unless they sell a cool fashion pack.
She's cute and she can wear Integrity Toys' fashions but I'm not convinced about the shoes.
Here is my second and last Defa Lucy. I say last because the quality of these dolls is inferior to my other 12" fashion dolls. This is unfortunate but they are priced 50% less so I don't expect much. However, the clothes are another story. They're very cute and nicely designed.
I never planned to start another collection and I like the two I have now. Apparently there are a total of 13 different dolls. Series 1 started out priced at $65. and $75. Series 2 are priced at $85 and $95. I suppose as they get more and more popular, the price will keep going up.
I'm very curious if their heads would fit onto Fashion Royalty bodies. I have several brand new bodies. I also have a very dark skinned FR who I don't particularly care for. I'd love to switch heads with my .02 Paris Model.
This is Series 2 PARIS Model No. 04. She was $95.
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| The boxes hold a handbag, extra hands, shoes and socks. |
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| I like how the clothing and accessory layer was on top of the doll layer. Nice packaging. |
I like the clothing that they have offered but everything is sold out. I did manage to get a pair of white pants, a striped long-sleeved T and faux leather shorts.
Here is PARIS .02
When I saw this photo I had to check to make sure I was not on the Mattel website. I could not believe my eyes. I agree with many W Club members that it is a good looking doll but Triton looks like a boy of 12 years old.
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| I like the human outfit he comes with. What do you think is in his carry bag? His tail? |
I prefer my Mermen to look like men rather than children.
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| He'll do very well, thank you. |
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| This one seems like the right age for Integrity Dolls. |
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| Cage is a little depressed-looking but the other fish flock to him. |
The designer, Jessy, had so many choices in the face department and he came up with a sweet, young thing. Why?
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| Why didn't he hide his carry bag on shore? Perhaps there's an underwater mall to which you have to bring your own bag. |
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| Seriously? This is a child. |
MSRP: $225 + S & H
Special W Club Price: $199 + S & H
Tariff Surcharge (Portion passed on to customers; estimated based on 20% at time of receipt, subject to below)*: $10
Sales method: These fashion figures are guaranteed made-to-order for 2025 W Club members only- 1 per membership.
Item # 75035
Triton
Thiago Valente™ Gift Set
The NU. Fantasy™ Collection
2025 W Club Exclusive Fashion Figure
Edition Size: TBD
Expected Ship Date: Summer 2026
Head Sculpt: Thiago
Body Type: FR Homme 1.5
Foot Sculpt: Articulated Ankle
Skin Tone: Light Honey
Hair Color: Light Sandy Brunette With Lagoon Blue & Seaweed Green Streaks + Sandy Flocking
Eyelashes: No
I received the Constellation Anais Perrin Doll by Jason Wu a few days ago. Integrity is very fast with shipping when a doll is in stock! It came two days after payment. Of course, I'm only one state north of them but still, they sent it out quickly.
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| Normally called a shipper box, this was inside of another box. That is a whole lot of packaging! |
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| First view |
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Without removing Anais, I was able to turn her head forward for the photo. I like her sculpt. I also liked it when it was on an Avantguard doll. See below. |
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| Avantguard Goldmine |
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| This is the contents of the small Jason Wu Collection box that rests on her inside the larger white box. Black (elastic ankle) strappy shoes, extra grabbing hands, a black clutch purse and pretty dangly small pearl earrings. I'm keeping her boxed for now as I do not have room to display her well enough. Here are a few promotional photos which are better than mine as they show the entire contents including the stylish black coat.    |
