Do you remember the Kenya doll from the 1990s by Tyco? I do. Kenya was made in three African American skin tones: light, medium, and dark. Included with the doll were hair-styling accessories and a magic lotion to "straighten" the doll's hair.
My daughter owned the first Kenya. In the late-1990s/2000 Daughter agreed to sell her doll to someone online who contacted me for help in locating one. That was an easy $35 plus shipping for her.
In 2003, Kenya was re-released by Uneeda. The doll was identical to the first version in concept and accessories. I purchased the darkest complexion version from Wal-Mart (shown above) for myself.
According to a Huffington Post article, the third time may be a charm for this "Growing Up Proud" doll line. In addition to the original Kenya with three complexions, the new company, Kenya's World, LLC, plans to include cloth dolls for infants in three complexions as well as fashion dolls for tweens.
Read the article, view the gallery of soon-to-be released dolls as well as dolls from the past, and watch the video here.
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My daughter owned the first Kenya. In the late-1990s/2000 Daughter agreed to sell her doll to someone online who contacted me for help in locating one. That was an easy $35 plus shipping for her.
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| Kenya Growing Up Proud! by Uneeda, 2003 |
According to a Huffington Post article, the third time may be a charm for this "Growing Up Proud" doll line. In addition to the original Kenya with three complexions, the new company, Kenya's World, LLC, plans to include cloth dolls for infants in three complexions as well as fashion dolls for tweens.
Read the article, view the gallery of soon-to-be released dolls as well as dolls from the past, and watch the video here.
dbg
Follow my Dolls for Sale blog
Please visit and "Like" The Doll Blogs: When Dolls Speak I Listen
Cool! I remember the Kenya doll. I am happy that they are bringing her back back.
ReplyDeleteI remember the Kenya doll, too. I don't own one. Nice to see she is making a return.
ReplyDeleteGG, Vanessa - It's good Kenya is returning to the playline. I am looking forward to seeing better images of the 1:6 scale Kenya and friends shown in the article's gallery link.
ReplyDeletedbg
My first time seeing a doll that comes with a relaxer. Did your daughter ever use the "magic lotion?" What is it made of?
ReplyDeleteHello from Spain: I had not seen before in Kenya. I'm happy to its reissue. . Keep in touch
ReplyDeleteHi Muff,
ReplyDeleteThe So In Style Stylin' Hair dolls came with a solution to create curly styles for the dolls' already straight hair. The Locks of Looks SIS dolls also came with a styling solution by Bronner Brothers.
Magic Curl Barbie from 1981 came with a solution that was supposed to curl and straighten the doll's hair.
I asked my daughter this morning if she used Kenya's "magic lotion," which was by Proline. Her answer was, "Yes." She added (after I mentioned her Magic Curl Barbie), "That stuff didn't work. Once the doll's hair was curly, it stayed curly."
I am not sure what Kenya's styling solution is made of, but the first version was made by Proline. When I purchased Kenya for my daughter and the reproduced version for myself, I was more enthused about the complexion choices.
BTW, Kenya and Mattel's Shani line were released around the same time (1991). Shani is Mattel's first line of AA dolls with three complexion choices.
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Hi Marta,
I am happy (for little girls) about Kenya's reissue, too. The Kenya fashion dolls are of more interest to me.
dbg
It is great that she will be reissued.i hope they will make the fashion dolls as well. I remember that Kenya's sister Simone was 11.5".
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember Simone MDW. I had the three complexions of Simone along with the three complexion versions of Kenya's Little Cousin. Unfortunately, I sold all Simones and all except the darkest Little Cousin.
DeleteCheck out today's blog for a link to the 11-1/2 (playscale) Fashion Madness Kenya Dolls scheduled to be released with the new line. I am very excited about these.
dbg
But Thats not the real Kenya doll bring the real one back the one from the 90s.
ReplyDeleteThe classic Kenya is scheduled for re-release along with the new additions (the fashion dolls). Versions of Classic Kenya can be viewed here
Deletehttp://www.kenyasworld.com/catalog/
dbg
The dolls are beautiful BUT the hair is a loaded diaper. lol It smells like they dipped it and saturated and baked it in hair spray or products that make hair shine. These dolls will not work for the chemically sensitive. had to return mine. Chemicals are linked to illness. hello! I have bought tons of dolls and never had a dolls hair smell like chemicals. I suppose the purpose is to make the hair look shiny to sell it. Hello... natural hair is not shiny. can u just accept our hair for what it is...dry, kinky, and in need of TLC. I washed the dolls hair two times and it re-moisturized and smelled of the hair chemicals all over again when i got up the next day. This doll will not make it to my collection. i will continue converting barbie dolls to natural hair with pipe cleaners. Just keeping real..
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you were not able to keep your Kenya doll due to the "chemical" smell of the hair. I have all of the Fashion Madness girls and have deboxed most of them. I have not experienced any chemical smells nor have I heard anyone else complain about the smell of the hair. I wonder if your doll was an isolated case.
Deletedbg
My mom purchased the lightest one for me. Not because I am that light, but because she thought it would be goo to teach me that black people have all sorts of skin tones and hair colors. (I have a bunch of other medium to dark-skinned dolls)
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful that your mother wanted to diversify your black dolls. The Keisha line was one of the first to create black dolls in light, medium, and dark complexions.
ReplyDeletedbg