Reproduction Francie Vintage 1967

As we all know, Barbie first debuted in 1959 and became an instant sensation. In the years that followed, more Mattel dolls joined her on shelves, including Francie in 1966. "The character of Francie was developed between 1966 and 1976," says Barbie Signature lead designer Bill Greening. "In 1967 and 1968, a dark skin tone option was available for Francie. This doll has historical significance because she was the first doll of color in the Barbie line."

She was also the first colored doll produced by Mattel, and 2022 marks the 55th anniversary of that momentous occasion. To celebrate this milestone, we are proud to present to you this vintage reproduction of a 1967 Francie doll with dark skin tone. She is a Gold Label and Mattel Creations Exclusive doll, available in store right now for $50, with a limit of three (3) dolls per person.

Francie paved the way for more dolls of color in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Christie, Julia and Brad. "Christie is Barbie's first black friend, designed and marketed as such throughout her entire career, from 1968 to 1998," Bill explains. "Julia was our first black celebrity doll, released in 1969, based on the TV show Julia. And Brad was Christie's boyfriend and Ken's friend, released in 1970."

If you have one of those original Francie dolls, you should consider yourself VERY lucky. They are extremely hard to find now and are highly prized by Barbie and Francie fans. For everyone else, this vintage reproduction doll presents a fantastic opportunity. Even Bill, an avid doll collector, is involved in this. "I know I'm excited to add this reproduction to my personal collection. I hope other collectors are too!"

Francie has always been the MODERN fashion model, with a wonderful sense of style. Our repro lives up to that modern and current story with her striking striped A-line dress with a hot pink ruffle and matching gloves. "The fashion she's wearing is called 'Floating In,' from the same time period that the doll would have originally been sold in," Bill reveals. (Avid collectors, that's #1207, in case you were wondering.) "It's a very fun fashion that evokes the 'mod' era of the 1960s."

The doll's body also has the same features as the original doll, including flexible "clicky" legs, a Twist n' Turn waist, rooted eyelashes, and a "Genuine Francie" doll tag. "I love her fun updo and her hot pink little kitten heels," Bill adds. "The color and style are from the 1960s. The package concept was designed by Sal Velazquez and uses mod graphics from the 1968 Barbie dollhouse."

To learn more about this, we contacted packaging designer Sal Velázquez. "Looking back to 1967, there was a lot of 'mod' inspired artwork on packaging at the time. I came across an image of a 1967 Barbie vinyl bag that was transformed into a house. I was very inspired by the work of art, and that's when the idea came up to create a 'house' inspired package for the new Francie doll, as an alternative concept to the traditional green striped package. Basically, I redrawn the different panels inspired by the old house and recreated a 'new' home for this Francie package concept."

Whether you're a vintage doll expert, a Francie fan, a color doll collector, or simply inspired by this moment in history, you'll love having this vintage 1967 Francie doll reproduction on display.

By Mattel Creations