Daisy Doll & the big 5-0!

Born on January 14th 1973, the iconic Daisy doll by Mary Quant was much smaller than her British friend Sindy, standing at a petite 23 centimetres (9 inches) tall But, what made Daisy 'stand out' was her high-fashion clothes that were designed by the late Quant herself – often mini replicas from her main line There were hundreds of different cuttingedge 1970s designs - many with distinctive patterns including graphic shapes, flowers, stripes and polka dots Lots of fashionable materials were also used including satin, stretch jersey, 'fun fur', PVC and denim. Marketed as 'The Best Dressed Doll in the World', Daisy also reflected the more playful side of the Quant brand - the clothes had irreverent names like 'Cucumber Sandwich', 'Angel Delight', 'Bees Knees' and 'Swizzle' Footwear included platform clogs and sandals in every colour, and go-go boots with the Quant daisy on the side Daisy, like Sindy also had an extensive range of furniture, accessories, and pets >>

Daisy was manufactured in the 1970 Hong Kong by Model Toys Ltd, i connection with Flair Toys Ltd. They out of business in 1980, but Dais continued to be manufactured until

1973-2023

here was also a range of pressr dolls published by Collins. The were called 'Daisy's Fashion obe' They contained two paper nd their outfits, and a story (by iana Cooper) with pictures that could be coloured in.

There were four to collect: No. 1 'Happy Day' - wedding dress cover

No. 2 'Peppermint Rock' - a 1970s hotpants outfit cover

No 3 'Singing in the Rain'red PVC raincoat cover

No. 4 'Hollywood' - red dress and white fur coat cover fashion booklet was issued most years to showcase any aisy dolls and of course her latest designer fashions Each heme and took the reader on a journey in Daisy's busy life. rst fashion book was in 1973, and was called 'My Fashion d shared Daisy's year and the outfits she wore each month ous occasions 'My Round the World Holiday', came out the following year and showed Daisy travelling the world, showing off more wonderful outfits designed by Mary Quant

Later issues included: 'My Exciting Life as a Reporter' (1975); 'I'm Having Fun as a Travel Courier' (1976); 'All about my Gift shop' (1976); and My Glamorous Life as a Ballerina' (1977) Later fashions were named 'The Optimum' and 'Flair' ranges, afgter the booklets.

Booklets

Daisy drawings:

The bold, contemporary Daisy illustrations were by Joan Corlass (retouched by Ralph Cade) and reflected the popular cartoon style of the time - think Roobarb & Custard and The Yellow Submarine.

Pets

Daisy could zip round the city with her own bike compete with saddle bag, or 'Daisy mobile', rather like the 'Myst Machine' in Scooby-Doo. Later on, she scooter which ran on battery powe pets included a Dalmatian called nd a black Labrador retriever. Like dy, she had a horse, he is called he can be found in three colours: e with black spots, brown and a palomino. so got her own house, a fold-up country cottage with divided by a split-level floor for the bedroom area, and roof, printed inside with windows and wallpaper and with stone walls, windows and greenery It came with stickers for the owner to decorate further e included a round 1970s-style white kitchen table and th pedestal bases which were based on the Tulip chair h designer Eero Saarinen, it came with a complete set of crockery and cutlery, plus a bowl of flowers, napkins and two paper table cloths

Daisy also had a kitchen sink with orange doors a 'tiled' white back splash and hot water boiler, a stove, again white with orange bottom drawer and set of pans.

DAISY'S PAD

For Daisy’s bedroom there is a 'Victorian' range of furniture: a bed made of brass look plastic with two sheets, a pillow and eiderdown in white nylon with pink roses print, a dressing table with swivel mirror and working (battery) oil lamp, and a wardrobe These items were originally in brown plastic to represent wood, and then went on to be manufactured in a rich green, the doors of the wardrobe were papered in a tiny flower print.

The range also included a light pink chaise longue, a chevral dressing mirror and bentwood-style coat and hat stand, a Chesterfield-style arm chair with pedestal side table and an oil lamp re 6 dolls under the Daisy brand. Firstly there was ferent versions of Daisy: ‘Dizzy Daisy’ (has a stiff unbendable legs. Arms and legs swinging up and m the hips and shoulders), a basic bodied version bendable legs, as well as the swive , and an active version called ‘Das dable body) Her hair colour ranged shades of blonde to brunette and

Doll Versions

Other dolls that were manufactured from the same m included: 'Havoc, Super Agent' released in 1976 On backside of the Havoc adventure outfit packs, there is a story Daisy also got a best friend, 'Amy', she was only av by redeeming daisy tokens from Daisy packages

In 1978 Daisy Long Legs was issued by Flair Toys She larger version of Daisy measuring about 15 inch (38 cm) holding her by the hand she could be made to walk and

More Daisy Dolls

MARY QUANT 1930-2023

Dame Barbara Mary Quant was born in Blackheath, London in February 1930, she was a British fashion designer and fashion icon. Self-taught, she was inspired by the culture-forward London "Chelsea Set" of artists and socialites In the early sixties she sold her designsthat were riskier than standard styles of the time - in her boutique Bazaar on the Kings Road It was a special environment that included music, drinks, and long hours that appealed to the young adults in the Swinging Sixties

She played a prominent role in the Mod and 'Youthquake' movement and was one of the designers who took credit for designing the miniskirt and hotpants She was also synonymous with the Vidal Sassoon “five point” haircut –defined by short hair at the nape of the neck and a gradual lengthening towards the face, alongside blunt, easilyswingable ends She died at the age of 83 on April 13th in Surrey