Some dolls are created in a boardroom as a sales concept. Other dolls have their own personal history that truly distinguishes them from the rest. Fleur is the doll with history. She was produced for only a decade - 1978 to 1988 - and exported around Europe in small quantities. From an idea born out of passion to stupendous European success and a sudden end of production - here is Fleur's story.

The 1980s are hailed by many as the golden age of toys. According to popular opinion, it was Barbie's finest decade, and overall an era of unsurpassed creativity in the toy markets (for both boys and girls). Some of the classic 1980s toys are still produced today, while others fetch handsome sums on eBay, carried by powerful nostalgia. Fleur belongs firmly in the nostalgia category. A creation of that productive decade, she was designed in Holland, where she enjoyed huge popularity followed by a sudden disappearance. Her creators and makers - the Dutch company Otto Simon (est 1911 in Holland), part of Buhrmann Tetterode group (est 1963 in Holland) - still exist. Various people have contacted Otto Simon's offices to ask about Fleur, her history, designs, plans, catalogues, archives... anything at all. Apparently, nothing remains. Employees who worked on Fleur have long since retired or left the company. However, in 2014, Wim Remken (one of Fleur's creators) was happy to share his personal recollections of Fleur's history with me.

In the late 1970s, the British toy company Pedigree gave Otto Simon licence to sell their Sindy doll in Holland - a licence they then withdrew. Fleur was born out of Otto Simon’s disappointment and anger at this turn of events. They didn’t want to give up on dolls, so they decided to design their own doll with a new look and personality. They steered away from Barbie’s glam blueprint, and instead made Fleur look a bit like Sindy’s cousin, but with a more modern and European edge (see pic: Sindy is on the left, Fleur on the right). Fleur was to be innocent, wholesome and liked by moms.

For Fleur's outfits, the creative team at Otto Simon steered away from famous fashion designers. Instead, Wim Remken and his colleagues used Dutch women’s magazines like Libelle and Margriet as inspiration for Fleur’s clothing. Apparently, even their wives were drawn into helping with the fashion decisions and designs. As a result, Fleur’s clothes are very much a reflection of styles real women wore at the time. Wim Remken and other employees personally supervised the production process in Hong Kong. They created and decided on every detail of the doll. In 1978, Fleur finally made her first appearance. Over the next decade, she sold in millions of units with enduring popularity. 

Her original 1970s look - while certainly cute and full of personality - was a little strange. Her face was sweet with a slight smile, blue eyes and hair in three colours. Her body was oddly proportioned - hard plastic arms with very tiny hands, a short plastic torso with small pointy boobs, and unnaturally long legs of heavy vinyl (articulated at the knees and, for some dolls, at the ankles). Dressed, she looked great. Undressed, not so much (see pic on the left).

Fleur’s buyers had a choice of two dolls. The very first Fleur doll, sold in a slim, dark-green box with flowers, wore a simple outfit that brings to mind a country fair. She wore a head scarf, heavy black boots, and a pinafore dress in a variety of floral designs and colours. She didn’t even have a name - she was simply called Fleur. The second doll was much showier - Belle Fleur was sold in a larger, fancier box with a front flap featuring her portrait, and the famous slogan ‘you’ll love her’. Dressed in a brown gown and a matching big hat, she looked straight of a history book. Her outfit, despite being literally the second ever, is still easy to find today in great condition - proof of Otto Simon’s focus on quality from the very beginning. It might also be a hint of the large number of units produced for the launch of both dolls.

More dolls quickly followed, catering to things girls responded to well: Nurse, Flower, KLM stewardess, and of course - Disco. All these dolls had a choice of three hair colours (platinum blonde, strawberry blonde and brunette), and the aforementioned odd bodies.

By the early 1980s, Fleur’s popularity in Holland was already firmly established and Otto Simon was ready to introduce Fleur to other countries. But before exports began, the company gambled on a complete change of head mold and body design - with brilliant results. They created the Fleur we all love today - the look that endured for most of the 1980s (see pic of various 1980s Fleurs below). Her new face made her look even more like Sindy's European cousin. She also got a completely new body with better articulation - including a 'ballerina body' with bending ankles and elbows.

It’s obvious that much more creativity and careful planning went into this new phase of production and development, with specified themes for each release, further complemented by a huge collection of extras like boxed outfits, furniture and accessories. The dolls were now ballerinas, pop stars, college girls, brides and jockeys - everything little girls wanted to be.

Export began around 1983, and Fleur enjoyed her biggest success in Denmark, followed by Belgium, England and Germany. Smaller exports went to Norway, Sweden, Austria, Greece, France and even Australia. She even reached behind the Iron Curtain to Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and other then-Communist countries. In fact, outside of Holland, Fleur is most fondly remembered in those formerly Communist countries. She was a luxury toy very few families could afford, and therefore very desired by children (on par with Lego and Barbie).

Some of the most sought-after Fleur dolls from this early 1980s period include Miss World (sold exclusively at Speelboom, Dutch toy store and mail-order catalogue), Florida (a dark-tanned doll in pink beach gear), and Wedding (a bride in a stunning tiered dress). By her mid-1980s heyday in Holland, Fleur was outselling even Barbie.

One of the things that strongly distinguished Fleur from other dolls was the colour of her boxes.  Where Barbie was all bright pink, Fleur’s boxes were dark green with a sprinkle of green and yellow flowers. They must have looked stunning on the shelves. The dark green design endured from early to mid-1980s. In 1986, it was time to freshen up again. Fleur’s packaging became light green with smaller flowers. It was a brighter look, possibly aligned with the marketing mantra that an updated image keeps things fresh, interesting, and boosts sales.

Three earlier dolls were re-packaged and sold again in these new boxes: Jazzballet (renamed as Jazz Ballerina in 1986), Bride’s Happiness and Jogging. It’s possible these were bestselling dolls - we all know bride and dancer dolls are always a big hit with children. 

What happened next is a bit of a mystery. Around a year or two later (in 1987 or 1988), Fleur had another complete makeover - her face, hair, body, wardrobe and even furniture. For unknown reasons, Buhrmann Tetterode decided to outsource the toy design to England. This  resulted in a complete change of Fleur's image, much to the disappointment of Otto Simon’s employees, who warned the company bosses that this move would be a disaster. 

The New Look Fleur (nine new dolls with a new head mold, eyes look right instead of left, new bodies), flashy new outfits, plus completely new pink furniture were the result of the English collaboration. Otto Simon’s employees felt that this new Fleur did not have much in common with the doll they had personally and lovingly created. A decline in sales was noted almost immediately. 

At this time, Fleur gained her first and only boyfriend - something that, from a marketing point of view, could have been done much sooner. His name was Danny (see pic on right), and he suffered from the same syndrome as Sindy’s Paul - his head was much smaller than his girlfriend’s. This made them look comical together. Danny was introduced so late, no promo photos of him have ever been found. , We don’t know if he was sold in a variety of outfits and hair colours, or with any accessories. If he was introduced sooner, Fleur would have had someone to marry (she was a bride twice) and father her children (all the mystery Fleur babies - where did they come from?). Fleur and Danny had a very short relationship. 

There are dolls from this period that can never be identified. For example, in all the known New Look promo photos, all Fleurs have platinum blonde hair, bobbed or shoulder length. However, there are also Fleurs from that era with red hair, or with curly ponytails. Their identity might forever remain unknown. 

Fleur's new look didn’t quite catch on. At the same time as the decline in sales, Buhrmann Tetterode decided to concentrate on their core business (paper) and production of Fleur stopped suddenly. According to the Wikipedia page about Otto Simon, in 1989 the toy division was taken over by Intercontor AG, a German company. We don't know if these two events are related, but from a business perspective, it makes sense for a new owner to stop production of Fleur based on her low sales. It seems this decision was so abrupt, some of the dolls introduced in promo photos may have never been made - or made as prototypes only. This is the period of Fleur’s history we know the least about. 

Although Fleur’s presence in the toy market ended so abruptly, it has one advantage: it is actually possible to have a complete Fleur collection. It is still quite a lot to collect - Otto Simon's production was prolific and included furniture, outfits, animals and accessories. Still, it’s an attainable goal, unlike creating a complete Barbie collection, for example. Moreover, inconsistencies in Fleur’s production make it all the more interesting. There are outfit variants, or dolls with different accessories - like the Secretary Fleur doll, sold in three versions with a photocopier, computer or typewriter. 

Fleur has an undeniable place in the history of fashion dolls. And what’s not to love? She’s a real beauty, with her large blue eyes, smiley red lips and full cheeks. She’s graceful, playful and has an amazing wardrobe and accessories - a most charming doll in any collection.