Apne Dolls was an independent doll line from the United Kingdom. Only one doll was released, Bhabi-ji Satty. The doll was first available in 2019 and their website was taken down in 2021.
Satty doll has a rotatable head/neck, elbow, shoulder, hip and knee joints enabling children with maximum imaginary play options making clothing removal and dressing easier. She has black long hair to the waist. Doll comes with a detachable necklace, undetachable earrings, undetachable tikha (forehead jewelled piece) and undetachable Choora (Wedding bangles). She wears a head scarf separate from her over the shoulder scarf, a choli that attaches by velcro at the back (midriff top), an elasticated lower lengha skirt easily slides off and back on. The doll also comes with red and gold heeled shoes.
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Taken from the Punjabi word meaning ‘our’, Apne Dolls are ‘our dolls’, a range of fashion dolls designed for second, third and fourth generation British Indians living in the UK, and is the culmination of years of pondering on the point, ‘where are the dolls to reflect this heritage?’, from the creators at Apne Dolls.
Being from Sikh backgrounds, the Apne Dolls team had spent years researching the dolls market, yet finding nothing accessible, or as attractive as other fashion dolls on shelves across the country. It was then that the team took it upon itself to create the dolls they wanted to see on shelves, themselves.
The process has developed since October 2017 and, while Apne Dolls will admit that navigating the toy industry has “all been a steep learning curve,” the success it has achieved in “such a short space of time has been nothing short of remarkable.”
Today, Apne Dolls now introduces its Bhabi-ji Satty, known as Satty, the first doll in the Apne Dolls production line, as she arrives in full traditional Indian wedding dress emblazoned in vibrant red and gold. Satty stands at 11 inches tall and arrives in window box. Her name derives from the Punjabi for Sister-in-Law, for the family she intends to be wed into in a nod to the Sikh cultural customs and traditions.
Giving this fashion doll an educational slant, Satty the doll comes with an A6-sized story book, written by the Apne Dolls team in English throughout.
“This was completely created by me at home with the aim of making it something my seven-year-old daughter would enjoy reading,” Apne Dolls creator, Narinder tells ToyNews.
“I illustrated the book myself, while the cover features a drawing by my seven-yearold, which I have ensured is used centre stage. The illustrations that followed all stem from the original cover drawing.”
The book offers readers a number of chances to try and sound out the Punjabi words for numbers, days of the week etc… offering the element of learning and engagment with the Punjabi language.
“There are also pages designed to encourage the young reader to develop their own ideas for story writing and create their own illustrations along the way,” added Narinder.
The doll has been tested to trade standards for both CE/EN71 & ASTM F963 and retails at £27.99. Apne Dolls is including free UK postage and packaging for orders and is urging retailers to get in touch.
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