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Now Playing:
"The Rain, The Park and
Other Things (The Flower Girl)"
by The Cowsills |
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1970's |
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RockFlowers |
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Return to
"Who's That Doll?"
Home Page |
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by Mattel |
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Click here to see the fashions! |
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When Topper's Dawn hit the toy shelves in 1970, Mattel had already had years of success with their Barbie. However, Barbie was going through an identity crisis as more and more little girls were realizing they didn't have to become simply wives and mothers anymore. While Mattel floundered, Topper Dawn dolls began outselling Barbie (their smaller size and smaller price being more appealing). Quickly, Mattel rallied and invented their own answer to the miniature fashion doll, the RockFlowers. The RockFlowers were hip, trendy, rock superstars, based on an actual "bubble-gum pop" group of the day. Their outfits were psychedelic tie-dye prints or fringed, faux-leather fashions.
The RockFlower bodies are fully articulated, being made of a rubbery material with an inner wire skeleton. Unfortunately, while the bodies could be posed any number of ways, the wires would eventually work their way to the surface and poke out through the hands, feet or shoulders. The rubbery material also tends to get dirty quickly and stain easily. They are difficult to keep clean. |
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The real Rock Flowers,
Debra Clinger, Rindy Dunn,
Ardie Tillman |
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Male body style |
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Female body style |
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The RockFlowers were originally produced as a group of three female dolls (the real RockFlowers was also a girl-group of three singers): blonde, blue-eyed Heather; red-haired, green-eyed Lilac; and African-American Rosemary with her sultry, dark-brown eyes. Later, a boyfriend, Doug, was introduced along with blue-eyed brunette Iris. Except for Doug, each RockFlower has rooted hair, but no rooted eyelashes. Cool pop sunglasses are permanently stitched to the sides of the head, allowing them to be dropped down over the eyes or pushed up to sit on top of the head. |
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Iris |
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Doug |
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Lilac |
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Rosemary |
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Heather |
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Originally, each RockFlower doll came with an actual 45 RPM record which would play on any standard record player. The songs were very typical bubble-gum pop music of the 70's about peace, love, harmony and friendship. One doll case came with a set of speakers and a microphone, and could be flipped over to form a stage from which the dolls could "perform". A set of RockFlower paper dolls was produced by Whitman through a licensing agreement with Mattel. |
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The RockFlowers had many fashions sold separately, though not nearly as many as Topper's Dawn. The RockFlower fashions were grouped in sets of three, and reflected the dual influences of mod-pop (with its wild, tie-dyed prints) versus the "pioneer" look of patchwork, psuedo-suede and fringed faux-leather. |
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Click here to see the fashions! |
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