Lammily was designed by graphic artist Nickolay Lamm, and the reason that she has captured such widespread attention is that she was designed to have the body proportions of a typical American teenager. Unlike Barbie (and most other 12-inch fashion dolls) Lammily does not have an impossibly tiny waist, large chest, oversized head or spindly legs. Mr. Lamm used body measurements published by the Center for Disease Control to ensure that his doll would not only be realistic...but would be average. The word "average" does not tend to conjure visions of loveliness, but Mr. Lamm challenged this preconception and branded his doll with the inspiring logo, "Average is Beautiful."
I pre-ordered two Lammily dolls immediately after reading the article in The Atlantic (the dolls are $25 each). This is exactly the kind of crowd-funded, vision-driven project that I love to see in the doll world. I was inherently enthusiastic about the Lammily concept, but an email I received from Nickolay Lamm last May added to my excitement. Mr. Lamm wrote seeking some advice about the doll's articulation--and you guys can probably guess that I, uh, had a fair amount to say on that subject. Conversations back and forth with Mr. Lamm over the past few months have given me a fascinating glimpse into the creative process behind this unique new doll. I have been on pins and needles to see how all of Mr. Lamm's ideas came together in the debut doll, and am beyond excited to share my initial impressions with all of you:
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| The Lammily doll makes her entrance. |
