SHORT FACTS
Name: Rachel Godfroy
Age: 46
Lives in: Cambridge, UK
Occupation: Toy designer https://www.rachelgodfroy.com/
Known for: Being part of the KK design team for the new Sindy dolls
Favourite Sindy: Shaping Up and Star Dance Sindy
Questions and Answers
1) Q: How did you first discover Sindy? A: I received my first Sindy doll when I was five, a ballerina Sindy with blonde hair and a pink tutu. I was in love from then on!
2) Q: How old were you when you got your first Sindy? A: Five.
3) Q: What model was your first Sindy? A: Active Sindy ballerina.
4) Q: What kind of Sindy/Sindy item did you dream about as a kid? A: I wanted everything! The kitchen, the tiny accessories, the beauty salon, all of the outfits…
5) Q: What kind of Sindy/Sindy item do you dream about now? A: I dream about giving Sindy a whole world just like I dreamed about when I was a child. I want to be able to create Sindy to be as ethnically diverse as possible with countless different play items. I would love for her to have a modern house, a car, a plane, more stores and a lot of different outfits in the future! I would also love to introduce a boy Sindy doll one day. Not Sindy’s boyfriend, but a boy doll that would stand on his own with his own fashions and interests.
6) Q: What led you into your Sindy career you have today? A: I graduated with a fashion degree at university but wanted to do something more with it. I never fell out of love with Sindy and thought that if I could combine my love of fashion and my favourite doll maybe I could forge a career somehow!
7) Q: Can you mention three people you think helped you there? A: Firstly my mum who supported me even though doll collecting wasn’t a thing at the time. She is a dolly person herself and was always enthusiastic about my creativity and what I wanted to do. I started my freelance career at home in my twenties and my mum was always there to help me, even if it was a cup of tea at midnight when I was sewing or listening to my presentations for practise. She is still such a huge support to me today! Secondly would be a designer called Kirstin Knox. She worked on Sindy in the Hasbro days and looked after me when I first started at Vivid. She taught me so much about the toy industry and how to design for Sindy, I owe her so much! And thirdly Jerry Reynolds (owner of Sindy) who was always pushing me to come up with new ideas! His enthusiasm for Sindy and how he trusted me to work on all kinds of projects, I will always be grateful to him. But most importantly he introduced me to my fourth person who helped me, Linda Osborne CEO of Kid Kreations, without her Sindy would not be where she is today! I have Linda to thank more than anyone!
8) Q: Do you have a special goal for your Sindy work? A: Absolutely. I always try to design everything as if I were a child again, and think what would I get out of playing with Sindy and what would make me want to play with her more? I really want kids to feel the same way about Sindy as I did when I was a child, and I think about this every day when I’m working on Sindy.
9) Q: Can you mention three people you think of as doll influensers? A: I don’t have much time for Instagram as I’m always working, but there is one guy who has an account called Barbination which I absolutely love! He recently reviewed Sindy and compared her to Japan’s Takara Licca Chan dolls which I think is a huge compliment!
10) Q: What do you love/like/appreciate about Sindy? A: I absolutely love that Sindy is such a wholesome doll. There is nothing inappropriate or sexualised about her which is a refreshing change from other dolls out there on the market today. Her world is limitless, creative, innocent and fun. I think this is so important in today’s world as social media is making children grow up faster than ever before. Sindy has always been a brand that celebrates childhood and gives children a space to grow up at their own pace. Sindy was my best friend throughout my childhood and I hope that she will become a very much loved doll for generations to come.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with us? A: I am so thrilled that the play range is continuing and it has been incredible to see the reaction to the new dolls. We have had so many wonderful emails and messages of thanks from parents and doll collectors, it’s been quite overwhelming! I often think of everyone as I sit at my desk thinking up something new for Sindy. I am so very lucky to be in this position and I will always be forever grateful to Linda and the Kid Kreations team for bringing me onboard this wonderful journey, I still have to pinch myself when I sit down at my desk every morning!
The photos down below are Rachel’s own, taken during the design process working on Kid Kreations Sindy Collectors Range, that was released in November 2020. Click on the image to enlarge it.
The Little Sindy Museum is so proud and thankful to Rachel who choose TLSM to be the first site to show these rare and exclusive photos of how the prototypes was created!
TLSM has all the new dolls! Click here to see the Collectors Range and here to see the Play Range dolls.
Kid Kreations and Rachel has done an amazing job to create these lovely new Sindy dolls that look so much like the Sindy dolls we loved back in the days! And now, with the new Play Range dolls, kids of today will have the same joy and hours of play and imagination with their new favourite friend: Sindy!
THANK YOU Rachel for your amazing work and for taking the time to answer all the questions!
December 2021