In Their Own Image : At $119, My Twinn dolls are each one of a kind . . . almost. They are crafted to match their owners’ hair, eye color and complexion.
Katie Wolf, 7, of West Hills is cradling her new doll. Like Katie, the doll has long blond hair, a freckled nose and deep blue eyes. Both doll and child sport white headband and pink tunics. Even their golden skin tones are identical.
“She’s my favorite doll,” Katie said, “because she looks like me.”
It’s no coincidence that the little girl and her doll are so alike. The doll was created especially for Katie by My Twinn, an Agoura-based company founded earlier this year by John Kudirka, 30, an emergency physician at Westlake Medical Center, and Lisa Driscoll, 26, a former account executive for a children’s entertainment company.
The two say they began making dolls that look like children as a way to improve youngsters’ self-esteem and confidence.
“I see kids in the emergency room who are strung out on drugs and alcohol,” Kudirka said. “One girl engraved ‘I hate myself’ in her leg. And kids who are scared bring their dolls or stuffed animals into the ER with them.”
A doll in a child’s likeness can help alleviate fear and self-destructive tendencies, Driscoll said. “When children care for and nurture something that is supposed to be them, they develop self-esteem and self-confidence because they are taking care of themselves.”
The 22-inch dolls are made of vinyl and cost $119 each. Their cute baby faces all come from the same mold, but each doll’s eyes, eyebrows, complexion and hair are carefully matched with the child’s. If the child wears glasses or earrings, so does the doll. If the child has freckles, the doll does, too. As a finishing touch, the child’s name is painted on the bottom of the doll’s right foot.
Dolls can be created in all skin tones, from very fair to rich, dark brown, and beginning next year, Asian dolls will be available, according to Driscoll.
Studio City clinical psychologist Thomas Glennon questions whether Driscoll’s and Kudirka’s claims of increased self-esteem will be borne out. “Kids will find the doll novel and fun, and the doll may give kids a temporary feeling of importance,” he said. “But I don’t think the toy would have a significant impact on self-esteem. Positive self-esteem is motivated by what is going on inside of the child. It is built on feeling valued--not on the nature of a toy.”
In fact, the dolls could even have a negative effect, cautions Van Nuys clinical psychologist Sondra Goldstein, who specializes in child and parent issues. “Healthy self-esteem grows out of nurturing and doing good for someone who is different from yourself,” she said. “This doll could encourage a narcissistic self-involvement and self-concern.”
Despite the skepticism on the part of professionals, the dolls seem to strike the fancy of children--and parents. With virtually no advertising, My Twinn received more than 400 orders during its first three months of business. While most dolls are ordered for young girls, several parents wanted dolls for little boys, a middle-age man bought a doll for his 23-year-old girlfriend and one woman ordered a doll to match a baby picture of her son--who is now 35.
Dorothy Tiberio of Westlake Village, who purchased a doll for her daughter’s sixth birthday, thinks the look-alike playthings are a great idea.
“Sara is a ham, and she really liked the idea of someone fashioning a doll after her,” she said. “Kids like to be the center of attention--and a little more attention can’t hurt.”
Even the doll’s three-figure price tag didn’t daunt Tiberio.
“How often do you turn 6?” she said with a shrug, as Sara danced across the room, showering her green-eyed, brunette doll (named Baby Sara) with kisses. “This is a handmade doll that Sara will keep. She treasures it as much as a 6-year-old can treasure something.”
WHERE TO GO What: My Twinn dolls. Price: $119 plus shipping. Call: (800) 4MY-TWINN.
