History

Traditionally, African dolls were carved out of wood or made out of fabric offcuts. This plastic doll, known as Clonette, was born during the colonial era and was made in Ghana. It was the first mass-produced doll in Africa and it still can be found on markets nowadays.

Ironically, this doll looks nothing like African. (On a side note, many of us grew up with Barbie and... ahem... we don't exactly look like Barbie.) The Clonette doll has been quite popular in France for a few years since she started appearing in design shops. I guess her retro style speaks to all of us: she's a sweet reminder of our lost childhood. 


I found Ada in a tiny shop in Bordeaux, France in November 2008. I immediately thought of what I had just read in The Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel, asked a few friends to play along and she's been globetrotting ever since. 

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