Stardoll
Encyclopedia
Stardoll is a browser game for girls and boys based around the paper doll
concept. Launched in 2004, the website was attracting a reported 200 thousand unique users a month (as of September 2009); as of September 2011 there were over 124 million users worldwide. Users can dress up dolls using a range of tools and can participate in interactive activities depending on the type of account they used. There are also "educational" games included in the site which are claimed to improve quick thinking.
Members can create clubs,In which they communicate with friends.
retired housekeeper
) grew from its original home on Geocities
. It expanded in 2006 after receiving venture funding from Index Ventures
and Sequoia Capital
. Relaunched in 2006, the site targets a demographic of girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 17, who can either register for free or sign up for a paid account (called a 'Superstar' account) that opens a number of aspects on the site. The site also has user-run fashion magazines, clubs, instant messaging, and virtual shopping. Each Stardoll member is supplied with a personal page and message one another via a built-in chat. The site has drawn interest from celebrities and fashion designers, some of whom are represented on the site either as one of the figures that can be dressed up (such as Avril Lavigne
and Hilary Duff
) or through use of their respective fashions labels. It has been named a Webware 100 winner by CNET.
Some critics of Stardoll and similar sites have expressed concerns with the commercial aspect of Stardoll. The site has also experienced controversy around their use of celebrity likenesses without permission from the celebrities' management.
Stardoll also makes one-off stores for various promotions like movies, TV shows, stores etc. and also makes 'Hot Buys' which are new items are released for a certain period of time. A new range of items is announced each month, and these items are often inspired by real life brands like Topshop
, Forever 21
and H&M
among other brands that include designer brands.
(List in order of shop release)
Paper doll
Paper dolls are figures cut out of paper, with separate clothes that are usually held onto the dolls by folding tabs. They have been inexpensive children's toys for almost two hundred years. Today, many artists are turning paper dolls into an art form....
concept. Launched in 2004, the website was attracting a reported 200 thousand unique users a month (as of September 2009); as of September 2011 there were over 124 million users worldwide. Users can dress up dolls using a range of tools and can participate in interactive activities depending on the type of account they used. There are also "educational" games included in the site which are claimed to improve quick thinking.
Members can create clubs,In which they communicate with friends.
History
Stardoll first appeared as Paperdoll Heaven in 2004 as the personal page on paper dolls of creator Liisa Wrang (a 57-year-old FinnishFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
retired housekeeper
Housekeeper (servant)
A housekeeper is an individual responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the interior of a residence, including direction of subordinate maids...
) grew from its original home on Geocities
GeoCities
Yahoo! GeoCities is a web hosting service, currently available only in Japan.GeoCities was originally founded by David Bohnett and John Rezner in late 1994 as Beverly Hills Internet . In its original form, site users selected a "city" in which to place their web pages...
. It expanded in 2006 after receiving venture funding from Index Ventures
Index Ventures
Index Ventures is a venture capital investment firm based in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in London, Jersey, and starting in 2011, Silcon Valley. The firm was founded in 1996 by Neil Rimer and Giuseppe Zocco. Since its inception, the firm has raised four main venture funds and a growth...
and Sequoia Capital
Sequoia Capital
Sequoia Capital is a Californian venture capital firm located on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California. The Wall Street Journal has called Sequoia Capital "one of the highest-caliber venture firms", and noted that it is "one of Silicon Valley's most influential venture-capital firms"...
. Relaunched in 2006, the site targets a demographic of girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 17, who can either register for free or sign up for a paid account (called a 'Superstar' account) that opens a number of aspects on the site. The site also has user-run fashion magazines, clubs, instant messaging, and virtual shopping. Each Stardoll member is supplied with a personal page and message one another via a built-in chat. The site has drawn interest from celebrities and fashion designers, some of whom are represented on the site either as one of the figures that can be dressed up (such as Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
and Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
) or through use of their respective fashions labels. It has been named a Webware 100 winner by CNET.
Some critics of Stardoll and similar sites have expressed concerns with the commercial aspect of Stardoll. The site has also experienced controversy around their use of celebrity likenesses without permission from the celebrities' management.
Real celebrities on Stardoll
Well known people with verified accounts are identified as "Real Celebs" on Stardoll. As of the July 8, 2011 listing on Stardoll they included the following:- Alberta FerrettiAlberta FerrettiAlberta Ferretti is an Italian fashion designer and dressmaker. She designs for Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti. Her showroom is in Milan, Italy but her studio is in the picturesque village of Cattolica, near Rimini, Italy....
- Alyson MichalkaAlyson MichalkaAlyson Renae "Aly" Michalka , often credited as Aly, is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and musician. Michalka gained fame for playing the role of Marti Perkins in the CW television drama Hellcats...
- Amy DiamondAmy DiamondAmy Diamond is a Swedish pop singer, actress and television presenter. She is known for her single "What's in It for Me" and album This Is Me Now which were released when she was 12 years old. The song was a 2005 hit in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. It was the most-played song in Poland...
- Augustus PrewAugustus PrewAugustus Art Prew is an English film and television actor.Prew was born in Hammersmith, London, England, where he later attended Latymer Upper School...
- Avril LavigneAvril LavigneAvril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
- Dakota Blue RichardsDakota Blue RichardsDakota Blue Richards is an English actress. Her debut was in the film The Golden Compass, as the lead character Lyra Belacqua....
- Darin
- Faith HillFaith HillFaith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
- Kimora Lee SimmonsKimora Lee SimmonsKimora Lee Simmons is an American fashion model, and former president and Creative Director for Phat Fashions.-Early life:...
- Milly & Becky RossoCamilla and Rebecca RossoCamilla "Milly" Rosso and Rebecca "Becky" Rosso are English twin actresses and models. They are known for their roles as twins Janice and Jessica Ellis on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and for their roles as Annabelle "Annie" and Isabelle "Izzy" Woods in Legally Blondes.-Careers:Camilla and...
- Paulina PorizkovaPaulina PorizkovaPavlína Pořízková-Ocasek is a Czech model and actress. At the age of eighteen years, she became the first woman from Central Europe to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated swim-suit issue. She was the second woman to be featured on the swim-suit issue's front cover consecutive times...
- Sabrina BryanSabrina BryanReba Sabrina Hinojos , better known by her stage name Sabrina Bryan,is an American singer, actress, author, songwriter, fashion designer, choreographer, dancer, and television personality best known as a member of the girl group, The Cheetah Girls, and for starring in the Disney Channel Original...
- Vivienne TamVivienne TamVivienne Tam is a fashion designer based in New York City. She was born in Guangzhou, China and moved to Hong Kong at the age of three. She attended Hong Kong Polytechnic University....
Participating brands on Stardoll
- DKNYDKNYDKNY is a label of fashion designer Donna Karan. It is also the name of a clothing store in New York City featuring Donna Karan's associated line.-History:...
(now closed, but still available via the 'Starbazaar') - SephoraSephoraSephora is a chain of cosmetics stores founded in France in 1970 and acquired by Paris-based conglomerate LVMH in 1997. The Sephora chain includes more than 750 stores in 17 countries...
(now closed) - Stuff by Hilary DuffStuff by Hilary DuffStuff by Hilary Duff was a clothing line that was launched by Hollywood star Hilary Duff in March 2004 with clothes distributed through Target in the United States, Kmart and Target in Australia, Hudson's Bay Company in Canada and Edgar's in South Africa.Initially started as a clothing line, the...
(now closed, but still available via the 'Starbazaar') - PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
by Alberta Feretti (now closed, but still available via the 'Starbazaar') - ELLEElleElle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
(now closed, but still available via the 'Starbazaar') - Baby PhatBaby PhatBaby Phat is an urban fashion line of clothing and other items for women and girls. Besides clothing, the brand also includes accessories for phones, jewelry, shoes and fragrances. It is the corporate "sibling" of the clothing brand Phat Farm created by Russell Simmons. Baby Phat uses a sleek cat...
- Mary-Kate and Ashley (now closed)
- Kohl'sKohl'sKohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
(made of Candie'sCandie'sCandie's is a clothing brand started in 1981. Originally a Charles Cole "El Greco" line of shoes, the brand was purchased by Iconix Brand Group in 1993. Since 2005, Kohl's Department Stores has had exclusive rights to the Candie's brand in all departments except shoes.Candie's sells juniors'...
, Abbey DawnAbbey DawnAbbey Dawn is a clothing line designed by musician Avril Lavigne. The name goes back to Lavigne's childhood, where her father nicknamed her "Abbey Dawn", and her high school friends would often call her "Abbey". The line was initially described as a "Juniors' lifestyle brand", but since then has...
, Mudd JeansMudd JeansMudd Jeans is a women's jeans brand marketed to young girls, teenagers, and women.The Mudd brand became popular in 1995 when they introduced their affordable flare-leg jean, which was a popular style at the time...
and Hang TenHang TenHanging Ten is a surfing maneuver and is considered one of the most impressive and iconic stunts one can perform with a surfboard. Hanging ten is when the surfer positions the surfboard in such a way that the back of it is covered by the wave and the wave rider is free to walk to the front of the...
) (now closed) - Limited Edition (Advertised as 'LE') A permanent store, but items are limited and for superstars only
- Milly & Becky Rosso (now closed)
- Killah
- Miss Sixty
- PPQ of Mayfair
Stardoll also makes one-off stores for various promotions like movies, TV shows, stores etc. and also makes 'Hot Buys' which are new items are released for a certain period of time. A new range of items is announced each month, and these items are often inspired by real life brands like Topshop
Topshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
, Forever 21
Forever 21
Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....
and H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
among other brands that include designer brands.
Tribute shops
In the summer of 2010 and again in the summer of 2011 Stardoll released several couture shops that users could buy. Every shop item was superstar and highly priced; and are now highly valued, since each store was available for one month only.(List in order of shop release)
- ChanelChanelChanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
(June 1st - 30th) - Diane von FürstenbergDiane von FürstenbergDiane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
(June 9th - July 9th) - Just Calvalli (June 16th - July 16th)
- Sonia RykielSonia RykielSonia Rykiel née Flis is a French fashion designer.Ethnically a Polish-Romanian Jew, Sonia Rykiel was born in Neuilly a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, the eldest of five daughters of a Polish mother and a Romanian father. At the age of 17, she was employed to dress the window...
(June 23 - July 23) - Herve LegerHerve LegerHerve Leger, sometimes written as Hervé Léger , is a French fashion house founded by the designer currently known as Hervé L. Leroux.-History:Herve Leger was founded in 1985 by the designer currently known as Hervé L. Leroux...
(Aug. 10th - Sept. 10th ) - Couture (Sept. 7th - Oct. 7th )
- Louise BourgeoisLouise BourgeoisLouise Joséphine Bourgeois , was a renowned French-American artist and sculptor, best known for her contributions to both modern and contemporary art, and for her spider structures, titled Maman, which resulted in her being nicknamed the Spiderwoman...
(Oct. 19th - Nov. 19th ) - Yves Saint LaurentYves Saint Laurent (brand)Yves Saint Laurent or YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.-History:...
(May 30th - Jul.6th ) - VersusVersus (Versace)Versus is the diffusion line of noted Italian fashion house Versace. It began in 1989 as the first of many diffusion lines by the house, a gift by the founder Gianni Versace to his sister, Donatella Versace...
(June 13th - ) - Alice + OliviaAlice + OliviaAlice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet is a contemporary women's clothing brand designed by founder Stacey Bendet.Alice + Olivia has grown into 50 million dollar brand including a mens line and a children's line since its launch at Barneys in 2002...
(June 27th-) - LanvinLanvin (clothing)Lanvin is a high fashion house founded by Jeanne Lanvin.-History:Lanvin made such beautiful clothes for her daughter that they began to attract the attention of a number of wealthy people who requested copies for their own children...
(July 12th-)