American Girl, a cornerstone in the Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) portfolio of purposeful brands, announced the re-release of three classic historical characters — Kirsten Larson, Addy Walker, and Josefina Montoya— with special tribute collections that harken back to the brand’s roots. Kirsten, Addy, and Josefina (originally debuting in 1986, 1993, and 1997 respectively) remain fan-favorite characters that have inspired generations with their timeless stories that celebrate family and friendship, resilience in the face of change, and hope for the future. Now, these enduring characters are set to stir up a wave of nostalgia and inspire a legion of new fans with the debut of these three keepsake collections, featuring their original fashions and accessories, along with updated stories to bring the characters’ worlds to life in a fresh, relevant way.
“As we look back on American Girl’s rich legacy, it’s our beloved historical characters and their powerful stories that have transcended the test of time—instilling in generations of girls and women an understanding of their own important place in the world,” says Jamie Cygielman, General Manager of American Girl. “Through the return of such classics as Kirsten, Addy, and Josefina, along with new product and story offerings for our other timeless characters, like 1970s Julie Albright, we’re excited to continue engaging and inspiring American Girl fans of all ages for years to come.”
The new American Girl throwback tribute collections feature a signature 18-inch Kirsten, Addy, and Josefina doll that comes dressed in the character’s original debut outfit, along with her authentic introductory accessories. Arriving in a retro American Girls Collection box, each set also includes the character’s first paperback book in the series with vintage cover design and updated language, imagery, and resources to resonate with today’s readers. And, to celebrate birthdays through the decades, American Girl is also reissuing Kirsten, Addy, and Josefina’s original birthday party dresses and accompanying Happy Birthday books with original cover designs.
Additionally, for fans of American Girl’s beloved 1970s historical character, Julie Albright, there’s a new assortment of flower-power fun, including a totally retro school outfit and floral metal lunch box; a funky floral jumpsuit; a record player set with doll-sized records that play ’70s-inspired songs; and a fun skating outfit with lace-on shoe roller skates that really roll. In addition, American Girl Publishing released a new illustrated journal to tell Julie’s story of growing up in 1974 San Francisco. Told from the character’s perspective, Julie’s new journal format is a historical collection first, featuring full-color doodles and non-fiction back matter with details related to the story and era. The new illustrated journal will now come with the 18-inch Julie doll and is also available wherever books are sold. Additional illustrated journals and diaries for other historical characters are slated to debut in 2025 and beyond.
To further expand its storytelling, American Girl is also partnering with IDW Publishing to introduce a first-ever graphic-novel mystery series based on the popular historical characters. The first mystery—Julie and the Blue Guitar—is debuting this June, with a second book based on the late-‘90s duo, Isabel and Nicki, releasing in spring 2025. More graphic mystery novels are planned to follow and will be available wherever books are sold. To support parents and educators, American Girl is also updating its free, downloadable discussion and teaching guides based on the historical character series in June 2024 at americangirl.com.
Fans can celebrate their favorite American Girl historical characters in person or online by…
• visiting American Girl retail stores to enjoy a special Historical Character Birthday Teatime or Julie’s Groovy Painting Party at the signature cafes; book an appointment for a classic ’do at the Dolled Up Salon; explore new product and story collections, and more.
• checking out American Girl’s TikTok channel and Instagram for fun historical character-themed TikTok trends, in-feed posts and stories, promotions, and book content.
• watching new Julie-inspired videos starting in late May on American Girl’s popular YouTube and YouTube Kids Channel.
• touring Addy, Josefina, Kirsten, and Julie’s rooms and exploring all the AG characters at the free Virtual Museum, and…
• learning more character background details on American Girl Wiki. American Girl’s new tribute collections for Kirsten, Addy, and Josefina, plus the new Julie products and stories, are available now at americangirl.com and American Girl retail stores nationwide.