Arklu, Creators of Lottie™, a Unique Line of Alternative 'Pro-Girl' Dolls, Introduces Special Edition Gold Collection, New Dolls & Accessories at the 2015 American International Toy Fair®

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Arklu, the toy company that introduced the line of award-winning Lottie™ line of 'pro-girl' dolls, is expanding the brand and introducing six new Lottie dolls and a variety of accessories, at the 2015 American International Toy Fair^®.  Offering kids - both girls and boys - an alternative, age-appropriate, aspirational and most importantly fun line of dolls, the new line will feature the special edition Gold Collection 'Stargazer' and 'Fossil Hunter' Lottie dolls, as well as the Super Lottie outfit, winner of the crowdsourced kid design competition, complete with superhero cape and mask. The entire new collection of dolls and accessories, available this spring, will be on display at Toy Fair at the Schylling booth, #2221.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150213/175518

Lottie was developed alongside academics in the areas of child psychology and nutrition, and reflects the average proportions of a nine-year-old girl, making them childlike and relatable, a key differentiation point from other fashion dolls on the market.  For children aged 3-9, they feature age-appropriate hobbies, back stories, clothing and accessories - no makeup, high heels or jewellery.  They are ethnically diverse and come in a range of eye, hair and skin colors. Since Lottie encourages children to be active and outdoorsy, she has bendable knees and moveable hips, arms and head so they can do all the activities that real children do.  Lottie's hair has a silky texture so it doesn't tangle or knot and the clothing offers great attention to detail with Velcro fastenings that are easy to dress and undress. At 7.5 inches tall, Lottie is portable and easy for little hands to carry around.

"The success of our initial line has proven what our extensive research told us – dolls that offer a positive body image and strong values are the types of dolls parents want for their kids and the kind of dolls kids love to play with," said Lucie Follett, Co-founder of Arklu and Lottie Creative Director.  "As we continue to extend the brand, our goals remain the same, to create products that let children enjoy all the positive facets of childhood without limitation, while instilling confidence and self-esteem, stimulating their minds and getting them outside and active."

The new dolls and accessories introduce kids to science, sports and other outdoor activities, as well as imaginary play. The new Lottie dolls include:

Stargazer Lottie: a doll that is excited to explore the beautiful night sky through the lens of her telescope and learn about the constellations and planets.  She also comes with a tripod, a set of special solar system collector cards and a sheet featuring notable women in astronomy. Stargazer Lottie was developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency to get kids excited about astronomy.

Fossil Hunter Lottie:  a doll that is ready for adventure and excited to make her own scientific discoveries with her special rock hammer and backpack full of fossil hunting tools (magnifying glass and trowel) as well as ammonite fossils. She also comes with a set of special collector cards about the British female fossil hunter Mary Anning and an additional sheet featuring women in paleontology.  Fossil Hunter Lottie was created with real-life paleontologists, archaeologists and geologists to teach kids about fossils. 

School Days Lottie: a doll that loves going back to school to see her friends, learn new topics and meet her new teacher.  She is all ready for school with her Mary Jane shoes, bow tie and cute cat-themed book bag.  She also comes with ten special collector cards with leadership tips.  School Days Lottie was designed in collaboration with the Girls Leadership Institute to get children excited about school.

Rockabilly Lottie: a doll that loves to discover different types of music, let loose and dance.  She is happy to march to the beat of her own drum and be herself in her vintage-style jacket and glasses.

Muddy Puddles Lottie: a doll that is quick to pull on her raincoat and boots and go on a muddy adventure. She loves puddle jumping with friends and having a competition to see who can make the biggest splash.

Pony Club Lottie: a doll that loves to ride and make new friends who share her love of ponies.  But there is more. She also learns about caring for a horse like feeding, equipment, and grooming.

New Lottie accessories include:

Super Lottie: complete with a superhero cape and mask, this outfit set gives Lottie the power to be anything and do anything, and make the world a better place.  It was designed by six-year-old Lily from Kirtland, Ohio, winner of the crowdsourced kid design competition.

Scooter Set:  with a scooter, helmet, ramp and stickers to decorate the scooter, Lottie will have fun learning new jumps and turns, while remembering safety tips at all times.

Haircare Set:  Lottie is keen to get outdoors, have fun and play sports. The hairbrush, flower bands and elastic bands let Lottie tie up her hair in a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes and face during games.

"Lottie is a positive role model," said Ian Harkin, CEO, Arklu.  "Whether it's a more traditional girly activity like ballet, or being sporty, getting dirty or building a robot, Lottie helps show girls that there is a world of possibilities out there just waiting for them to discover."

Gold Collection 'Stargazer' and 'Fossil Hunter' Lottie dolls will be available for purchase this spring. Lottie dolls and accessories are available in-store at select Toys R Us, Hallmark and Barnes & Noble, and independent toy stores, as well as online at www.lottie.com and Amazon. MSRP: $19.99 for dolls. Accessory sets sold separately. MSRP: $9.99.

About Arklu

Lottie is manufactured by a young and innovative toy company Arklu, Ltd., based London.  The company first came to prominence in 2011 with the launch of its first product, the Princess Catherine Engagement Doll. The success was swiftly followed by the Royal Wedding Dolls; the Princess Catherine Wedding Doll and Prince William Wedding Doll. From this strong start they spent 18 months of development on the Lottie brand, which included extensive research with kids, parents, retailers, industry experts and academics, with the goal to create a realistic doll that is great fun for both boys and girls to play with. Since the launch in August 2012, Lottie dolls have received 21 international awards including 5 prestigious Oppenheim Portfolio Platinum Awards.  They are currently available in more than 30 countries worldwide.  Today the company creates a range of products including dolls, books, toys and games for children.  Schylling is the distributor of Lottie dolls in the USA. For more information go to Lottie, or follow them on https://www.facebook.com/lottiedolls, https://twitter.com/Lottie_dolls and https://www.pinterest.com/lottiedolls/.

Press Contacts:
Karen Pineman
LKPR, Inc.
[email protected]
917-453-6887

Linda Krebs
LKPR, Inc.
[email protected]
646-484-4539

SOURCE Arklu

Related Links

http://www.lottie.com