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    SEATTLE, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1/2 of all Hispanic-American
 girls will celebrate their 15th birthday with a Quinceanera party,
 according to a recent survey. With parents spending tens, even hundreds of
 thousands of dollars on everything from dresses to horse-drawn carriages on
 these lavish affairs, this age-old tradition is something that young Latina
 girls dream of for years.
     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070820/NYFNSN04)
     In fact, so many Hispanic girls dream of this special day for so long
 that one American doll manufacturer, Brass Key, is releasing a line of
 Hispanic fashion dolls specifically designed to let the littlest Latinas
 live out their Quinceanera fantasies. The Princesa Quinceanera(TM) line
 includes three dolls, each dressed to the nines in full-length ball gowns,
 tiaras, necklaces and earrings, and satin gloves, and featuring distinctly
 Hispanic facial features and hair styles.
     "The Quinceanera is a huge milestone in the life of a young Hispanic
 girl, one that they dream of for years prior to the big event. We wanted to
 give them a way to play out their dream Quinceanera celebration every day,"
 says Brass Key President Judy Mullins.
     Dolls aside, the Quinceanera industry is booming. With dresses costing
 upwards of $1,000, professional hair and make-up stylists, and a bevy of
 traditional accessories like gloves, jewelry, tiaras, and even scepters,
 the Quince's couture is an industry unto itself. There are also suppliers
 specializing in decorative Bibles, Quince kneeling pillows, toasting
 glasses, and other very specific ceremonial pieces. Add Quince websites,
 books, magazines like the quarterly Quince Girl, and professional
 Quinceanera choreographers, photographers, and party planners, and you've
 got a thriving business not unlike the wedding industry!
     Says professional Quinceanera-planner Celia Barrios of Tiaras and
 Tacones in Los Angeles, "The Quinceanera tradition has been popular in the
 U.S. for the last 30 or 40 years, but it is definitely becoming more
 mainstream. The industry is growing and the parties are becoming more
 elaborate. This is a day that a Latina girl dreams of from the time she is
 9 or 10 years old and it's going to be perfect!"
     At a suggested retail price of $24.99, the porcelain Princesa
 Quinceanera dolls will be available nationwide at Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Toys
 R Us beginning in September. The line marks the first mass-market doll
 brand dedicated to the Quinceanera tradition
     About Brass Key:
     Brass Key, Inc. is a global, multi-brand company that designs, develops
 and manufactures licensed and non-licensed hand-crafted branded
 collectibles, dolls, gifts, kid's gardening items and other home d�cor
 products that are sold in mass-market retail chains and club stores. Brass
 Key, Inc. was incorporated in 1980.
     CONTACT: Amy Opheim 562 436 5251
 
 

SOURCE Brass Key, Inc.