In 1983, Jan McLean decided to study doll making. She wanted to replicate the one her grandmother had given her in the 1950s.
That might have been as far as it went, but two years later she met German doll artist Hildegard Gunzel. The inspiration Jan received from this top doll maker encouraged her to become more serious in her endeavour.
In 1987, she completed her first doll, Phoebe. Just four years later, Pansy won the "Best Doll" award at the prestigious New York Toy Fair. Today, Jan is regarded as the world's premiere doll maker.
A team of ten work at her Dunedin, New Zealand, factory, working on the designs that make these dolls unique. "I don't have any preconceived ideas," Jan says. "You never know what the public wants."
Her team consists of a milliner, beader, jeweller, mould maker and cobbler. Each new costume is carefully researched. Often this is done from photographs. "A piece of exotic or antique fabric usually triggers a design or concept," Jan says.
Fun with porcelain
Her early dolls were made of porcelain. "It used to be so much fun. There was plenty of time when I first started, but now new ideas come from necessity. I have to come up with so many designs now. My early dolls were made in limited edition numbers, so they were popular."
Today, her "high end" original dolls are still made in Dunedin, but her design dolls are made from vinyl at a factory in China.
Her first experience with Chinese production was memorable but for the wrong reasons. In 2004, an agent organised a factory for the production of her Lollipop range. The precious tooling equipment was installed just a day before the Chinese officials closed down the factory as wages were not paid to 2,000 workers. The upshot of this unfortunate event was a loss of the $100,000 (Dh367,220) tooling gear and her Lollipop range.
Now, Jan makes frequent trips to her production line to ensure the quality is maintained.
Jan smiles when people suggest doll making is a frivolous occupation. "Doll makers in the 1800s were males. The expensive dolls were used by young girls to learn sewing and mother craft."
Now, Jan's dolls are purchased as investments. She has collectors in a number of places, including Dubai, but most are based in the US. She visits Tampa, Florida, US, every six weeks to appear on the Home Shopping Channel and sells 5,000 dolls in an hour. One of her collectors has three of her dolls in the kitchen and two in the bathroom — each is worth $5,000 (Dh18,361).
Collector's passion
Some collectors go to great lengths for her dolls. Jan showed me a photo of an American woman who has three of her dolls tattooed in fine detail, across her entire back. "She can't even see them!" Jan says, somewhat bemused.
She rattles off a list of reasons why people buy dolls. "The empty-nest syndrome, no daughters, lost children, memory of a doll from childhood."
I ask her where the names for the dolls come from. "Names are important. They're usually associated with real children. Some are named after my grandbabies."
Jan's customers include truck drivers and film stars. "I even have mafia bosses among my collectors. They've taken me to dinner in their limos," Jan smiles as she recalls the experience. "I love people-watching, observing the human condition for inspiration. Life is so exciting."
Key to success
Jan credits her success to hard work and strong sense of self belief. "I ask myself, what's the worst that can happen? I say, feel the fear and do it."
Jan is now mostly involved in marketing, manufacturing, licensing and exporting. "I work [with] five currencies and five time zones. I've taken my dolls from my dining-room table to the world."
Jan frequently gives her dolls away for charity auctions. There are internet competitions and, recently, one of her dolls sold for $18,000 (Dh66,100). A fitting result for a motivated, focused woman who has made a name for herself with her unique dolls.
"In my next life, I want to make [meat dishes] for the farmers' market." I again see a smile. McLean loves life, the world her dolls.
— Ceidrik Heward is a New Zealand-based freelance writer