Followed up with a fantastic four-million-dollar television advertising budget, Dawn was named by a Playthings magazine poll as number one in the fashion doll category, right alongside the much bigger Barbie. Given short shrist by upscale venues like F.A.O. Schwartz, Dawn was predominantly sold in discount and chain stores such as Korvette's, W.T. Grant's and Woolco. Glamour-starved suburban preteens were devoted to Dawn. This was sometimes in defiance of their parents, who were often put off by the very allure that gave Dawn her popularity in the first place.
New York magazine said that Dawn's credo might be the same as Frederick's of Hollywood--"Go without food, go without drink, but never, never go without glamour!" The comparison was not exactly accurate, however, because Dawn never went anywhere without the best of everything. "Henry never cared how much he spent, he loved the business," recalls Grandee.
Dawn more than lived up to her publicity slogan: "The most beautiful world a girl has ever known!" Her world was filled with delights such as Dawn's Glamour Boutique; Dawn's Dance Party; Dawn's Flower Fantasies; "a convertible in plush pink"; the Dawn Music Box; beauty parlor; colorful carrying cass; The Dawn 'n Me Pocketbook; and my personal favorite, "a plush chaise lounge and matching cabinet that holds a French telephone that actually rings!"
Dawn's friends included Dale ("Black beauty with a stunning natural"); Gary ("Tall, dark and handsome -- he flips over Dawn!"); Van (a black male); Angie; Longlocks ("Lustrous brown hair that almost touches the floor!"); Glori ("Such a tease!"); Jessica (a stewardess); Kevin and Ron ("A mod, mod guy!"). They could either walk, dance, bend, sit, pose, and/or model on their own fashion stage, showing off oh-so-mini mod creations with prettily provocative names like Sheer Delight, Flirty Flounce, Green Fling, Pillow Party, Flaming Fur, Blues in the Night and Shocker Frocker, described as "a daring strapless in shocking pink trimmed with silver braid. Comes with a French phone -- for those inevitable calls!"
Grandee says, "My mother and father-in-law in Long Island City went crazy making the intricately detailed prototype clothing." These little couture creations were then taken to Hong Kong for manufacture.
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