American Girl’s New Historical Dolls Are ’90s Twins

Anyone who played with American Girl Dolls during the ’90s might be surprised to learn that their own childhood era now qualifies as history: The company just unveiled two new dolls in its historical line—and their stories are set in 1999.

Meet Isabel and Nicki Hoffman, fraternal twins growing up in Seattle who are “as different as glitter and grunge,” according to a press release. “Isabel is bubbly, extroverted, and loves dancing to pop music—while Nicki is thoughtful, introverted, and happiest while skateboarding, writing lyrics, and listening to the alt-rock sound that got its start in Seattle.”

Those personalities are duly reflected in their attire. Blonde Isabel is shades of Clueless’s Cher Horowitz in a pink and purple ensemble that features platform shoes, a beret, and a plaid miniskirt. Her brunette (save for two platinum streaks) sister sports a backwards baseball hat and a gray T-shirt layered beneath a spaghetti-strap minidress. She finished the look with black ribbon choker, black sunglasses, and a black messenger bag; her sister, meanwhile, accessorized with pink sunglasses, a pink plastic backpack, and a necklace made of flower beads (some of which are pink).

Nicki and Isabel’s stories—each doll comes with a journal, and a forthcoming novel will hit shelves this summer—were written by Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy, both children’s authors and American Girl fans who also happen to be twin sisters. American Girl itself even served as a historical source for them.

“One of our favorite parts was having access to American Girl’s archives, where we reviewed the brand’s ’90s-era materials—from the catalogues and books to past issues of American Girl magazine and all the fan mail that came with it,” DeVillers said in a press release. “We love thinking about how those readers are grown up now yet helped to inspire Nicki and Isabel.”

You can shop Nicki and Isabel’s collection—which includes a Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Set—on the American Girl website.