Timeline

I was born in 1982 in Ivory Coast, and I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by Barbie dolls, fabulous outfits and endless possibilities.

In 1987, my family moved to France, and that's when I received my very first Barbie and Ken dolls. If my memory serves me right, one of them was Perfume Pretty Barbie, followed by Tropical Kira (#2056), Tropical Skipper (#1021) and Tropical Ken (#1020). And, of course, many more dolls, outfits and accessories soon joined the collection!

I loved imagining their lives, inventing stories and creating little adventures for my growing cast of characters. I still remember taking my dolls for rides in their fabulous white Ferrari Convertible (#3136), their hair blowing in the breeze. Pure Barbie glamour!

Of course, not every doll had the same privileges. Some were strictly for display — look, but don't touch, Mother's orders! — while others were actually allowed to join the fun. Hurray!

But whether they were carefully displayed or loved through countless imaginary adventures, they all became part of my childhood memories.

Little did I know that those fabulous little plastic characters would leave such a lasting impression on my life… or that one day, I'd be welcoming them back into it!

In 2020, COVID-19 turned the whole world upside down. We were all stuck at home, living through lockdowns and trying to find ways to keep ourselves entertained.

And, well… like so many people, I may have spent a little too much time scrolling through the internet! 🙂

That's how I discovered an Instagram account called Grandma Gets Real.

She was funny, creative and, most importantly, she had recreated her entire family using Barbie and Ken dolls, giving them personalities, relationships and a whole miniature life of their own.

I was absolutely amazed!

I loved everything about her little world: the characters, the creativity, the humour and, of course, the storytelling.

But there was something else that caught my attention.

I suddenly realised just how much the Barbie universe had changed since my childhood. There were now so many different skin tones, body types, faces and hairstyles. Dolls that looked like real people, in all their wonderful diversity!

The possibilities seemed endless.

At the time, I was simply enjoying her adventures, discovering this incredible new world of dolls and occasionally dreaming about what I could create myself.

Little did I know that Grandma Gets Real was planting a tiny seed in my imagination… one that would eventually change everything!

LaFlorette Aubrey, LeBru Lasalle and Ines Aubrey.

My daughter, my husband and myself, reimagined in 1/6 scale.

Ines Aubrey, inspired by my daughter, was created using Barbie Tokyo Sports Baseball (#GJL77) and Barbie Boxer (#GJL64).

LaFlorette Aubrey, my miniature alter ego, came to life thanks to Barbie Doctor (#GYT29) and Barbie Signature BMR1959 (#GHT94).

And finally, LeBru Lasalle, inspired by my husband, originally started out as Ken Signature Looks #5 (#GTD90) before evolving into a heavily customised version of Ken Dumbledore (#FYM54).

They became the founding family of what would soon grow into a much larger Society.

Friends began joining the adventure. Then came entirely new characters, families, relationships and stories.

Three dolls were clearly never going to be enough!

Doll collecting soon opened the door to an entirely new creative universe.

Photography, dioramas, roomboxes, miniature furniture, fashion, accessories and handmade creations all became part of the adventure.

I started experimenting with miniature sets, creating photographic series and developing more elaborate stories for my characters.

Along the way, I discovered an extraordinary community of talented designers, miniature makers and photographers whose work continues to inspire me.

One discovery led to another. And every new idea seemed to open the door to ten more!

And then, in 2023, another big adventure began: we moved back to Reunion Island!

An absolutely wonderful decision for our lives… but perhaps not the most practical one for my doll collection! 😂

As much as I love living on this beautiful island, being a doll collector here can be quite a challenge. Finding specific models is difficult, shipping costs can be ridiculously high, and international deliveries aren't always straightforward.

But luckily, I have a secret weapon: my wonderful daughter, Ines!

While continuing her studies in mainland France, she became my precious little connection to the world of doll shopping.

Thanks to her, I could keep hunting for treasures on Vinted and ordering new releases and collector dolls from Mattel Creations. My precious purchases would arrive at her place, and she'd send them all the way to Reunion Island.

Not all superheroes wear capes. Some receive Barbie parcels for their mothers!

MERCI Inès ! 💗

And just like that, despite the thousands of kilometres between us, the collection kept growing, the creativity kept flowing, and new characters continued to find their way into the Society.