Girl of the Year 2011 Kanani Akina

APPROXIMATE RELEASE DATE: 2011

HEAD MOLD: "Jess"

 

PERSONAL FUN FACT: I think it's fate that Kanani became part of my doll family. I always had a hunch she'd be one of my dolls someday, and I even foresaw how it would come to pass. It's also fitting to own Kanani because she is Girl of the Year 2011...the year I began collecting dolls again! Just as she was hitting shelves at American Girl Stores and being advertised on the website, my nineteen year old self was browsing eBay for Disney dolls. It was only a matter of time before our paths crossed, but it would be years before I'd actually meet Kanani in person. I quickly learned of her existence, because she was popular among other collectors. I also still received the occasional American Girl catalogue in the mail, although I'm not sure I recall seeing her in one. There was something immediately captivating about her: those floor length caramel colored tresses, her stunning hazel eyes, and her chubby cheeked "Jess" head mold. In many ways, I think her similarities to Jess were subliminally why I was drawn to her. They both had tropical themed collections and shared the same head mold. In those days, American Girl dolls didn't have a wide range of head molds or special features. It was no wonder why so many collectors shelled out the dough for Kanani right away in 2011, and why there was fierce competition for her later online. I admit I ogled Kanani on eBay many times. During the first few years I was collecting dolls, she was quite pricey. It wasn't until 2014 when I was fully immersed back into the world of American Girls. Prior to that, I was more stingy with what I spent on them, and exactly what I chose to purchase. Getting Kanani in 2011 would have been completely out of the question. Once I added Isabelle to my collection, however, a new door opened for me. If Kanani's internet prices had been more reasonable, I may have splurged on her sooner.

 

There were several eBay encounters over the next decade that almost made me crack. As Girl of the Years became more commonplace and less desirable to the average kid/collector, Kanani was more obtainable. But each time I found a deal for one online, I always talked myself out of it. I just had this gut feeling that my Kanani was out there waiting for me...in the wild. I can't quite explain those dolly "spidey senses" or "premonitions." But there have been many times in my dolly journey when I could sense the manner in which a doll would come to me. Kanani was destined to cross paths with me at the local flea market, and somehow I predicted it as early as 2014 when my sister and I were discussing our favorite Girl of the Year dolls. Kanani was ALWAYS on the "we couldn't resist" list. Even if I felt sure I had enough dolls in my American Girl collection, I knew I wouldn't be able to pass her up if we stumbled upon Miss Akina during our travels. I also had this strange urge to find a Kanani in need...I wanted to save a doll who otherwise would have been trashed. It was a tall order and unlikely to happen. While I have encountered my fair share of woe begone American Girls at the flea market, many times they are too expensive or not the right doll. The stars all aligned that fall in 2022.

 

Colleen likes to joke and say that 2022 was the "Year of the Girls." I acquired not one, but FIVE Girl of the Year AGs. Granted, Gwynn isn't exactly a full fledged GOTY, more like an add on. I was especially drawn to Girl of the Years for whatever reason. Firstly, I fell in love with the quick glimpse of Corinne I saw in an ad I was asked to review in an email for American Girl rewards members. Then, I impulsively pre-ordered her before full images were available. After Corinne's full collection was revealed, both my sister and I vowed to get her Wellie Wishers sized sister. As soon as Colleen had acquired a gift card in February, she ordered Gwynn for herself. In the spring, I suddenly was overtaken with the urge to purchase Kira, the previous year's doll, when she was part of the monthly sales. Surely I had to stop there, right? Nope, I realized that I was finally ready to pull the trigger on Saige, GOTY 2013, after years of contemplation. After a lot of headaches and heartache, my doll FINALLY arrived in the mail. But I guess the universe still didn't think I had enough Girl of the Year for my system. The end of that summer a few sellers turned up at the flea market with various American Girl items. One woman in particular brought a treasure trove of goodies. She had been given a stash of AG clothes and furniture bits that belonged to a friend's daughter. She was selling everything for dirt cheap too. The first Sunday we stumbled upon her booth, I noticed Kanani's "Meet" dress in the pile of American Girl goodies. In one of the baggies her swimsuit turned up. For a few dollars I couldn't leave the garments behind. A few weeks later when we saw the same vendor, I discovered Kanani's pajamas AND the shorts to her swimsuit I had missed the first time around. To top it off, everything was in pristine condition, even if it wasn't complete. What luck we had! I admit, the discovery of Kanani's items made me tempted to search a doll out on eBay, but something pulled me back.

 

It was a late September morning when Colleen and I hauled ourselves to the local flea market for yet another day of treasure hunting. The season had FINALLY picked up after months of coming home mostly empty handed. The best part was we were finding top tier items, like American Girl. This day would prove to be our favorite weekend of the 2022 season. It started off with the discovery of the fabulous, coveted Kanani Akina. We had walked the first path of the flea market without finding anything. As I headed down the hill, past the spot I bought Nellie eight years prior, I noticed American Girl legs underneath a table up ahead. They were tanned--the same skin tone as my Marisol Luna. Somehow, I KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt it was Kanani. I couldn't see the doll's head, any hair, or anything distinguishable from that distance besides the legs. But both Colleen and I were certain Kanani was there. We had joked since purchasing Kanani's clothes that perhaps it was a sign I would soon get the doll herself. I never expected it to happen so soon. As I approached the table, I tried not to get my hopes up. When I did a cursory inspection, it was clear I had in fact found Kanani. Her hair was piled up onto her head and she was stark naked, but her bright hazel eyes, caramel colored locks, and Jess head mold made her unmistakable. The doll was battered and scarred, but I still wanted her. When the seller informed me she was $10, I knew I could swing it. Even if her hair was damaged beyond repair, this price was low enough to justify a visit to the doll hospital.

 

The doll you see in this photo was not who I brought home...she's truly unrecognizable. Kanani threw me some unexpected curve balls during her makeover process. But I love challenging plastic people--they are the ones that improve your skills and help you think outside the box. I knew she'd be tough, but I didn't expect it to take a full month before I could even dress her up. Clearly Kanani had been heavily played with in her past life. Was she loved? I'm not sure. It was hard to tell if the damage she exhibited was due to reckless play or devious mutilation. I'm leaning towards the first option though...what was done to her didn't seem to have cruel intentions. Firstly, her neck strings had been cut off. This would be an easy fix--I'd simply swap out the remnants for a zip tie. American Girls use zip ties as the standard neck closures these days. I'm guessing they were chopped off in the first place because they got in the way during wardrobe changes. Then there was the hair--it had been wadded up into a bun with a hair tie of sorts. There was a tuft of hair sticking up by her part line. At first glance, I couldn't deduce if this was split/cut hair, or if some kind of barrette had simply been removed, messing up the hair as it was pulled. Luckily for me, it was the latter. If it had been cut or broken off, this area would have been tricky to conceal. She still had factory sheen on her wig, despite the neglected appearance. The only damage I couldn't fix with a cleaning, boil wash, and roller set, was the thinning wefts at the back of her head. Those are easily masked by the super thick wefts on the sides/front of her head though. There was also a sampling of abstract art on Kanani's torso and limbs. Some child had taken a blue writing instrument and squiggled all over her cloth body and upper thighs. A pink marker was used to give Kanani "lipstick;" the same marker also left a streak on one of her legs. Unfortunately for Kanani, this child got a hold of something besides Crayola...it was NOT water soluble. That's what took her transformation SO long. I had to keep the lipstick and limb stains coated in peroxide for a month. It was of course my luck that the fall rainy season came that same week I acquired Kanani. Had it been during the hot summer she would have been finished in no time. Shockingly, she didn't require a restring. The one part of Kanani that hadn't been affected was the tightness of her limbs. If you are interested in seeing what she looked like before and reading about the full depth of her makeover, see my "Dolly Transformations album."

 

It was exhausting waiting for Kanani to be in suitable condition to fully welcomed into the family. Of course she had been introduced to the rest of my American Girls immediately. Although I'm not sure she was fond of being stark naked, in such pitiful condition, while meeting her new family at the same time. You'd think dolls like Emerald or Nellie, who rivaled Kanani's forlorn appearance, would be more empathetic. But it seems that they quickly take to their lives of pampering and judge the newcomers. After a solid month, it was finally time to call it quits. I figured any leftover stains would be taken care of in the spring, when the sun was more prominent. For the first time in who knows how long, Kanani got to wear clothing. The best part was, it was her very OWN attire! It was also the moment she'd get her very own seat in my bedroom. I kicked Baldwin (Colleen's 80s soft sculptured Cabbie) out of the wicker chair he'd been using. I had bought it earlier that flea market season, thinking it would be great for American Girls (it goes well with the wicker chair Amber sits on). No worries, Baldwin was simply moved to a wooden chair that worked better for Colleen's bureau. It warmed my heart seeing Kanani feel like part of the clan for the first time since we'd rescued her. She currently sits in the wicker seat, right across from my childhood GOT #2 Amber. Kanani's super long tresses were something to consider when picking a place for her on display.

 

I know she's not perfect, nor will she ever be. There are still scars from her former life that can never be hidden--the tears on her torso, the gouge on her nose, and the faded lip paint. But I love Kanani all the more for her battle scars. They tell a story of her first life, and of her rescue. Sure, I could send her off to the doll hospital (although seeing as how her body AND head are both imperfect that would be kind of silly). I wouldn't trade my Kanani for another, because she was meant to be. I can't believe that after all those years of knowing I'd find her at the local flea market in dire condition, it would actually play out that way. And what better timing than a few weeks after we scored some of her wardrobe. Plus, it was fitting since 2022 was (and always will be) "The Year of the Girls."

Done