Valley Of The Doll Thesis

Impact of Valley of the Dolls in the ‘60s The 1960s was a decade of change for all Americans, especially women. The “pill” went on the market and women were pushing themselves into the working world. Women fought hard for equal pay, the end of domestic violence and to split the responsibilities within the household. The National Organization for Women was founded in 1966 and two years later in 1968, feminists protested the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City. The novel, Valley of the Dolls is centered around Anne Wells, Neely O’Hara, and Jennifer North, following their journey of finding love and success in New York City. Written by Jacqueline Susann, Valley of the Dolls heavily influenced fashion, the perspective on sex and drug culture,

Valley of the Dolls could be interpreted in many ways which are what leads to the frustration of people like Mr. Robinson because designers do not all have the same vision. The era of the Valley of the Dolls was specifically influential to an era, as told by the editorial director of Paper Magazine, Mickey Boardman; “‘Valley’ has perennial commercial appeal, . . . For some reason, that era speaks to me aesthetically much the way ‘Downton Abbey’ speaks to Ralph Lauren,” he said, “There will always be a market for that look, which is very hard and slick in the sense that it’s the opposite of the hippie”(Meltzer). The 1960s were a time where flower power was popular, but “Valley” had a retro style similar to the 50s but it was somewhat modernized to fit the 1960s. Not only was the style of the character's effective, but the idea of the drugs involved with the book was influential to Christian Louboutin’s “Pilule” purse. Olympia Le-Tan used Valley of the Dolls for one of their book clutch designs, and the upscale makeup brand, M.A.C., created a rose gold shimmer eyeshadow titled, “Sparkle Neely, Sparkle!” (Meltzer). “Valley” obviously changed the way most people viewed fashion culture not only within the literal Valley of the