Meet American Girl Eva Marie: A 2016 Concept
Historical characters are a staple of the American Girl Doll brand. Kids of the 2000s grew up with Felicity Merriman, a Williamsburg local during the Revolutionary War, Kit Kitteredge, an aspiring journalist during the Great Depression, and many others. Tilley Lie-Nielsen ’28 imagines the doll that in 20 years, might stand beside the historical characters we already know and love.
Meet Eva Marie — the American Girl Doll of 2016!
Eva embodies the vibrant pop culture of her time, living as an influencer in Los Angeles. Although she is young, she is inspired by the online creators she grew up watching, and decided to make her mark by starting her own YouTube channel.
Get to Know Eva Marie:
Nickname: Her YouTube handle, EvaVlogs123
Favorite foods: Acai bowls and avocado toast
Hobbies: Vlogging, learning musical.ly dances, making DIY crafts, finding iconic backgrounds for Instagram photoshoots
Style: A wide mix of indie, athleisure, bright pastels, and general whimsy
Furry friend: Her pomeranian, Gracie, who makes appearances in her vlogs! (Sold separately: $20)
What’s included: This 18-inch doll has green eyes that open and close, brown hair swept into Dutch braids, and freckles across her face. Eva arrives in a cropped graphic tee, a green bomber jacket, skinny blue jeans, and Adidas Superstar sneakers. Additionally, the doll comes with a paperback book telling the story of her journey as an influencer. (Doll-and-book bundle: $125)
Experience More From Eva’s World:
Eva’s accessory kit: A black felt choker, baseball cap, and miniature Starbucks cup. ($24)
Eva’s Coachella outfit: The outfit is just as important as the event itself. Includes a flower crown, a layered statement necklace, round sunglasses, a white fringe top, and denim shorts. ($30)
Eva’s athleisure outfit: Perfect for school or a chill day editing videos. Includes black athletic leggings, an off-the-shoulder PINK hoodie, and tan UGG boots. ($24)
Eva’s Get Ready with Me kit: The essentials for filming GRWM vlogs, and a great way to score brand deals. Includes a matte lip kit, beauty blender, winged eyeliner pen, eyeshadow palette, and faux hair straightener. ($36)
Eva’s influencer set: The essentials for content creation — including a miniature ring light, tripod, and camera. ($36)
Eva’s bedroom set: The perfect brightly colored, aesthetic backdrop for filming. Includes a daybed with pastel pink bedding, neon wall art, fairy lights, and a faux plant. ($55)
Eva’s DIY set: Perfect for making tutorial videos on the trendiest, Tumblr-inspired crafts. Includes a pretend slime-making kit & a miniature geometric wall art project. ($25)
Read Eva’s Story:
Eva Marie lives in 2016, the height of bright pop culture. To step into Eva’s time period, imagine the following: life is simpler and there is less of a “doomsday” feel in the air. A time often looked back on through rose-colored glasses, not only because of nostalgia, but also because of the pastel Instagram filters used during this time period. Social media is fun and lighthearted, with Snapchat dog filters, aesthetic Tumblr posts, musical.ly dances, vines, YouTube vlogs, and viral trends like the Mannequin Challenge. Top hits on the radio include “Closer” by The Chainsmokers, “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, and “One Dance” by Drake. The trending styles are laidback, with bomber jackets, skinny jeans, and chokers taking the reins. Makeup is caked on thick, with sharp contour, winged eyeliner, filled-in brows, and a matte lip.
2016 is thought of as a simpler time period. But was 2016 really that different from 2026? It’s important to remember the year beyond just its social media presence — encompassing Donald Trump’s first election, the United Kingdom’s Brexit, the Zika Virus, Harambe, the Rio Summer Olympics, among others. Was 2016 really that special, or was it just that Generation Z, who were kids during this time period, are remembering their youth fondly? Maybe 2016 is just an embodiment of youthfulness. It seems there was something different in the air back then.
However, Eva Marie’s story includes the good and the bad of 2016. The young tween Eva Marie moves from the East Coast to L.A., and is forced to move to a new school where she doesn’t know anyone. However, she finds solace through watching her favorite YouTubers, and inspired by the thriving presence of influencers she sees in L.A., decides to create her own channel. Eva begins to gain a following on YouTube, making lifestyle videos ranging from day-in-the-life vlogs to DIY tutorials and more. Additionally, Eva makes a friend, Addy, at her new school, and the two bond over their shared interests in the influencer lifestyle.
Addy helps Eva become acquainted with the area, and the two explore the exciting city of L.A. together. They collaborate on video ideas, visit trendy food spots, make slime, and take Instagram photoshoots with iconic city backdrops. However, as Eva’s channel gains popularity, she struggles to balance school, friends, and the increasing demand to produce content. Additionally, Eva’s parents are skeptical about her going under the public eye at such a young age, especially because the influencers she watches are significantly older than her.
Through her hardships, Eva experiences personal growth, and eventually learns to differentiate between her private and public life. She creates boundaries around what she is willing to post and how often. Eva learns to let herself be a kid, and not become consumed by the pressure to fit the LA aesthetic, or to have a high subscriber count. Additionally, she discovers new hobbies beyond social media, such as hiking around mountains in the surrounding area. These hikes allow Eva to immerse herself in nature, spend time with her friends, and even, once in a while, get an aesthetic picture for the gram.
In an increasingly digital and publicized world, Eva learns that she can still be a kid and enjoy her life behind the scenes. Although 2016 is now a bottled-up aesthetic, and an elixir of sorts that people long for, Eva’s character embodies the challenges associated with trying to fit these aesthetics. While she deeply enjoys the pop culture of her time, it becomes necessary for her to find her sense of self in the midst of this. Eva Marie learns to find balance, knowing that she does not need to be defined by the title of “influencer,” and that it is only one of the many aspects of who she is.