It Happens Here: Diverse Fusion Dolls expands business to tourists at Faneuil Hall
BOSTON – At the center of Faneuil Hall's bustling and historic marketplace now sits a game-changing kiosk - Fusion Dolls.
WBZ-TV first introduced you to owner Widline Pyrame two years ago with her collection of diverse dolls at a kiosk at the Westgate Mall in Brockton. Since then, she has expanded, opening a full store at Westgate and then kiosks at South Shore Plaza and the Providence Place mall before this new spot in Faneuil Hall.
"For me, it means everything because we're changing history. When people come here and they're like, 'Oh my gosh, you have Black dolls here.' They get really happy because it's something they don't usually see," Pyrame told WBZ.
Pyrame grew up in Haiti before moving to the states as a teenager. At the time, she hated her hair.
"When I was younger, we really didn't have dolls that look like us, you know what I mean? The dolls we had, they only had straight hair," she said.
She has been on a mission ever since to change that. And it is resonating.
"Sometimes the parents will be like, 'Oh, my gosh. I didn't have a doll like this when I was growing up. I know I'm an adult right now, but I'm getting this doll for me,'" Pyrame said. "Because everyone has their inner child."
And Pyrame said it's especially important to bring these dolls to Faneuil Hall, where tourists from around the world will pass through.
"When the kids come, they usually get the dolls that look closest to them, and it's really nice. And sometimes they get the one that's not closest to them. And it's OK. It's OK for us to represent themselves, and it's OK to accept other people."
For more information on Fusion Dolls, visit Pryame's web site.