Mannequin Pixie Dream Girl episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 27, 2019 · 41 MIN

Mannequin Pixie Dream Girl

from 99% Invisible · host Roman Mars

In the 1930s, Lester Gaba was designing department store windows and found the old wax mannequins uninspiring. So he designed a new kind of mannequin that was sleek, simple, but conveyed style and personality. As a marketing stunt, he took one of these mannequins everywhere with him and she became a national obsession. “Cynthia” captivated millions and was the subject of a 14-page spread in Life Magazine. Cynthia and the other Gaba Girls changed the look and feel of retail stores. Mannequin Pixie Dream Girl Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Nov 27, 2019

Embed this episode

Lester Gaba and his companion Cynthia were the talk of the town, but Cynthia wasn't a person, she was a new style of mannequin

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.

Ready to play

Mannequin Pixie Dream Girl

0:00 41:22

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of 99% Invisible?

This episode is 41 minutes long.

When was this 99% Invisible episode published?

This episode was published on November 27, 2019.

Can I download this 99% Invisible episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!