Sasha Morgenthaler, a protégé of painter Paul Klee, rejected the overly commercial, smiling, or glamorous fashion dolls of her era. She observed that a permanently smiling doll forces a happy narrative, whereas a doll with a neutral, subtle, or slightly serious expression acts as an emotional mirror. This allowed a child to project their own emotions—whether joy, sadness, or thoughtfulness—onto the doll, encouraging deeper imaginative play. Her vision was also globally inclusive; she deliberately designed the dolls with a blend of features and realistic skin coloring meant to represent children of all races and cultures.