Stardoll first appeared as Paperdoll Heaven in 2004 as creator Liisa’s personal page on paper dolls grew from its original home on Geocities.[2] It expanded in 2006 after receiving venture funding from Index Ventures[3] and Sequoia Capital.[4] Relaunched in 2006, the site targets a demographic of girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 17, who can either register for free or sign up for a paid account that opens a number of aspects on the site.[5] The site also has user-run fashion magazines, clubs, instant messaging, and virtual shopping. Each Stardoll member is supplied with a personal page and message one another via a built-in chat. The site has drawn interest from celebrities and fashion designers, some of whom are represented on the site either as one of the figures that can be dressed up (such as Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff)[6] or through use of their respective fashions labels.[7] It has been named a Webware 100 winner by CNET.[8] Members of Stardoll are also able to purchase a Superstar account by making an online payment. Being a Superstar allows users to unlock exclusive items that non- Superstars cannot get.
Some critics of Stardoll and similar sites have expressed concerns with the commercial aspect of Stardoll.[9] The site has also experienced controversy around their use of celebrity likenesses without permission from the celebrities’ management.
