Dolly Van Doll

Carla Follis (1938 – 13 October 2025), known by her stage name Dolly Van Doll, was an Italian trans vedette, businesswoman and artist who developed most of her career in Spain. She was especially known for her music hall performances in the 1960s and 70s and for her role in Barcelona's nightlife scene.

Life and career Dolly Van Doll was born in Turin, Italy in 1938, and from a young age expressed her identity as a trans woman. At age three, she already said she wanted to be a dancer, and by age ten, she expressed her desire to be a woman. Her childhood was also marked by the events of World War II in Italy. In 1964, she underwent gender-affirming surgery in Casablanca, performed by Dr. Georges Burou, becoming one of the first Italian trans women to undergo this surgery.

After performing at other venues such as Blue Moon and Red Sun, she moved to Valencia with her then-boyfriend Fernando, whom she later married. In Valencia, she opened her own venue, Belle Époque, inaugurated during Christmas of 1976. In 1982, she opened a second Belle Époque in Barcelona, located on Muntaner Street,

She played a small role in the 1988 film Entreacte, starring Rosario Flores. That same year she closed her Valencia venue, and in 1995, she also closed the one in Barcelona.

Stage shows (selected) Noches de otoño (1972) Delirio de estrellas (1972) Loco, loco cabaret (1973) Travestí (1974) Belle Epoque (1989)

Filmography Per molts anys (1984) Arsenal (1985) Cinema 3 (1988) Entreacte (1989)