Mannequin

A Mannequin is a life-size, articulated doll used to display clothing.

much more on history, development, materials used, etc needed here

Mannequin was a movie made in 1987 starring Kim Cattrall, of Sex and the City fame, Andrew McCarthy of St. Elmo's Fire fame, and Meshach Taylor, James Spader, and Estelle Getty.

Kim Catrall plays the mannequin, who is actually a Princess from centuries past who was condemned to become a mannequin by a marriage prospect she had rejected. She is placed for showcase inside a Macy's store, and she can only come back to life at night.

Her secret is discovered by a store worker, played by McCarthy, who gets to stay around the store at night as a security guard. He and Hollywood (played by Taylor), a fashion expert who works with the mannequins, became best friends, and Hollywood eventually also finds out about the secret and becomes friends with the Princess.

The security guard and the Princess fall in love, but he feels he must be going crazy, because of the unimaginable situation of a real person actuall falling in love with a mannequin that turns out to have a real life too.

The story has a subplot: In order to regain full status as a real life person, the mannequin must find true love first.