When it comes to toys, every girl child wants a doll or role model to look up to.
We always prefer dolls to look like us, no matter our race, ethnicity, or background. We search resemblance in our dolls and want to be like them. It helps foster a sense of belonging.
To make black girls feel more confident and represented, Barbie has created a line of 10 new black dolls. And it is a coincidence that new dolls are coming when Black History Month is celebrated each February in the United States.
Barbie’s parent company Mattel collaborated with talented costume designer Shiona Turini and created a new line of dolls with different skin tones, hairstyles, and even body types. Barbie dolls now just got a whole lot more inclusive.
Designer Turini was so overwhelmed that Barbie approached her for this project. She noted that her “childhood dreams” came true.
“My vision was to style diverse dolls in bold looks with themes seen throughout my work, like contrasting snakeskin and leopard, challenging traditional uniformity.
I grew up obsessed with Barbie and while she was one of my first fashion icons, I clearly remember searching shelves for a doll that looked like me and coming up empty-handed,” she wrote on Instagram.
Black Barbie which was released in 1980 inspired her so much. The doll wore a sparkling red dress and had an Afro. Mattel recently brought this doll back for its 40th anniversary.
Mattel has become more and more inclusive over time. Recently, it released a gender-neutral doll, created the Barbie Wellness line, and created Judge Barbie.
In 2018, On International Women’s Day, Mattel released a line of 17 dolls from diverse backgrounds to celebrate extraordinary women, aka ‘sheroes.’ Among the women that Barbie looks up to are Amelia Earhart and Frida Kahlo.
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