Barbie manufacturer launches new dolls with no hair and vitiligo
Brand says new additions will showcase 'a multi-dimensional view of beauty'
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Your support makes all the difference.Barbie manufacturer Mattel has launched a new line of dolls that its creators say will showcase “a multi-dimensional view of beauty” and “represent global diversity and inclusivity”.
The new additions, which will be released throughout 2020, include a Barbie with no hair and the skin condition vitiligo.
Mattel said that it aims to “redefine what it means to be a Barbie or look like Barbie” with the launch of its new doll with vitiligo, adding that it will allow children to “play out even more stories they see in the world around them”.
To design this doll, Mattel worked alongside a dermatologist to ensure vitiligo was accurately represented.
In 2019, a prototype of the new addition was debuted on Barbie’s Instagram account and it quickly became the channels most popular post ever, receiving more than 60,000 likes.
Speaking of the new bald Barbie, Mattel said that it hopes the addition will resonate with any child experiencing hair loss for any reason and that they will be able to see themselves “reflected in the line”.
The launch also includes an update of Barbie’s doll with a prosthetic limb. In 2019, Barbie introduced dolls reflecting permanent disabilities, including a doll with a prosthetic limb, by collaborating with Jordan Reeves, a then 12-year-old with a prosthetic arm who is on a mission to build creative solutions that help children with disabilities.
This year, the brand has expanded the offering to include a second doll with a darker skin tone that uses a gold prosthetic limb.
Mattel's inclusive campaign has flourished for the last five years, with Mattel now offering Barbie dolls that come in five body types, 22 skin tones, 76 hair styles, 94 hair colours, and 13 eye colours.
Ken has been given an update for 2020 too, as Mattel has chosen to replace the doll’s signature short, sculpted coif with the option of long blonde tresses.
Now, Ken dolls are available in a total of four different body types, 13 skin tones, 9 eye colours and 22 hair colours.
The new additions will further diversify Barbie’s Fashionista range, a conscious move by Mattel to detach itself from the sexist stereotypes and unrealistic beauty expectations once associated with the doll.
As well as promoting diversity with the launch of dolls that feature physical disabilities, different hairstyles, skin tones and body types, Mattel recently launched a line of gender inclusive dolls to is Creatable World range.
The toys come with a number of different clothing options, accessories and hairstyles so that kids can style their doll with short or long hair and dress them in a skirt, trousers or both.
Kim Culmone, senior vice president of Mattel's doll design, said the toys are a “reflection of culture” and that as the world continues to celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, Mattel felt “it was time to create a doll line free of labels”.
Fashionistas dolls RRP £11.99 each. The vitiligo doll will be available in spring, with the doll with no hair and doll with prosthetic limb available later this year.
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