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Barbie’s expanded ‘Fashionistas’ range now includes dolls with vitiligo and hair loss

Image via Mattel
Words by Olivia Hart

What Would Barbie Do?

In the past few years, Barbie has undergone a much-needed makeover, evolving beyond the classic one-style-fits-all approach.

When Mattel released its range of Fashionistas dolls in 2016, Barbie began to reflect the world around us a little better by featuring dolls with varying body types, skin tones and hairstyles.

Replacing the distorting idea of being “perfect” with more realistic dolls, Mattel is helping to teach young girls and boys that beauty is not limited.

Following the success of the 2016 range, Mattel continued expanding its range to include both a Barbie with a removable prosthetic leg and one with a wheelchair in 2019.

Now the brand has announced a new release aiming to be even more inclusive, featuring dolls with prosthetic limbs, vitiligo and hair loss.

Partnering up with 13-year-old disability activist Jordan Reeves – who was born without a left arm – Mattel has also created another Barbie with a prosthetic leg, but this time it’s shiny and gold.

In creating its Barbie with Vitiligo – a condition that causes the loss of pigment in certain patches of skin – Mattel worked alongside a dermatologist to make sure everything was accurate.

The changes aren’t just for Barbie, either. Her boy toy Ken is also being redesigned with varying body types and features including freckles, a man bun and long, luscious surfer hair.

Together they’ll be the definition of a millennial couple, and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

barbie.mattell.com

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