Barbies are getting more real; new colors, shapes and hair

Priscilla Peixoto – From Cenarium Magazine

The American toy company Mattel launched a collection of Barbies dolls with varying skin, body, and hair tones. The objective is to promote representativeness, inclusion, and diversity.

The responsible for the new launch is the stylist and professional of African-American fashion, Shiona Turini, who took care of every detail of the dolls. According to Shiona, the intention as a professional was to be able to print the diversification realistically.

The inspiration, according to the stylist, came from the first black Barbie doll produced by the largest toy manufacturer in the world in 1980. The public’s receptivity was positive and Matell has stood out with toys designed from this perspective.

Diversity

 The creation of the new collection is the realization of a dream not only for Shiona but also for many black children who seek references also in the toys and the playful universe that they immerse.

A survey released in October 2020 by Avante – Education and Social Mobilization, in the context of the campaign ‘Where’s Our Doll?’, shows that even with the toy industry opening the doors to inclusion and representativeness, black dolls, until then, accounted for only 7% of the total dolls found on shelves and online markets.

Toys also educate

For child educator and pedagogue Francisca da Silva, 61, representation is of fundamental importance for the little ones, even when it is time to play.

“It is necessary for the market, in general, to pay attention to this issue. The companies that produce toys are also not left out. This is because, it is by playing that children learn to respect plurality and start to have necessary references since childhood “, says the kindergarten teacher.

The educator also stresses the importance of good interaction. “In addition to the black child, for example, winning a black doll and recognizing herself in it, why not give a black doll to a white child too? Or why not have fat, low dolls, with characteristics of our reality? The secret is not to limit, but to encourage conviviality and respect in a society that is extremely diverse from an early age”, ponders the pedagogue.

“Obviously, these stimuli must be done with the correct language for each age group and Barbies can help in a fun way in this process”, concludes the professional.