'Barbie So In Style' designer Stacey McBride-Irby. Photo courtesty of AP
In an effort to inspire young black girls and promote their self-images, Mattel launched its "So In Style" line of black Barbies last month. The dolls come in varying skin tones, have fuller lips, a wider nose and more pronounced cheek bones and two of them (Trichelle and Kianna) have curlier hair. This is a vast improvement over Mattel's previous attempts at creating a black Barbie (Francie and Christie were basically white Barbies painted brown). The designer of the dolls, Stacey McBride-Irby, said her goal was to address the needs of the African-American community.
While many black women have praised Mattel for the "So In Style" line, the dolls aren't without their detractors. There are some who have expressed concern over the fact that none of the dolls have shorter, natural hair. The thin frames of the dolls have also raised eyebrows (the unrealistic body image issue has been an ongoing criticism of Barbie, regardless of skin color).
Although the criticisms leveled at the "So In Style" line are valid, Ms. McBride-Irby did get many things right. In addition to the varying skin tones and facial characteristics, the line also stresses the importance of education/career aspirations and promotes mentoring among females.
The dolls are experiencing success already and there are plans to expand the line. Hopefully, the concerns raised will be addressed and we'll see "So In Style" dolls that look like this:
and this:
For more on the "So In Style Line", please click here to read the story by Megan K. Scott.
If you'd like to hear Barbie designer Stacey McBride-Irby discuss the "So In Style" line, you can do so by watching the following videos:
So In Style 1
So In Style 2
9 comments:
Now see this is what I am talking about. At the very least it is a step in the right directions. When I was a kid, if I had a black doll she was a chocolate dipped white doll. The only Barbie dolls I ever had were white. Believe me I understand the body image criticism, but this designer is actually making an effort to appeal to a much neglected population. My hat is off to Stacey McBride-Irby and I am going to purchase at a minimum one of the dolls as a keepsake.
Nice post, Malcolm. I agree with Pjazzy, it's a step in the right direction. One of the dolls in the collection looks like it has a full, thick, somewhat "natural" head of hair. Just the fact that they're making dolls with varying skin tones, fuller lips and wider noses is encouraging.
Yeah they could have diversified it up a bit but it's a start. Besides how many woman are walking around natural anyway? Seems like art imitating life to me.
Umm, actually the number of Black women wearing their hair in a more "natural" hair style is on the rise. If you Google, you'll find a number of blogs, YouTube clips, facebook pages and forums, devoted to what appears to have all of the makings of a "movement." :-)
Whats on the tube and whats on the streets are two different things.
I do not know where you live Mike, but I know for a fact that there are plenty of women walking around in greater Los Angeles and the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex with natural hair, whether it be short/long naturals or locs. African American women are learning that we do not have to conform to the European standard of beauty to look good and feel good about ourselves. You should actually check out the series on natural hair that Lori at http://loridjohnson.blogspot.com/ has been producing for several months. You will surprised to find the number of sisters who are opting for alternatives to chemically treated, processed hair.
To all: The "So In Style" line is very encouraging. The fact that the world of toys is catching up to the real world has quieted the cynic in me. I can imagine how girls of color have been affected over the years with the lack of a Barbie that truly represented them.
Hey Malcolm, I actually received my dolls via UPS on Thursday. They are truly diverse looking actually. There are three little sister, one is light, one medium and one really chocolate :-) I also got some of the adult dolls, one which is a spin off of Barbie that has moved to Chicago to follow her dreams. They come with accessories that I think little girls will like. Of course I am not opening the packaging on my purchase, no point in that, but they do make a good conversation piece.
All I can say is that they are awesome designs. I guess, by this date, there are already thousands of sales for those dolls.
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