As a man, I’m still grappling with just how profound the impact of a Barbie dolls is; nevertheless, they always seem to grab their fair share of media attention.
White Barbies have always been a given, black Barbies entered the scene 40 years ago (can you believe that?!), now the famous doll line is introducing its latest move toward fair representation: the mixed race Barbie.
All fair skinnned, the dolls, named Jayla, Kara, Trichelle and Chandra, are the first of their kind. The four “So In Style,” dolls as the creator calls them, were unveiled today as part of a cultural Barbie retrospective at Selfridges’ Wonder Room concept store, a high-end UK-based department store chain.
The new breed of dolls — all outfitted in Jay-Z’s Rocawear brand clothing — are being featured as part of an exhibition to celebrate the 40 years of black Barbie history.
The woman behind the creation of the So In Style girls, Barbie designer Stacey McBride-Irby, says her inspiration behind the new representation of the color spectrum was her daughter and her own heritage.
“As a Barbie doll designer for more than 10 years, I want African American girls to know that dolls can represent their career aspirations, hobbies and ethnic backgrounds. Barbie inspired me to realize my dream of becoming a designer, and I want my dolls to inspire girls to play, create and live out their dreams,” explains McBride-Irby.
The dolls are available for 25 pounds or 38 U.S. dollars … at least until they make their way to the bargain bin, if the Walmart black Barbie pricing flap is any indicator of their fate. That aside, welcome, ladies. –gerald radford
