Barbie is on a mission to be more reflective of the world kids see around them — and we are here for it.
This year, the latest additions to its Barbie Fashionistas include Ken in a wheelchair, Ken with rooted hair reflecting an afro, and Barbie with lighter skin with vitiligo. The dolls will also be rolling out new packaging that includes a reusable bag for kids to carry their dolls for more portable and sustainable play.
Ken with a wheelchair will be introduced for the first time after the popularity of Barbie with a wheelchair, which came out in 2019. Barbie in a wheelchair also gets an update this year with a refreshed look that comes with accessories — a fanny pack and sunglasses or earrings — and a ramp that is compatible with the Barbie Dreamhouse. According to Mattel, Barbie with a wheelchair was the second most popular Fashionistas doll in the world.
Last year, Ken with long, rooted hair joined the Fashionistas line for the first time, and this year, the style expands with a Black Ken Fashionista doll with rooted hair. Of the top Ken Fashionista best sellers in 2020, the Ken with long, rooted hair was the second most popular in the world.
This year, there will also be a Barbie with vitiligo doll on a Caucasian skin tone. A doll with vitiligo was introduced last year, and was one of the top five Fashionista best-sellers in the U.S. last year and in the top 10 globally, according to Mattel.
The new dolls in the collection will be available in the spring and fall at Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
The Barbie Fashionistas line has more than 175 looks, offering kids a variety of skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, and fashions for the Barbie and Ken dolls that they play with.
