The Barbie film is a bonafide mega-hit, raking in $162 million in product sales over its opening weekend—the most important film premiere of the 12 months up to now. All the things’s been arising dreamhouses and Malibu corvettes for Barbie since 1958. However it could take almost a decade from the long-lasting plastic doll’s debut for the world to expertise the primary Black Barbie design.
Whereas Christie is commonly thought-about the determine to come back out of Mattel with a darker pores and skin tone, the corporate launched Barbie’s buddy Francie in 1967, earlier than Christie—touted as Barbie’s buddy—would arrive on the scene and alter the face of the doll model perpetually. Right here, EBONY chronicles a few of the most iconic Black Barbies and collections over the previous 5 a long time.
“Christie”
Mattel launched a doll design with brown pores and skin and brief curled hair in 1968. Billed as Barbie’s buddy and obtainable as a speaking model, Christie is commonly thought-about Mattel’s first Barbie of coloration. The Christie doll was manufactured from 1968 to 1972.
“Julia”
In 1969, Mattel launched “Julia,” a Barbie primarily based on Diahann Carroll’s title character on the 1968 TV sequence of the identical identify. This was the first weekly sequence to star an African American lady in an expert, non-stereotypical position, as Julia was a nurse.
“Black Barbie”
With the tagline, “She’s Black. She’s stunning. She’s dynamite,” the primary Black doll with the Barbie moniker made her debut on toy cabinets. Created in 1979 and launched a 12 months later, this Barbie had brief, curly black hair that was a well-liked fashion within the eighties.
“Completely Hair Barbie”
“Completely Hair” Barbie, launched in 1992, had hair that reached her ankles. Wearing a brightly-colored geometric print mini-dress, a mode popularized within the nineties, she bought greater than 10 million dolls worldwide and have become of the highest-selling Barbies of all time.
“Dolls of the World” Assortment
Mattel created its “Dolls of the World” Assortment, which featured dolls wearing conventional attrire from different nations. Kenyan Barbie made her debut in 1993 wearing a standard Masai moran (warrior) costume.
Different dolls included within the assortment included South African Barbie, Nigerian Barbie and Ghanaian Barbie, launched in 1996. She wears an authentically styled tunic costume constituted of Kente material.
Superstar “Future’s Little one Barbie”
All through the a long time, Mattel has made celebrity-inspired Barbies. In 2005 they immortalized Future’s Little one, ranked by Billboard as one of many best musical trios of all time. It options Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams in shimmery robes. Different movie star Barbies embrace Diana Ross, Nicki Minaj and Brandy.
Function Fashions, “Yara Shahidi”
Since 2015, Barbie has been on a mission to honor various position fashions. In 2019, South African singer/songwriter Lira (Lerato Molapo), tennis nice Naomi Osaka, mannequin and activist Adwoa Aboah and actress and activist Yara Shahidi all noticed themselves replicated in 11.5 inches of plastic.
Barbiestyle x Shiona Turini
Vogue advisor, stylist, and costume designer Shiona Turini created a set for Mattel in 2020 that celebrated range. The four-style assortment options 10 fashions with totally different pores and skin tones and sizes—together with a doll in a wheelchair–in up to date kinds. One of many platforms paid homage to the unique Black Barbie.
“President Barbie” (2023)
Mattel has launched in new President Barbie for 2023! Wearing a pink and gold ballgown, she pays homage to EBONY July cowl woman Issa Rae’s position within the Barbie movie.
See a full assortment of Barbie dolls at The Robust Nationwide Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
