Mattel Rolls Out More Diverse Barbies Including Dolls With Vitiligo, No Hair

By Mikelle Leow, 28 Jan 2020

Image via Mattel

Children of the decades before might have struggled to resonate with the platinum blonde locks and hourglass silhouette of the Barbie doll, but young ones of these times are much luckier. Mattel has been rolling out dolls of multiple skin tones, body types, and physical conditions of late, which means you might finally find one that looks like you.

For its 2020 lineup, the Barbie doll maker will introduce more likenesses in its Barbie Fashionistas line to better reflect diversity in society. New this year are a doll with no hair, a revamped Ken figure with long tresses, as well as Barbie’s second doll with a prosthetic limb that has a darker complexion.

Also notable are a couple of fan requests that have been acceded—one in a wheelchair and another with vitiligo.

Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head of Barbie, explains in a statement obtained by USA Today, “We’ve been committed to increasing diversity in our line and showcasing all the different types of beauty that exist… making the line more accessible.”

According to USA Today, more than half of all Barbie dolls were diverse in 2019. In fact, Mattel’s best-selling Fashionistas from the year deviated from the traditional, unattainable look—the most popular one was a curvy black doll sporting an Afro, another came with a wheelchair, while seven others were also diverse.

The new dolls join the range’s collection of 176 Barbie Fashionistas figurines, some of which were inspired by fans. To date, the Barbie Fashionistas range features nine body types, 35 skin tones, and 94 hairstyles.

2020’s additions will drop in two phases. The Barbie doll with vitiligo and updated Ken doll are now available, while the figure with a prosthetic leg and the bald doll will be released in June.