Mattel announced today the addition of a Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome, created to allow even more children to find a doll that represents them and inspire all children to tell more stories through play. This diversity and inclusion initiative is celebrated by Down Syndrome South Africa, who are committed to empowering and finding ways to improve the quality of life of all persons with Down syndrome.
“We recognize that Barbie is much more than just a doll; she represents self-expression and can create a sense of belonging,” said Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls. “We proudly introduce a Black doll with Down syndrome to our Barbie Fashionistas line, reinforcing our commitment to creating products that represent global belonging and inclusivity in the doll aisle.”
“As an organisation working with persons with Down syndrome and their families, DSSA is excited to hear of the launch of a second Barbie Doll with Down syndrome. The Barbie Fashionista range continues to show inclusivity and representation of persons with disabilities. The inclusion of a Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome is empowering and a significant step towards a more inclusive world where everyone’s uniqueness is celebrated”, says Elaine Passmoor, National Executive Director at Down Syndrome South Africa.
In 2023 Barbie introduced the first-ever Barbie doll with Down syndrome, which won the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year award presented by the Toy Association. This year, Barbie once again partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to introduce its next doll with Down syndrome to the Barbie Fashionistas 2024 lineup. Throughout all stages of the design process, Barbie and NDSS worked together to ensure the Black Barbie doll with Down syndrome accurately reflected and resonated with members of the Down syndrome community. NDSS connected Barbie with a focus group of Black individuals from the Down syndrome community, including a young Black woman with Down syndrome, to review the doll’s sculpt, hair, fashion and glasses:
Sculpt: Barbie collaborated with the NDSS to accurately represent physical characteristics of people with Down syndrome including a shorter frame, longer torso and low muscle tone. Additionally, the doll’s palms include a single line, a characteristic often associated with those with Down syndrome. Special care was put into the face sculpt, featuring a rounder shape, smaller ears, and a flat nasal bridge. The eyes are slightly slanted in an almond shape while white dots can be seen in the iris.
Hair: The doll has a braided hair texture which was one of the key features asked from the Black Down syndrome community.
Fashion: Symbols are incorporated throughout the doll’s outfit, and the blue and yellow color palette represents Down syndrome awareness. The three arrows in some of the hearts on the dress, represent the third 21st chromosome that individuals with Down syndrome have.
Glasses: The doll also wears pink eyeglasses, representing individuals with Down syndrome who often experience difficulties with their vision.
“NDSS is thrilled to introduce a second Barbie doll with Down syndrome. Having this doll launched alongside the new Barbie doll with Blindness marks another important step in expanding representation for the disability community,” said Kandi Pickard, President and CEO, NDSS. “We are proud to partner with Barbie as they grow to reflect our diverse and beautiful world.”
Doll play has proven to help develop empathy and social processing skills among children, fueling social skills needed to excel in their futures as they imagine they can be anything. As the brand’s most diverse doll line, the Barbie Fashionistas series offers more than 175+ looks in a variety of skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities and fashions. This includes dolls with vitiligo, dolls that use a wheelchair or a prosthetic limb, a doll with hearing aids and a doll without hair. The 2024 Fashionistas dolls aim to advance Barbie’s continued goal of reflecting a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion, allowing more children to see their world reflected through play.
To celebrate this launch, Barbie is also collaborating with accessible fashion brand Aille Design on a Barbie-inspired collection, featuring pieces with braille beadwork. Details include Barbie’s original black and white herringbone pattern on a slip dress, a black neck scarf and a classic t-shirt in a hue of iconic Barbie pink, each featuring Aille’s signature design footprint, braille text using Swarovski crystal pearls, throughout each design.
