Artist transforms Bratz dolls into world’s most inspirational women

Wendy takes so much care when “making” each doll, all of which are pre-owned: cleaning their faces with soap and water to remove the Bratz-style make-up, and designing their outfits with lots of love and attention to detail. Tsao said she was inspired to create her first role model doll after reading a children’s book about pioneer primatologist Jane Goodall’s youth.

Check out more of these super-cool dolls……

“I thought, ‘Wow, kids really respond to this young Jane Goodall, this would be a great doll, ‘” Tsao said. So far her recreations include Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar, scientist Jane Goodall, author and activist Waris Dirie, artist Frida Kahlo, author J.K. Rowling and activist Malala Yousafzai. “Will this have a positive impact on the child’s idea of what happens when we grow up?”

Tsao was inspired by Australian mom Sonia Singh’s “Tree Change Dolls” project, in which Singh removed the makeup and skimpy clothes from Bratz and other dolls to show what child-like dolls look like.

Wendy Tsao has transformed six of the generic toys into strong role models such as Malala Yousafzai and JK Rowling. “I don’t know whether it has a negative impact but it made me consider the alternative or opposite”.

On October 8 Tsao released a few of her new dolls that were made to look like a few of the world’s most inspirational women.

Wendy, who owns the company Child’s Own Studio, was also the one to start the trend of creating soft toys from illustrations.

“I was fascinated by the “make-unders” – down-to-earth transformations of the Bratz doll – by Sonja Singh, and she encouraged others to try it”, Tsao wrote in an email.

You remember Bratz dolls, right? “Can you outgrow Malala?”