Barbie now curvy, tall and petite
The 9-year-old and her mother said they are working on getting in touch with local shelters and social services to figure out the best way to distribute the dolls to girls in need in their area.
Mattel has given
Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer of Mattel, said that Barbie had to “grow with the times”. First, they introduced dolls that could (gasp!) wear flats, and then they featured a boy in a commercial for the very first time to promote Moschino Barbie.
The 33 new dolls in the Fashionistas range also come in a variety of skin tones, hair styles and outfits – but will all still be called Barbie. Facing competition from other dolls and girl- oriented toys such as the Lego Friends line, the product’s sales tumbled 14 percent in the most recently reported quarter.
TIME reports that the new versions will be sold alongside the original small-waisted, big-busted Barbie.
“We believe we have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty”, said Evelyn Mazzocco, Senior Vice President and Global General Manager Barbie. It’s the first major change by Mattel in the iconic doll’s 57-year history.
Mattel has always been criticized for the doll’s unrealistic body proportions, a reputation it’s been trying to fight as it brings the brand in line with modern expectations.