Barbie's Fashionista Line Is Growing With More Diverse Options

If you grew up feeling like Barbie was the most beautiful girl ever, but knowing you didn’t resemble her, you’re not alone. But Barbie and Mattel are making sure girls and boys around the world have a doll they can relate to in their line of diverse, inclusive Barbie Fashionista line. The Barbie Fashionistas line is all about making sure every child is represented in the toy aisle and can see themselves in the toys they play with every day.

The Barbie Fashionistas line is where most of the brand’s diverse dolls and inclusive looks can be found, including Barbies with a whole spectrum of skin tones, hair textures and colors, and body types for little girls and boys to look up to. This year, some new dolls will be joining this representation-focused line.

For starters, Barbie with vitiligo will join the lineup. Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes loss of pigment in certain areas on the skin. There is already a Black Barbie doll with vitiligo in the brand’s offerings, and she was a top seller both in the United States and around the world. The addition of a new doll will bring another beautiful doll with vitiligo on a different skin tone so even more kids can see themselves on store shelves.

Next up is a Ken doll who uses a wheelchair. Barbie has been proudly using her wheelchair for some time now, and the brand saw such a large response to this doll (Mattel tells Romper that she was the #2 bestselling doll around the world in 2020) that they’re now adding Ken. And, as part of the new 2021 offerings, Barbie who uses a wheelchair will get two totally new fashion looks, complete with accessories like a fanny pack — they’re totally coming back — as well as sunglasses, earrings, and a ramp compatible with the Barbie Dreamhouse.

And finally, the Fashionistas line will welcome Ken with an afro-style head of hair. Last year, the Fashionistas line debuted a Ken doll with long hair for the first time. Now, they’re adding a Black Ken Fashionista doll with rooted hair in a seriously cool hairdo you’d expect to see on a European soccer player (why do they always have the coolest haircuts?!).

Also, all of these dolls come in new packaging that includes a reusable bag so kiddos can carry their Barbies with them (and not lose their accessories!) more easily. These new Barbie Fashionistas will be available at major retailers like Walmart, Target, and on Amazon, ranging from $9.99 to $19.99.