Barbie and Ken reflect body diversity with hearing aids, colourful prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and skin conditions
- Mattel is increasing the diversity of its range and now has Barbie and Ken dolls with various skin tones, hair colours and textures, eye shades, and body types
- Some of the dolls have hearing aids or a prosthetic leg, others are in a wheelchair, or have the skin condition vitiligo
Barbie and Ken dolls have remained one of the world’s bestselling toys since their launch in 1959.
Mattel has added more diverse dolls to add to its “Barbie Fashionistas” line in an effort to make more children feel included. They include dolls with wheelchairs, hearing aids, and prosthetic limbs.
“The Fashionistas line began with a variety of skin tones, hair colours and textures, eye colours and facial structures and has since expanded to include body diversity, dolls reflecting permanent disabilities, dolls with no hair and dolls with skin conditions like vitiligo, across Barbie and Ken,” says Kelly Philp, Mattel’s UK marketing director.
Philp adds there are now more than 175 Barbie and Ken dolls, all with different skin tones, hair colours and textures, eye colours, and body types.
The first Barbie doll in 1959 wore a striped swimsuit, red lipstick, and had a blonde ponytail.
