Reinventing herself again: New Barbie line emphasizes diversity

The company that has introduced millions of Barbie dolls to children across generations has unveiled new versions that look more like the children who play with them.

Mattel is now claiming to be the most diverse doll line, with its recent launch of dolls that have vitiligo, a prosthetic leg and a bald head. Even Ken, Barbie’s companion throughout the decades, has a new look, with longer hair that stops just below his shoulders.

In the promotional video for the new toys, a blonde and blue-eyed Barbie’s plastic face is displayed with text that reads, “This is Barbie.” The ad then shows a split screen of a brown-skinned Barbie with brunette hair and a prosthetic leg next to a black Barbie with textured hair and vitiligo. The camera pans across differently painted Barbies.

The new era of Barbies is a far cry from the milky-colored doll that made her first appearance at the American Toy Fair in New York City nearly 61 years ago. That’s intentional, Lisa McKnight, senior vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls portfolio at Mattel, said in a statement.

“We are proud that Barbie is the most diverse doll line on the market that continues to evolve to better reflect the world girls see around them,” she said.

The United States was nearly 89 percent white and recognized only male and female genders at the time Barbie was introduced, according to census data. The nonwhite population today is nearly 24 percent, and more teens are identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming.

Mattel adapted its dolls to reflect the shift.