China criticizes Mattel for Olympic Barbie collection 1:03
(CNN) --
The Barbie brand, the 63-year-old American doll maker, will launch a new set of dolls in June as part of its ongoing efforts for diversity and inclusion.
From creating the brand's first Barbie with hearing aids (hearing-impaired prosthetics) to a Ken doll with vitiligo, a skin condition, the 2022 Fashionista line, launching at Walmart, Target and Amazon, will help children to "see themselves reflected," Mattel's global head of Barbie Dolls, Lisa McKnight, said in a press release.
She added that children should also be encouraged to play with dolls that don't look like them to help them "understand and celebrate the importance of inclusion."
They release the first image of the Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie
For Barbie with Hearing Aids, the company drew on the expertise of Dr. Jen Richardson, a leading professional in educational audiology, to help accurately mimic the toy's behind-the-ear devices.
Male Barbie dolls will now be sold in less muscular body types.
(Credit: Mattel)
Richardson said the ponytailed Barbie with her hot pink hearing aid can inspire those who have experienced hearing loss.
"I am beyond excited for my young patients to see and play with a doll that looks just like them," she said in a news release.
Changes have also been made to Barbie's stereotypical body type.
From smaller breasts to fuller figures and even slimmer, less muscular male dolls, the new toys are meant to be more representative of various body types.
advertising
They celebrate the 96 years of Queen Elizabeth II with a barbie: look at the details that Mattel included
Barbie's Fashionista 2022 line.
(Credit: Mattel)
The range of Barbie dolls has become increasingly diverse in recent years.
In 2019 they released a blonde, blue-eyed Barbie in a wheelchair and a brunette doll with a prosthetic leg.
In 2020, the company introduced a black Barbie with the skin condition vitiligo;
it became one of the top sellers of the Fashionista line in the United States that year, according to the company.
Similarly, in 2021, a black doll with an afro hairstyle was a global hit, ranking as one of the top five most popular models worldwide.
Hearing aidsHearing impairmentInclusionToys
