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Barbie Celebrates Black Fashion Designers Through a Collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row

Three well-known Black fashion designers’ work will be included in the new Barbies! 

In recognition of Black History Month, Barbie has teamed up with Harlem’s Fashion Row to highlight Black designers, according to WWD. 

Mattel’s Barbie has announced a new relationship with Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) in honor of Black History Month, demonstrating the company’s dedication to diversity and inclusion. The two are releasing a high-fashion publication that features exact duplicates of three Black designers’ ensembles. The Barbie dolls will wear the fun-sized original designs, which include outfits from Hanifa, Kimberly Goldson, and Rich Fresh.

The “Brooklyn Jacket,” from Hanifa’s fall 2021 collection, was designed by founder Anifa Mvuemba. It’s a dream coat, according to Mvuemba, and being able to show it off on a Barbie is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness another dream come true.

“Who didn’t love Barbie as a little girl? I loved my Barbie Dream House with the most perfect elevator. It gave me the chance to dream in real life. I’m so thankful for this opportunity to connect to my childhood and I’m happy to see that little Black girls everywhere can see themselves starting with their favorite toy,” said Mvuemba. 

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Kimberly Goldson and Shelly Powell, the founders of Goldson, will also be showing a look from their “Blissful Evolution” spring 2022 collection, which features their “Mari” dress, a multilayered, multi-texture maxi dress paired with their copper metallic “Lizzette” shorts, a sure-fire nod to the fabulousness of New York streetwear. 

“It is powerful of Barbie to use her platform to help bridge the gap on the way we look at people of various shades and from different backgrounds. That made it important for me to partner with her to wear Kimberly Goldson for Black History Month. I chose a look that personifies the KG aesthetic which is born out of our Brooklyn culture and driven by luxury. She’s ready for Bed-Stuy! ,” said Goldson.

The final look comes from Rich Fresh owner Patrick Henry, who goes by the moniker “Fresh.” Fresh’s muse, August McQueen, inspired the style, which is a tracksuit from his 2021 winter collection. Barbie has an effortless athleisure day to night transition with a bit of pizazz thanks to the color-blocked tracksuit. Fresh stated that participation in the project was critical owing to the need for representation. 

“What drew me to the Barbie project the most is the level of inclusivity I saw in the Barbie universe. There’s Barbies for everybody. Deliberately, I knew this would be a project I could get involved with. It’s important for kids of all cultures to see themselves. Representation is vital. Involving Black creatives gives us the opportunity to contribute to the narrative. The significance of doing this during Black History Month is important, but what’s more important is the continued efforts to involve creatives of all backgrounds to help represent themselves within the Barbie universe,” Fresh said. 

This week, the editorial will be released on Barbie’s global platform @BarbieStyle. The clothes, which were styled on genuine Barbies, will not be for sale; instead, they will be utilized to raise awareness and support for Harlem’s Fashion Row.

HFR and Icon360 founder and chief executive officer Brandice Daniel, spoke of the importance of the partnership, saying, “Since its inception, Barbie has been a rite of passage, an impression of self-awareness for young girls everywhere. Now, more than ever, Barbie celebrates our differences and I’m excited that Harlem’s Fashion Row gets to play a part in widely diversifying their style, too. With this Black History Month collaboration, Black designers…give Barbie fresh-off-the-runway appeal with their unique design aesthetics.” 

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