Barbie Announces Partnership With Black in Fashion Council, Spotlights Emerging Designers for Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, Barbie is teaming up with the Black in Fashion Council to spotlight emerging designers and inspire the next generation of leaders in the fashion industry.
Mattel’s partnership seeks to address the statistic that Black designers make up only 7.3 percent of the fashion industry, despite the Black community having a significant and indelible impact on fashion.
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“We founded BIFC with a vision of an equal workforce across the fashion and beauty industry — knowing there are countless obstacles designers face during their careers — especially at the start,” Sandrine Charles, BIFC cofounder, said in a statement.
Barbie has tasked three up-and-coming Black designers — Nia Thomas, Fumi Egbon and Larissa Muehleder — with identifying barriers to entry to becoming a fashion designer. Barbie and BIFC will address these obstacles through custom programming geared toward kids, teens and young designers at the 2025 ENVSN Festival. The annual two-day event, catered to those aged 12 to 27, features panels with industry trailblazers, as well as hands-on workshops and interactive experiences.
“Having exposure to role models and resources is extremely important to help hone young talent. We’re thrilled to partner with Barbie to celebrate the incredible careers of Nia Thomas, Fumi Egbon, and Larissa Muehleder — amplifying the barriers they faced through curated workshops at ENVSN to provide opportunities for kids and adults alike to feel inspired and empowered to pursue their own dreams in fashion,” added BIFC cofounder Lindsay Peoples.
Thomas, Egbon and Muehleder will also be the subjects of a new interview series. Hosted by television personality, podcast host and content creator Blake Newby, the trio will elaborate on their career journeys and share their words of advice to future designers.
As part of its Black History Month initiative, Mattel has also debuted a 45th anniversary Black Barbie designed by Kitty Black Perkins, who dreamed up the original doll back in 1980. Available to shop now at Target, the updated version of Black Barbie models a scarlet off-the-shoulder gown.
“My tenure at Mattel has been the reward of a lifetime,” said Kitty Black Perkins, former chief designer of fashion dolls at Mattel. “Throughout my 28-year career there, I was steadfast in my dedication to advancing representation within the toy aisle, ensuring every young child had the chance to see themselves in Barbie.”
Finally, Barbie is highlighting Aurora James, founder of accessories brand Brother Vellies and the Fifteen Percent Pledge, this month. The fashion designer is the latest guest on the Barbie Podcast, and she also rang in Black History Month by dressing dolls in her label’s signature styles on the @BarbieStyle Instagram account.
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