After being criticized for its lack of diversity, the famous American toy company Mattel offers collections that are as diverse as they are inclusive. Actress, painter, chef or physicist, Ici Paris has selected for you 10 dolls bearing the effigy of inspiring women who have marked history.
Katherine Johnson
©SPUS/ABACA
A physicist, mathematician and space engineer, Katherine Johnson has contributed to NASA’s aeronautical and space programs. For her body of work, she has received several awards and is included in the BBC’s list of 100 outstanding women.
©Mattel
Helene Darroze
©CEDRIC PERRIN / BESTIMAGE
The famous three-starred chef is the second Frenchwoman to be chosen by Mattel to embody the doll. Amandine Petit, Laure Manaudou or Léna Situations… French women are popular with the toy firm!
©Mattel
Jane Goodall
©Danita Delimont / Alamy / Abaca
A world-renowned primatologist, Jane Goodall has been involved since her youth in the study and preservation of apes. Today, she directs the Jane Goodall Institute for Biodiversity Protection, Sustainable Development Assistance and Education.
©Mattel
Ashley Graham
Plus-size model, Ashley Graham knew how to upset the codes of Fashion. In 2016, she was entitled to her Barbie doll version. A nice snub to all these slender models who look like Barbie dolls!
©Erik Pendzich / Alamy / Abaca
©Mattel
Frida Kahlo
©GL Archive / Alamy / Abaca
One of the greatest painters of the 20th century has been chosen by Mattel to embody one of the “Inspiring Women” of its collection. Symbol of feminism, her image is now declined in several objects.
©Mattel
Elizabeth II
©Alamy/ABACA
The Queen of England was also treated to a Barbie doll version during her Platinum Jubilee in 2022, inspired by her official visit to Ghana in 1961. 70 years of reign… It’s worth celebrating!
©Mattel
Dear
©ALPHA AGENCY / BESTIMAGE
Cher was fortunate to have several models in her image. This one reproduces the look she wore during her iconic concert in Berlin in 1992.
©Mattel
Audrey Hepburn
©Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy / Abaca
Audrey Hepburn is the epitome of perfect beauty for many moviegoers. The toy brand wanted to pay tribute to his character in Diamonds on couch which made her famous all over the world.
©Mattel
Rosa Parks
©World History Archive/ABACA
In 2019, Mattel adds the emblem of the fight against racial segregation in the United States to its collection of Barbie dolls. A way to pay tribute to his commitment.
©Mattel
Amelia Earhart
©Everett Collection/ABACA
The first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, Amelia Earhart’s stories have inspired courage and a sense of adventure in many young women around the world.
©Mattel
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