The issue of representation is obviously very important to us at Melanmag.com and the lack of it in many areas of society is something that we often reflect on.
Pop singer turned TV presenter Jamelia recently highlighted the lack of diversity in toys in mainstream stores and so we are pleased to see one of the biggest toy manufacturers, Mattel, who own the Barbie® range, launch 15 new and diverse Ken® dolls, featuring a variety of skin tones, eye colours, hairstyles and modern fashion looks.
Granted, we are jealous of how ‘on fleek’ new Ken’s eyebrows are, it’s great to see that the toy maker is clearly committed to offering more diverse products to their fan base, as last year, they introduced three new female Barbie body types – tall, curvy and petite.
A spokesperson for Barbie said:
“By continuing to expand our product line, we are redefining what a Barbie or Ken doll looks like to this generation. Evolving Ken was a natural evolution for the brand and allows girls to further personalize the role they want him to play in Barbie’s world.”
The range of dolls are available at Smyths, Argos, Toys R Us and Amazon in the UK from 26 June 2017, price £9.99 each.
