(NEXSTAR) — A new line of Barbie dolls is hitting store shelves Monday with a little something “extra.”
Mattel is offering five new dolls that are styled with bold over-the-top looks and have a variety of body types, skin tones and facial structures.
“Meet new friends that are oh-so EXTRA rocking unique styles paired with pets & tons of accessories,” Mattel said of its new “Barbie Extra” dolls. “When it comes to fashion, their mantra is MORE is MORE!”
Each doll is paired with pets that have their own accessories and style as well.
“Barbie is at her best when she connects to culture and Barbie Extra does just that from the name, down to every detail and accessory,” Kim Culmone, Mattel senior vice president and global head of Design Barbie & Fashion Dolls, told USA TODAY. “The dolls are fun and playful, letting kids dial up their self-expression and fashion fantasy play by showing them you can be a trendsetter at every age.”
Culmone said the company used such designs as street style, fashion runways and culture for inspiration for the new dolls.
“Barbie is at her best when she connects to culture and Barbie Extra does just that from the name, down to every detail and accessory,” Culmone said told USA Today. “The dolls are fun and playful, letting kids dial up their self-expression and fashion fantasy play by showing them you can be a trendsetter at every age.”
Amid criticism over the years about how the company has portrayed beauty, more emphasis has been put on diversity over the last five years.
In early 2020, Mattel added to its Barbie Fashionistas line to reflect social diversity, including a doll with a darker complexion and one with no hair. Even Ken got a new look, featuring long blond locks instead of his signature short do.
Last year, Mattel debuted a doll with a prosthetic limb, and Barbie’s top seller in 2019 was a curvy black doll with an Afro.
Culmone said with Barbie Extra, “it was important to us to include a wide range of diversity so every child can find a doll that resonates with them.”
The dolls are being sold at Target, Walmart and on Amazon — just in time for the holidays — and sell for a suggested retail price of $24.99 each.
