SAN ANTONIO – Barbie has announced the second-ever ‘Dia de Muertos’ doll, one of the iconic brand’s most popular dolls in 2019.
The doll’s popularity inspired the company to start a new tradition at Barbie by introducing the 2020 edition of the doll.
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Barbie celebrates the time-honored tradition of Día de Muertos with a new collectible doll honoring the symbols and...
Posted by Barbie on Wednesday, September 2, 2020
According to Mattel toy company in a press release, the 2019 edition of the collectible doll had an encore appearance in the online shop after the first time it sold out.
The doll was so well received last year that Barbie Signature decided to acknowledge it as the first in an official collection of dolls to celebrate the two-day holiday.
Javier Meabe, the doll’s designer, said he hopes his art brings more awareness to the Dia de Muertos celebration.
"My hope for these dolls is that they’re able to bring more awareness to the Dia de Muertos celebration, Meabe said in a statement from Mattel. “The Dia de Muertos celebration is very important because it honors and pays respect to family and friends that are no longer with us. It is such a beautiful tradition and I love that Barbie is now honoring the Dia de Muertos holiday. I also know how important representation is in our community, and I wanted little girls to see themselves through this doll. Barbie has always been a doll that celebrates women and dreams and inspires girls. I am beyond grateful that Barbie is now celebrating traditions and cultures that mean so much to so many people.”
This year’s Barbie doll features a vibrant face painted in a captivating Calavera (Spanish for skull) design. The doll’s blush-colored lace dress is embellished with tiny pearlescent details and opens slightly to reveal a second layer embroidered with floral and skeleton accents.
“We wanted to make sure that the second Dia de Muertos Barbie was just as special as the first doll,” Meabe said. “Research is always the first thing I do before putting my pencil on paper. So, I looked at new elements that we could introduce to the second doll.”
The second edition of the doll features new textures, fabrics, flowers and a new dress silhouette. Artists and designers from Barbie found ways to introduce new elements to the second doll while still keeping traditional aspects important to the Dia de Muertos celebration. Traditional elements from the holiday like marigolds, skeleton details, and Calaveras makeup.
The 2020 Dia de Muertos Barbie Doll is a Black Label doll and will retail for $75 in the online shop.
Mattel said a limit order of one doll per person would be implemented during the debut so that as many people as possible can add her to their collections.
Click here to order your doll.
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