Pic: Business Wire
Barbie and BIFC have engaged Blake Newby, digital content creator, TV personality, and podcast host, to create a series of interviews with the designers, sharing their career journeys and advice for the next generation interested in pursuing design.
Barbie is also celebrating Black History month and multiple generations of Black female designers, past, present, and future – from the designer behind the first-ever Black Barbie doll to emerging designers making a name for themselves, to young girls considering a future career in fashion design.
Knowing that Black designers make up only 7.3 per cent of the fashion industry, despite the community’s significant influence on fashion, Barbie is committed to encouraging more young Black girls to consider a career in fashion design through partnerships that help break down barriers, unlock opportunity, and inspire the next generation.
Through these conversations, each designer identified a barrier to entry to becoming a fashion designer. To help address these barriers for the next generation, Barbie and BIFC are creating custom programming geared toward kids, teens, and young designers at the 2025 ENVSN festival. The ENVSN festival brings together thousands of attendees each year aged 12-27 for a two-day event with inspiring panels featuring industry trailblazers, hands-on workshops, and interactive experiences, Barbie said in a press release.
“As a brand that has proudly served as numerous fashion designers’ very first muse, Barbie is honored to continue to empower the next generation of fashion designers in partnership with Black in Fashion Council,” said Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of Dolls, Mattel. “Through this collaboration, we're not just celebrating creativity– we're actively creating pathways for girls to pursue their fashion design dreams.”
“The Black in Fashion Council is proud to team up with Barbie in support of their mission to inspire limitless possibilities for girls. 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,” said Sandrine Charles, co-founder, BIFC. “By using the Barbie brand’s global platform to celebrate Nia Thomas, Fumi Egbon, and Larissa Muehleder’s stories, while also providing resources to overcome the direct barriers they encountered, we hope to empower aspiring young designers and lessen those potential barriers for the next generation.”
“It has been so rewarding to witness our organization, Black in Fashion Council, drive long-lasting change in the fashion industry. Now we can add Barbie to our list of partners who share our commitment to breaking down barriers and creating more opportunities for future generations of black designers,” said Lindsay Peoples, co-founder, BIFC. “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.”
In 2025, Barbie is also celebrating the 45th anniversary of the first Black Barbie doll, designed by trailblazer Kitty Black Perkins. Before the iconic Black Barbie debuted in 1980, characters like Christie paved the way for diversity in the Barbie line. To commemorate the anniversary, Kitty Black Perkins worked with Barbie to create a celebratory doll.
“My tenure at Mattel has been the reward of a lifetime,” said Kitty Black Perkins, former chief designer of Fashion Dolls, 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. We have made significant strides since the first Black Barbie doll in 1980, and I’m proud to say Barbie continues to represent the broadest range of stories, careers, and backgrounds of dolls on the market. I was honored to partner with Barbie to design the 45th anniversary Black Barbie, which continues to serve as a reminder to young girls that they have the power to shape the world around them.”
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RR)