Barbie Partnering with Black in Fashion Council to Empower the Next Generation of Black Female Fashion Designers in Celebration of Black History Month
Celebration continues with the 45th Anniversary of Black Barbie, Aurora James spotlight, and new product
Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) announced today that Barbie is 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.
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Barbie Partnering with Black in Fashion Council to Empower the Next Generation of Black Female Fashion Designers in Celebration of Black History Month (Photo: Business Wire)
Knowing that Black designers make up only 7.3% of the fashion industry1, 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.
Barbie is partnering with the Black in Fashion Council (BIFC), an organization aiming to increase representation and secure the advancement of Black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry, to highlight and celebrate three emerging Black female designers who have broken barriers for women in fashion. Barbie and BIFC 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.
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. The designers featured, and their identified barriers include:
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Larissa Muehleder – Larissa is the Founder and Creative Director of the luxury fashion brand Muehleder, which seamlessly blends her Nigerian heritage with her passion for vibrancy. She is dedicated to empowering women to celebrate their individuality and embrace their unique beauty. In Larissa's interview, she focused on the importance of building a brand rooted in storytelling in order to successfully go to market.
- BIFC and Barbie will collaborate on an interactive session at ENVSN designed to provide children with an empowering space to ignite their imaginations, boost their confidence, and encourage self-expression. Activities such as creating character storyboards, drawing, and highlighting inspiring imagery will foster a sense of community and connection among young people of color. This initiative offers a vital opportunity to nurture creativity, which could have a positive impact on future career aspirations.
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Nia Thomas – Nia founded her fashion label in 2018 to redefine luxury fashion with a bold commitment to breaking barriers and creating space for diverse voices within the industry. Her meticulously crafted pieces are not only fashion statements but also a celebration of artistry, empowerment, and individuality. Nia identified the need for accessible mentorship that fosters a network that champions mutual growth and understanding to transform the often-solitary pursuit of fashion design into a richer, more fulfilling journey.
- Recognizing that fashion design can be an industry that lacks a traditional career path, Barbie and BIFC will select three teens to receive one-on-one career advice, building upon BIFC's existing mentorship booth at the ENVSN career fair. The mentorship opportunity aims to equip young designers with the knowledge and resources they need, including information about relevant classes, extracurricular activities, and internship opportunities.
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Fumi Egbon – Fumi launched Fumi the Label in 2021, aiming to serve women who view fashion as a tool for self-expression and empowerment. Through her striking, bold designs, Fumi is committed to making women feel seen, confident and unapologetically themselves. Fumi expressed the need for designers to be adequately equipped to run a business, as being creative is often only a piece of the puzzle.
- With a desire for a stronger foundation in business and financial fundamentals, Barbie and BIFC will bring in industry leaders and dedicate a full day of programming geared towards a young professional audience at ENVSN to mentor and coach the next generation of fashion professionals in topics ranging from price points, brand identity, sourcing, and marketing fundamentals to developing a successful brand framework.
"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, available for sale at Mattel Shop.
"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."
@BarbieStyle is proud to have kicked off Black History Month with Aurora James, Creative Director and Founder of Brother Vellies. She founded Brother Vellies in 2013 with the goal of maintaining traditional African design practices and sustaining artisanal professions. Aurora teamed up with Barbie to style a feature on the BarbieStyle Instagram channel, showcasing dolls wearing a range of Brother Vellies' signature styles including the Doodle Boot and two Vellies.
The Barbie Podcast spotlighted Aurora as a special guest, featuring her journey of becoming a trailblazer in the fashion industry. Fans can listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Audible, and follow along with the Barbie Podcast episode guides made in partnership with Girls Leadership.
Fans can also celebrate Black History Month with Barbie through the 1980's Black Barbie Collection and Barbie Black History Month apparel lines available in Amazon's online store. The collection, available now at the Barbie Amazon storefront, includes over a dozen graphic tees featuring iconic Black Barbie images in a wide variety of sizes and colors.
1 https://www.zippia.com/fashion-designer-jobs/demographics/
About Black in Fashion Council
Founded by Editor in Chief of The Cut, Lindsay Peoples, and Founder of Sandrine Charles Consulting, Sandrine Charles, the Black in Fashion Council is a collective of editors, models, stylists, freelance creatives, and industry stakeholders, created to build a new foundation for inclusivity within the fashion industry. For change to occur, non-Black brands, publications, and people of influence must carefully examine their roles in helping or hurting Black people who work in these spaces. The Black in Fashion Council works to advocate for diversity and inclusion in corporate structures while rectifying systemically racist policies that have permeated the fashion industry for years.
About ENVSN
ENVSN founded by Sharifa Murdock and Laura Stylez is an organization driven by five powerful areas that shape your journey: wellness, career, money know-how, mentorship, and culture; always evolving, adapting to the fast-paced world.
ENVSN knows that your personal growth is influenced by the opportunities and resources you have—or sometimes don't. That's why ENVSN Festival is here to change that. ENVSN wants to inspire you, the trailblazing Gen Z, Gen Alpha and millennial leaders of color, and give you the real tools to make your dreams come true. In today's world, culture thrives on technology and the hunger for progress. ENVSN invites you to explore the exciting possibilities of the future, surrounded by new friends, mentors who've got your back, and a ton of resources to fuel your journey.
ENVSN is your power-up. ENVSN empowers you with knowledge, mentorship, and resources to become an unstoppable force, igniting inspiration and fueling your passion. Get ready to activate your future and make a lasting impact on the world.
Be the girl you ENVSN.
About Mattel
Mattel is a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends™, UNO®, Masters of the Universe®, Matchbox®, Monster High®, MEGA® and Polly Pocket®, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world's leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us at mattel.com
About Brother Vellies
Brother Vellies was founded in 2013 with the goal of keeping traditional African design practices, and techniques alive while also creating and sustaining artisanal jobs. Now handmade artisanally across the globe, Brother Vellies creates luxury accessories that celebrate cultural histories and timeless design.
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