This Barbie is raising awareness.
And they are doing it with the latest addition to Mattel’s inclusive Fashionista Barbie line-up: the first ever doll with type 1 diabetes.
And as Mattel emphasized in a July 8 statement its collaboration with Breakthrough T1D was "designed with inclusion and empathy at the core."
The doll is fitted with a glucose monitor patch, a wearable insulin pump and personal diabetes Manager (PDM) in her purse. Plus, her blue polka dot outfit references a symbol of awareness of the disease, a chronic condition in which the body produces little to no insulin.
“This addition to the line enables more children to see themselves reflected in Barbie,” Mattel said in its statement, “and encourages doll play that extends beyond a child’s own lived experience, thereby fostering a greater sense of inclusion and empathy—all pillars of the Barbie brand’s mission.”
To celebrate the release, Mattel honored two type 1 diabetes ambassadors Peloton instructor Robin Arzón and Kate Moss’ model daughter Lila Moss, presenting them with their own one-of-a-kind dolls.
Lila—who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 12—assisted directly with all the details that went into her doll. The 22-year-old’s Barbie is dressed in a sleek little black dress, with her personalized touches, including her continuous glucose monitor (CGM) on her right arm, an insulin pump on her left thigh and her PDM in her chic black handbag, and her sleek gold jewelry.
“I hope this Barbie helps people understand that, even with T1D, you can still do everything you want to do,” Lila said in an interview with British Vogue published July 8. “I hope it encourages others to feel confident in showing their own patches and pumps too.”
She added, “We don’t need to hide our differences.”
Indeed, Lila not only hopes that the Barbie will help raise awareness, but add a little comfort to her mom when they are apart.
“But my mum has always said, ‘I wish I could carry you around in my handbag!’” Lila joked. “So, maybe now she finally can.”