Mattel Launches Line of Gender-Nonconforming Dolls

“Through research, we heard that kids don’t want their toys dictated by gender norms,” said Kim Culmone, senior vice president of Mattel Fashion Doll Design

Mattel, Inc., the toy company perhaps best known for bringing the iconic and hyperfeminine Barbie dolls to children across the world, has launched a new line of gender-nonconforming dolls, NBC News reported.

The Creatable World dolls come with short hair and a kit with a longer wig and a variety of clothing options, which children can use to customize their toys’ gender expression. Mattel promises that children can create more than 100 distinct looks with each set. 

“Toys are a reflection of culture and as the world continues to celebrate the positive impact of inclusivity, we felt it was time to create a doll line free of labels,” Kim Culmone, senior vice president of Mattel Fashion Doll Design, said in a statement.

Mattel worked with parents, physicians and other experts to develop the product and tested the dolls with 250 families from seven states, including 15 children who identify as trans, gender-nonbinary or gender-fluid. As of Wednesday, the six different doll kits are available for purchase online for around $30. Mattel will be rolling out the dolls’ availability in stores at a later time.

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