lifestyle

Barbie doesn't look like Barbie anymore. She looks like us.

Barbie with stretch marks
Photo: Nickolay Lamm.

 

 

 

 

 

Barbie‘s had a makeover — and we reckon it’s a major improvement.

Earlier this year US designer Nickolay Lamm created a “normal” barbie, which has the proportions of an average 19-year-old woman.

Now he’s created some excellent new features for the “Lammily” dolls: a series of stickers including cellulite, tattoos and scars, which can be placed anywhere on the doll.

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The result? A more realistic, accessible doll that reflects a diverse range of experience girls face growing up — bumps and scratches, mosquito bites, cellulite, moles and bruises.

According to Buzzfeed, other additions include glasses, grass and dirt stains, and temporary tattoos.

“I’ve seen kids playing with these stickers and saw how they put the stickers on and off, laughing and showing the customized doll to their parents,” Lamm told BuzzFeed News. “The ‘imperfect’ nature of it isn’t an issue. I feel it makes the doll more relatable…

“I want to show that average is beautiful.”

Some of the stickers (post continues after gallery):

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In more exciting news, Lamm says he has big plans for the dolls’ futures.

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He sees the line “including dolls of different ethnicities and different healthy body shapes”, and wants the doll’s accessories to be “reflective of real life in miniature form”. 

“I envision her reading books that inform and playing instruments that educate on the sounds and intricacies of music. I see her constructing her own home, cultivating her own garden while learning about the wonders of plants and vegetables and eating these nourishing and healthy foods,” the designer writes for the Huffington Post.

“I also see some special edition dolls based on inspirational role models: sports stars, actors, leaders. And, yes, of course I want the Lammily line to include male dolls.”

Lamm says his dolls represent the idea of “being true to yourself in a world that too often convinces us to pursue an unattainable fantasy”.

“Every one of our bodies is different, so we should not be aspiring to some idealized standard,” he says.

Bravo, Lamm. We can’t wait to see what you come up with next.

 Kids react to the Lammily dolls:

 

The Lammily stickers are available to order on his website for $5.99. (https://lammily.com/)