Today Barbie and Black In Fashion Council have announced an intentional partnership. The special announcement is reflective of Black designers comprising only 7.3% of the fashion industry, despite the community’s significant influence. BIFC is recognized throughout the fashion market for its aim to increase representation and secure the advancement of Black individuals in the fashion and beauty industry.
The partnership celebrates three emerging Black female designers who have broken significant barriers for women in fashion: Larissa Muehleder, Nia Thomas, and Fumi Egbon. Additionally, Barbie and BIFC have enlisted Blake Newby, digital content creator, TV personality, and podcast host. Newby has interviewed the designers who’ve shared their career journeys and advice for future generations compelled to follow their paths in design.
According to a press release, through these conversations, each designer identified a barrier to entry to becoming a fashion designer. To assist with addressing 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,” a statement reads.
This year, Barbie also celebrates the 45th anniversary of the first Black Barbie doll which was designed by trailblazing designer Kitty Black Perkins. To commemorate the anniversary, Kitty Black Perkins worked with Barbie to create a celebratory doll–the doll is available for sale at Mattel Shop’s webstore.
“My tenure at Mattel has been the reward of a lifetime,” shared 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.”
Larissa Muehleder, the founder and creative director of luxury fashion brand Muehleder sits at a unique position in the industry. She enmeshes her Nigerian heritage with her affinity for vibrant colors and textures. In her interview, she spoke of the importance of building a brand rooted in storytelling to successfully go to market. To expound upon this notion 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.”
Nia Thomas is the eponymous label founded in 2018. It was created to dismantle the luxury fashion model paired with a belief in creating space for herself in an industry that is often gatekept. Each of Nia’s pieces are distinct and crafted with intention–speaking to the designer’s level of dedication to craftsmanship. Thomas keyed in on the need for accessible mentorship which fosters a network that champions mutual growth and understanding–these notions can transform the solitary pursuit of entrepreneurship and fashion design into a more fulfilling journey. To cover Thomas’ unique journey 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,” a statement notes.
Fumi Egbon launched Fumi the Label in 2021 with a unique aim to serve women who view fashion as a means of self-expression and empowerment. With her colorful and bold designs, Egbon is deeply 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.” Barbie and BIFC are slated to bring in industry leaders and dedicate a full day of programming geared toward a young professional audience at ENVSN. The aim is to mentor and coach the future generation of fashion professionals. Topics range from price points, brand identity, sourcing, and marketing fundamentals.
“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. Through this collaboration, we’re not just celebrating creativity– we’re actively creating pathways for girls to pursue their fashion design dreams,” said Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls, Mattel.
“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,” Sandrine Charles, co-founder of BIFC shared in a statement.
“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,” Lindsay Peoples, co-founder of BIFC shared in a statement.
@BarbieStyle also proudly kicked off Black History Month with Aurora James, creative director and founder of Brother Vellies. Initially founded in 2013, Brother Vellies was created to highlight and maintain traditional African design practices while sustaining artisanal professions. James teamed up with Barbie to style a feature on the @BarbieStyle Instagram account–on it, dolls are wearing an assortment of Brother Vellies’ signature styles. Additionally, James was a special guest on the Barbie Podcast where she discussed her journey within fashion.
To further celebrate Black History Month with Barbie, fans can shop the 1980’s Black Barbie Collection and Black History Month apparel lines which are currently available in Amazon’s online store. The lines encompass a dozen graphic tees featuring iconic Black Barbie images.
