The “Barbie” movie of last summer was a wonderland of representation. But in the toy store aisles, Mattel’s iconic doll, who turns 65 this year, has been inclusive for a while. The Fashionistas line, which launched in 2009, now features more than 175 dolls of different skin tones, body types and disabilities. There are Barbies who use a wheelchair or hearing aids, Barbies with vitiligo and Barbies with a prosthetic limb. The lineup expands annually in an effort to reflect more children’s own life experiences; recently, Black Barbie with Down syndrome joined the roster.
This summer sees another new doll: Blind Barbie, who wears a lavender tiered skirt and sunglasses, and carries a cane. She launched alongside a clothing collection in kids’ and adults sizes by the Canadian adaptive fashion brand Aille Design.
Blind Barbie joins the Fashionistas line of dolls.
Kevin Hipp“This fashion collection is more than a braille shirt, dress or scarf,” said Aille Design founder Alexa Jovanovic. “It’s a movement for every person who has ever felt different to be encouraged to share their story and show the world who they really are and how they wish to be seen.”
Designer Alexa Jovanovic with her Aille Designs pieces, available at ailledesign.com.
Phoebe CheongPronounced “eye,” Aille began as a research project on braille fashion in Jovanovic’s final year of fashion school at Toronto Metropolitan University. “My journey in inclusive fashion and disability advocacy began there,” she said, “I was mentored by social justice fashion trailblazer Ben Barry.” Barry was the Dean of Fashion at TMU; he is now Dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons/The New School in New York City. “He played a significant role in helping me understand the challenges within our industry and fostered my passion for increasing authentic disability representation and social change in fashion.”
Her first studio was in TMU’s The Fashion Zone in Toronto; in 2020 she made the brand her full-time commitment and has since expanded operations into the U.S. market, where she now has her headquarters in Buffalo.
Over the past 10 years, Jovanovic has worked alongside the blind and visually impaired community to build Aille.
For the Barbie x Aille Design collection, she collaborated with three low-vision models and disability advocates: Mara Lauren Hutchinson, a legally blind content creator, TV reporter and fashion influencer; Chelsea Langerud, a visually impaired content creator and writer; and Iolanta (Lana) Mamatkazina, a 13-year-old legally blind opera singer and braille reader.
Chelsea Langerud and Mara Lauren Hutchinson wearing Aille Designs pieces.
Phoebe CheongThe standout piece of the collection is the Classic Chevron Braille Dress. It was inspired by the chevron bathing suit worn by the original 1959 Barbie, but has been reimagined with a modern silhouette. The braille on this dress features a series of phrases including “original style icon,” “changing the world,” “powered by purpose,” “fashion is for everyone” and “the future is inclusive.”
“I definitely felt very powerful and bold and beautiful in the black and white dress,” said Langerud. “Seeing all the braille on it and the Barbie logo right next to the braille was really very powerful.”
Mara Lauren Hutchinson in a scarf featuring braille messages.
Phoebe CheongMeanwhile, the scarf features 400 Swarovski pearls making up a message in braille: “When we learn about those around us, we in turn learn even more about ourselves. The stories we share define who we are, build community, and make us better together.” There is also a Barbie-pink T-shirt with text that reads “This Barbie Is,” with “Inclusive” written below in braille of Swarovski pearl beadwork.
Some of the design elements you don’t “see” immediately have to do with texture, said Jovanovic. “We seek out fabrics and materials that have a distinct texture or are incredibly soft on the skin.” She aims to elevate the tactile experience wherever possible for a practical reason: it makes it easy for the wearer to distinguish between items in their closet.
Washable QR codes connect to a page on the website which is screen-reader accessible; it provides a full transcript of the braille beadwork as well as care instructions.
Opera singer Lana Mamatkazina, 13.
Phoebe CheongFor all three of the Barbie x Aille Design models, working on the campaign was a singular experience. People in the disability community “don’t get chances like this,” said Hutchinson. “They see our disabilities and they turn away. So for me to be here, sharing my story and expressing that I truly do love fashion, I’m blown away.”
Mamatkazina, the youngest of the three, was happy to meet the other two models, hear their inspirational stories and see “how they grew up to be such great individuals.”
“I feel so much more confident,” she said. “I’ve never felt this Barbie before!”
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