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Mattel releases new Filipina Barbie doll designed by Filipino-American artist
Mattel’s new Barbie doll for its Styled by Design series is a Filipina doll by Filipino-American artist and designer Carlyle Nuera.
According to Mattel’s website, Nuera’s design pays homage to his Filipino heritage with haute couture flair, from the doll’s crown that was inspired by the Philippine sun to her modernized corset top matched with dramatic terno sleeves.
The doll is also wearing janggay jewelry, bakya platforms, and a malong-inspired skirt, while indigenous batok tattoos marked her arms.
On Instagram, Nuera shared that he could have designed anything, but he knew this was his chance to “do something meaningful for my people in the spirit of representation.”
“Being Filipino is my most foundational identity. I’ve always been proud to be Filipino, and that’s thanks to my family, my parents, siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, the way we grew up,” Nuera wrote.
Nuera was also the one who designed the Mutya Barbie in 2015.
“Mutya Barbie really changed the trajectory of my career and made me realize the power and platform I have as a designer, especially for an enduring global icon like Barbie. So I wanted to build upon all of that with my Styled By Design Barbie,” he said.
The new Filipina Barbie doll is available for pre-order on Mattel's website for $100 or approximately P5,700.
— Carby Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News
