This Deepavali, Barbie dons Anita Dongre

The Barbie Signature Diwali doll
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

There is a new Barbie in town and she is all set for Deepavali. A collaboration between Mattel (a multinational toy and entertainment company) and Indian designer Anita Dongre, this is the first-ever Barbie Signature Diwali doll. The doll is garbed in a Moonlight-Bloom lehenga – a departure from the pink that Barbie is usually associated with – and has floral motifs like jasmine, lotus, and dahlia..

This is the latest addition to Mattel’s diverse line of Barbie dolls. And this collaboration tries to “merge the Indian cultural heritage with Barbie’s global influence”. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the iconic doll, which, through its various avatars and storytelling, encourages children to explore their potential and see themselves in the Barbies they play with.

Anita Dongre working on the doll
| Photo Credit:

“When Mattel approached me to collaborate on creating the Barbie Diwali doll, I was obviously thrilled with the opportunity to showcase India on a global scale,” says Anita. Mattel got in touch with her 18 months ago, and it took a year to make the doll. ”Barbie, for me, represents more than just a doll. Just like my brand goes beyond fashion and focusses on empowering women . We have a common goal, to inspire women to dream big, to live out their fullest potential and break boundaries. Honestly, I am honoured to collaborate with a brand that encourages women to chase their ambitions so unapologetically,” adds Anita.

Designing a doll is completely different from what the designer usually creates, so it came with its own challenges. “But it was also a fun process,” says Anita, adding, “The scale is small. We sketched a lot of silhouettes and I couldn’t make up my mind on what I wanted until I finally picked the Rajasthan-inspired blue choli top, floral koti vest, the lehenga skirt and the accessories in gold. I wanted it to be a contemporary design, and represent a cool modern fashion forward India that I see in the women around me today.”

Created to honour the spirit of the festival of lights, the Diwali Barbie will be available globally. “It’s meant to be a special collector’s item and will be available at top toy retailers offline and online,” adds Anita, who is excited to see how it will be received. 

Priced at ₹1,999.