Barbie's Inspiring Women series commemorates Madam C.J. walker

If you're familiar with our Inspiring Women Collection, you know that it pays tribute to the incredible heroines of their time. If the collection is new to you, then we are delighted to tell you that we feature brave women who took risks and challenged the status quo with our selections. Each has helped pave the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever.

Today, we are honored to add Madam C.J. Walker to the series. Walker is a black businessman, philanthropist and activist. Born Sarah Breedlove, Walker was the daughter of parents who were formerly enslaved and became sharecroppers. She became an entrepreneur selling a line of hair care products and cosmetics, made specifically for black women. Her thriving business established her as the first documented female self-made millionaire in the United States.

"I was absolutely familiar with Madam C.J. Walker before this project!" says designer Carlyle Nuera, who led the Barbie Signature team to bring you this doll. “She has been on my dream list of icons to add to our Inspiring Women series. She created opportunities for herself and encouraged other black women, making her a truly inspiring woman.”

When it came time to work on a project about her real-life inspiration, Carlyle jumped at the opportunity and the experience was as incredible as she hoped it would be. “We worked directly with A'Lelia Bundles, Madam C.J.'s great-great-granddaughter and official biographer. Walker, as well as an author and journalist,” she says. “My research into what Walker wore, as well as what was typical of the early 20th century, was complemented by access to the Walker family archives. "A'Lelia sent us rare photos, as well as cultural information about what was ideal for black women at the time and insight into what Walker herself loved."

The fashion Carlyle eventually created for the Madam C.J. Barbie doll. Walker is a long skirt and blouse with beautiful floral prints and ruffle details. Walker had a playful and progressive appreciation for fashion and the fabrics used to create the designs of the day. “Some of Walker's favorite colors included deep purples and turquoises, so I put her in that,” says Carlyle. Packaging designer Laydiana Chiv also took this to heart for her doll box design. “My favorite fun detail is that A'Lelia shared with us that Madam C.J.'s favorite colors are amazing. Walker included lavender and purple, so we used those colors for the packaging,” says Laydiana. It’s almost like [Walker] helped us design it.”

As for the rest of the package, Laydiana notes that “For the Inspiring Women series, we always try to use a background or insert that shares a story related to the person. For this one, the inset background image we used is actually her property, Villa Lewaro, where she employed many other black people. “We are happy we were able to include that in the packaging as they also played an important role in its history.” The women pictured are sales agents from the United States, the Caribbean and Central America who attended the Madam C. J. Walker Beauty Bodybuilders Annual Convention in New York in 1924, five years after Walker's death. Earlier that day, they visited Walker's grave at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, then traveled to Irvington, New York for a picnic and tour of Villa Lewaro.

(Another fun fact about Villa Lewaro: it was a gathering place for many luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance, the movement that inspired Carlyle's Harlem Theater doll series.)

Because Walker was known for her cosmetics and hair care products, the team knew that needed to be part of the overall presentation as well. “I wanted to capture Walker at a time in her life when she was selling her Wonderful Hair Grower, at public meetings and demonstrations in private homes – the true spirit of what she made for herself,” Carlyle says. . "So the doll even comes with a mini can of her Wonderful Hair Grower!"

It's always fun to add props like this, and Carlyle worked with the team to make sure this one was as real as possible. “I worked with Sean Olmos from Mattel's Sculpture Department to create a scale tin with a lid that opens to reveal the sculpted hair growth inside!” he tells us she. “Graphic designer Jendayi Smith created not only the blouse's delicate floral print, but also the iconic Wonderful Hair Grower label, scaling perfectly to fit the can lid, while remaining recognizable.”

Specifically for the Barbie Madam C.J. doll. Walker, Carlyle adds: “I worked with A'Lelia to create a multi-dimensional color, a particular curl pattern and a period-appropriate style with the twist running across her head like a crown. ”

As we often say, imagining that you can be anything is the beginning. Actually *seeing* what you can makes all the difference. And the Barbie Madam C.J. doll Walker, the latest in our Inspiring Women collection, is a powerful example of what is possible with unwavering determination like hers. The doll would make a great gift for someone special in your life and a great addition to your own collection. Head over to our online store and get it today

Madam Walker Family Archives/A'Lelia Packages. All rights reserved.

Translation and adaptation of the article published by Mattel Creations Staff 5 August 24, 2022

Written by Allen Voivod