Three new dolls join the Barbie Día de Muertos collection for 2022

To complement these two stunning dolls, we were excited by the opportunity to collaborate on a third Day of the Dead doll this year with Mexican fashion designer Benito Santos. Known on haute couture runways around the world for his bold and vivid creations, his work has been described as romantic and rebellious. “He was a great partner to work with,” says Javier. “This was the first time I worked with an [external] designer on a project, so I was equal parts excited and nervous.”

We asked Javier if he could tell us how the collaboration process worked and he shared some fantastic details. “We were able to meet digitally and he was able to share his sketches for his vision of the dress, hair, makeup and accessories,” says Javier. “He also shared his mood boards so we could understand what themes he was trying to convey. Then we worked together to be able to create the vision of him on a Barbie scale.”

“There was a lot of hard work that went into making this doll!” Javier added. “It was a passion project for both the Benito team and the Barbie team, and I am thrilled to welcome Benito to the Barbie brand and share his vision of what it means to him to celebrate the Day of the Dead with Barbie.”

As always with these dolls, if you collect them, you are faced with a difficult decision: take them out of the box or keep them intact. Luckily for you, we made sure that if you keep them packaged, you'll still be able to create a fantastic display. That's where packaging designer Sal Velázquez comes in, along with a talented partner you may not be familiar with yet. “I've worked on all the Day of the Dead doll package designs since their debut in 2019,” says Sal. “I designed and collaborated with an amazing illustrator named Ray Goudey. We both make a great team! Working with someone as talented as Ray has been an incredible process for the look of the line.”

The Barbie and Ken dolls feature a different packaging execution than the Benito Santos x Barbie doll. For Barbie and Ken, Sal says, “I really wanted to go with a package that collectors can keep if they decide to remove the doll. The package has a lot of details, from sculptural engravings on the outer lid to lots of varnishes throughout. “The thinking behind the relief sculptural cover was to have an unboxing experience for the viewer to connect with the art and the doll waiting inside.”

Regarding the artwork, which is another notable aspect of the Day of the Dead packaging, Sal says that “the Javi doll is the main inspiration, as we have been creating stylized portraits that bring “life” to the doll with the packaging cover art. “Some of the details you find in the doll's fashion have also been used in the packaging and make both the artwork and the doll flow well together.”

The Benito Santos x Barbie doll's packaging has some similarities, so it remains "one piece," so to speak, with the rest of the collection. But it's definitely different in a particular way. This time I moved away from the illustrations and focused more on a photographic execution, more of a magazine-like glamor shot of the doll," says Sal. "We wanted it to feel and look different from our previous Day of the Dead packages. , so we thought using photographs would be a great way to distinguish the two versions. We arranged a set of candles and marigolds in the dark, and photographed the doll in front of the arrangement in more focus. “It really gave it a beautiful dramatic effect.”

Now that you know all about the three new Día de Muertos Collection dolls for 2022, it's time to add them to your own collection, while you can! In recent years, these dolls have been among the best sellers, so don't miss your chance this year. Start a new tradition, or continue a wonderful one, and get members-exclusive Barbie, Ken, and Benito Santos x Barbie dolls today for your future Day of the Dead celebrations.

Translation and adaptation of the article published by Mattel Creations Staff 5 September 1, 2022

Written by Allen Voivod