Representation matters — and Barbie gets it. Over the past couple of years, Mattel (Barbie’s manufacturing company) has made an effort to create a more inclusive line of dolls featuring a range of skin tones, body types and disabilities. Mattel’s latest Barbie doll honors transgender actress Laverne Cox — just in time for her 50th birthday and Pride Month, no less.
Cox’s doll joins Barbie’s line-up of friends (which include other celebrities, like designer Vera Wang who just got a doll in her likeness too). It makes sense Barbie would be friends with Cox; much like Barbie, she’s a multi-hyphenated talent with titles including actress, producer, writer, LGBTQ+ activist, fashionista, and trailblazer. Throughout her career, Cox has accomplished many first, including being the first trans person to be nominated for an Emmy Award in 2015 and covering top glossies including Time magazine and Cosmopolitan — and now she’s Mattel’s first ever transgender doll.
Barbie dolls hold a deep meaning with the actress. “I begged my mother for a Barbie doll, and she said no because I was assigned male at birth,” Cox said in an interview with PEOPLE. “And when I was in my 30s, I was in therapy and telling my therapist that I was denied the opportunity to play with Barbie dolls. And my therapist said, ‘It’s never too late to have a happy childhood, and what you should do for your inner child is go out and buy yourself a Barbie doll.'”
The Inventing Anna actress approached this project with one thought in mind: to give representation to young trans kids. “In this environment where trans kids are being attacked, that this can also be a celebration of transness, and also a space for them to dream, understand and be reminded that trans is beautiful,” she told the outlet. “That there’s hope and possibility for them to be themselves.”
Naturally, Cox helped design every aspect of her doll, including the looks. Her doll dons a 2-in-1 look, with a maroon corset dress layered over a sparkly silver jumpsuit. “I wanted her to wear multiple outfits, but that wasn’t cost-effective. You want the doll to be affordable. So I was like, ‘What if she had one outfit that could peel off and become multiple outfits?'”
To bring in her birthday and celebrate the launch of her new doll, the actress wore a life-size version of the ensemble to her N.Y.C. bash.
The Laverne Cox Barbie is available now at MattelCreations.com.
