As many of us did, I used to love playing with Barbie’s while I was growing up. Being an Indian-American girl growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood, I never saw representation of girls like me in reality, or even in my fantasy world of Barbie and Ken. But, it wasn’t until March 2, 2022 that I saw our first South Asian Barbie. She is a beautiful South Asian woman wearing a bright pink power suit. She showcases South Asian culture with her Indo-Western outfit, pairing the pantsuit with bangles (bracelets) and jhumkas (earrings). She is a CEO, being the strong, independent woman she is. She wears a shirt that says “My skin is not a trend,” as a powerful representation for the South Asian community.
The new Barbie came out as a part of a collaboration with the makeup line called, “Live Tinted.” Deepica Mutyala, CEO of the beauty company, went viral when she used red lipstick as color corrector under her eyes in a YouTube video. Since then, her innovative idea blew up into a makeup line that promotes inclusivity and diversity in the beauty industry. Most notably, she introduced the “Huestick,” which is a multipurpose makeup stick for lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, and color corrector. As hyperpigmentation happened to be the biggest issue for women of color, the Huesticks addressed this concern effectively and posed a solution that the beauty industry had not yet adequately focused on. The product has a variety of colors that work well on all skin types and colors. She has continued to use her platform to promote proper representation for women of color, and introduced the South Asian Barbie to do exactly that.
Deepica Mutyala is one of the biggest South Asian CEOs in the beauty industry and her makeup line not only served as a safe, welcoming community for women of color, but also girls of color growing up battling the racial challenges we all did as we grew up. She used her makeup line to influence the children’s toys market in the most impactful way possible. Now, young, South Asian girls not only see a Barbie with the same color skin tone as them, but also a Barbie that is strong, successful, and proud of her cultural identity.
So, during this Women’s History Month, I reflected on my own childhood and how different it is going to be for these young girls who will now have this new South Asian Barbie. They will be able to see their worth as more than just fitting into generic, unrealistic beauty standards. They will be proud of their culture and show it off fearlessly. They will strive for their goals and feel empowered.