Hijabi Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad now has her own Barbie.
Last November, American toy company Mattel revealed its first-ever hijabi Barbie, modelled after fencing champion Ibtihaj Muhammad. This week, the barrier-breaking doll finally landed in stores.
Muhammad, who made history at the 2016 Olympics as the first Muslim-American to win a medal, celebrated the launch on Twitter.
“She’s finally here! I’m happy to announce that you can now have your very own Ibtihaj Barbie doll starting today,” the athlete said, posing for a photo with her doll doppelganger.
She’s finally here! I’m happy to announce that you can now have your very own Ibtihaj Barbie doll starting today! Available on https://t.co/B93Io3bkKY and https://t.co/MJLAXLM8H4 for $30.99 ⚡️💗 #ibtihajbarbie pic.twitter.com/X4xfcTKcZn
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) July 30, 2018
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Muhammad spoke with CNN about what the doll would mean for young girls who have never seen themselves represented.
“For little kids to walk up and down a toy aisle, to not only see a brown doll that’s a fencer, but also have a doll who chooses to wear hijab, it’s such a big moment,” she said.
“It’s my hope that in having Mattel create their first doll that wears hijab, it continues to inspire and transform the way that our youth thinks of themselves and sees themselves in our future.”
The Barbie’s body shape is also modelled after the athlete’s own strong figure.
“I know that as an athlete I have larger legs — these strong legs that we use, especially fencers, to propel ourselves into lunges — and it was important for me to have my doll be as close to my likeness as possible,” she told People back in November. “So I wanted to have athletic toned legs, for sure.”
Another key element? Muhammad’s signature makeup look.
“I’m also really big into eyeliner. I like to think of my eyeliner as a shield of power; I not only wear it to the grocery store but I also wear it to compete,” she told the magazine. “I wore it to the Olympic games, so I wanted my Barbie to have the perfect winged liner and also to wear a hijab.”
The doll is part of Barbie’s “Shero” collection, which celebrates female role models from diverse backgrounds and fields. Other women to be included in the collection are plus size model Ashley Graham, actress and singer Zendaya, and Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas.
Images: Getty, Mattel
