Mattel Debuts Zendaya Look-Alike Barbie, Complete With Dreadlocks And White Gown
Zendaya Coleman may have received flak from Fashion Police host, Guiliana Rancic, for wearing her hair in dreadlocks at a formal event, but her 2015 Oscars look inspired the creators of Barbie to craft a doll inspired by this very look – complete from her white dress to her magnificent dreadlocks.
Mattel, the creator of Barbie, made an announcement on their official Twitter account on September 18th that they would be making a doll modeled after her. However, the Zendaya Barbie doll has only recently made its debut at the Barbie Rock and Royals Concert Experience on September 26, at the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
“When I was little I couldn’t find a Barbie that looked like me, my…how times have changed,” the KC Undercover star wrote on her Instagram.
She also thanked the people behind this idea and said that she is honored to be a part of the “diversification and expansion of the definition of beauty” before adding the hashtag #besuper.
Back in February, Fashion Police co-host Giuliana Rancic, poked fun at her hair during a segment of the show, saying it must have smelled like “patchouli oil… or weed.” Rancic was later criticized for making rude and uncalled for remarks about Coleman’s dreadlocks, prompting co-host Kelly Osbourne to leave the show in protest.
The actress took to Twitter to defend herself from the Fashion Police host’s offensive remarks: “There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair.”
She then added what it means to style her hair that way “To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion’s mane.”
In an interview with Galore Magazine, Coleman explained that wearing her hair in dreadlocks was meant “to remind people of color that our hair is good enough.”
People have remarked on Coleman’s ability to form and articulate intelligent opinions on important matters even at a young age. On being opinionated, Coleman said it was because her parents, who are both educators, taught her to speak her mind. She revealed that she finds it easy to be “real” because both of them are open with her and never sheltered her from anything.
Coleman added that during the dreadlock debacle with Rancic, she did not hastily speak out as she knew there were other young people who have to deal with the same issue and were probably waiting how she would address the seemingly racist remark. She made sure to not speak out of spite but rather to stand up for herself and others.
The young actress wants to make teens realize that their voice matters.
“I realized that if I don’t like something, I can change it. If I don’t feel comfortable with something, then I have a voice to say it’s not cool.”
This winner attitude may be one of the reasons why the Mattel created the Zendaya Barbie.
“We are so excited to honor Zendaya with this one-of-a-kind doll as she encourages girls to Raise Their Voices and inspires us to #BeSuper,” states the official Barbie Instagram account.
Coleman and her fans are not the only ones celebrating the unveiling of Zendaya Barbie. “Anaconda” hitmaker, Nicki Minaj, showed her support for the teen actress through Instagram.
“I love your doll’s hair,” wrote Minaj who clearly adores Zendaya Barbie’s shiny curls. “I love what it means for other little girls who will identify with it & be empowered.”
[Images via Twitter; Kevin Winter, Getty Images]
