Venus Williams, famed tennis player, will receive a special tribute in the form of a new "Inspiring Women" Barbie doll.
In a historic move, US basketball player LeBron James has become the first professional male athlete to receive a Ken doll in his likeness, joining the ranks of influential women celebrated in Mattel's Inspiring Women Collection.
The collection, launched on International Women's Day in 2018 as part of Barbie's 65th anniversary celebration, has previously honoured figures like Chilean-American writer Isabel Allende, English primatologist Jane Goodall, and US civil rights activist Ida B. Wells. The collection also includes Venus Williams, who is being recognised for her tennis legacy, advocacy for equal pay, and her significant contributions to sports.
Venus Williams' doll marks a notable example, celebrating her tennis legacy and her advocacy for equal pay. Prior Barbie releases have included a “Role Model” series of athletes breaking barriers, featuring various sports figures, which suggests the Inspiring Women series similarly honours diverse influential women.
The collection has multiplied efforts of representation in recent years, with a focus on empowering little girls and making the Barbie doll more inclusive. Mattel executive, Lisa McKnight, stated in 2018 that the Inspiring Women Collection aims to shine a light on real-life role models to remind girls that they can be anything.
The doll featuring Venus Williams will be released on August 15, priced at $38 (€32). It will depict her in an all-white tennis uniform with a green gem necklace, wristband, racket, and tennis ball, as a nod to her Wimbledon 2007 win, where she became the second oldest woman to win a WTA singles match after more than a year off the tennis court.
Besides Venus Williams, the collection includes dolls of Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini, and Spanish paratriathlon athlete Susana Rodriguez.
LeBron James' Ken doll is yet to be unveiled, but it's clear that the collection continues to celebrate trailblazers in various fields, recognising real-life heroes who have shaped history.
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