Created in collaboration with renowned Indian fashion designer Anita Dongre, this Barbie is part of the Barbie Signature line, beautifully embodying the spirit of Deepavali. Anita, who grew up in Rajasthan, took inspiration from her heritage to design the doll, which is dressed in a traditional midnight blue lehenga with a Rajasthan-inspired koti jacket. Her look is completed with a bindi, gold bangles, heels, and dazzling earrings that "reflect the radiant lights of the festival".
Anita, known for her mission to empower rural women artisans and preserve India's craftsmanship, expressed her excitement about this collaboration: "In celebration of Diwali, Barbie and I are both encouraging fans around the world to celebrate the beautiful heritage of Indian fashion and culture. "My brand has always been driven by a mission to empower through fashion, and as the ultimate symbol of women empowerment, partnering with Barbie to create the Barbie Diwali doll couldn't be a more perfect alignment of our values," she shared in a press release. "She's this quintessentially modern Indian girl.
I wanted the doll to represent what India is today, because I think the world sometimes has a very different idea of what India is. And today the young Indian woman is intelligent, empowered and modern. She wears India with pride," Anita told .
The company released a similar doll in 2006, dressed in a traditional saree, accessorised with bangles, earrings, and a maang tikka..