Mattel Has Launched a Customizable, Gender-Neutral Doll

It’s not uncommon for families to paint a picture of their baby’s gender expression long before the baby even speaks their first words. To this day, many new parents still want to know months before giving birth if they are having a boy or a girl, baby rooms are often painted pink or blue, and newborn clothing is bought ahead of time: dresses for girls, pants for boys.

Whether it's the clothes we wear or the toys we play with, our first years of life are critical in the development of our personal identities, carrying us into adolescence and ultimately adulthood. Assigned gender has a powerful influence on self-image, thought patterns, and behavior. But times are changing, and fortunately we’re living in an era when sex and gender are becoming less restrictive, defining factors in the ways kids are raised, giving children more freedom to establish gender identity on their own terms.

In recent years we’ve seen genderless children’s clothing become more common, with companies such as Tiny Bangs, Primary, Abercrombie, and Target paving the way. And just last week, Mattel launched its first gender-neutral doll, a major step forward in the movement for diversity and inclusion. Claiming to be the first of its kind, the doll, called Creatable World™, “lets toys be toys, so kids can just be kids,” according to the brand’s press release. The doll line, which is “designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in,” provides a blank canvas that allows kids to create their own characters by mixing and matching different elements, like switching out long hair for short and picking out a skirt or pants (or both!).

There are six different kits, available in a range of skin tones, and each kit includes a doll, two hairstyle options, and “endless styling possibilities” — think cute clothing items such as painted overalls, patchwork jeans, ruffle skirts, and so on. With more than a third of Generation Z saying they know someone who identifies as nonbinary, it’s time our toys better reflected our population. If movies, television, fashion shows, and campaigns reflect a more diverse and inclusive community, so too should our playthings. Dolls carry pertinent messages about society, which young children receive and carry with them as they get older.

“We felt it was time to create a doll line free of labels,” said senior vice president of Mattel fashion doll design Kim Culmone in the brand’s press release. The company worked with a team of experts, parents, physicians, and kids to create the final product. “Through research, we heard that kids don’t want their toys dictated by gender norms,” Culmone continued. The brand says it’s hopeful that the toy will encourage more people to consider the ways in which all children, no matter their gender identity, can benefit from playing with dolls.

“[The doll] means a lot to the queer community. It means that as a kid, you don't have to be defined by your gender,” says 12-year-old drag kid and LGBTQ advocate Desmond is Amazing. The influencer, who often uses his platform to talk about the challenges of being a child in the spotlight, believes dolls are a great way for kids to learn about diversity and how to embrace people of all kinds. From children to adults, Desmond says, “Anyone can have fun with these dolls!”

In response to the announcement of the doll, Sky Cubacub, founder of clothing brand Rebirth Garments (a line of gender nonconforming clothing for the full spectrum of gender, size, and ability), tells Teen Vogue, “I was elated when I saw the news about it. I identify as nonbinary/agender and I want to play with one as soon as I can.” Cubacub’s mom was a porcelain-portrait doll maker before they were born, meaning they grew up surrounded by their mother’s extensive collection of Barbies.

Cubacub believes that kids growing up today have more access to information and a spectrum of gender identities, but Mattel must’ve noticed a demand for the product. Cubacub also believes a gender-neutral doll would’ve helped them understand from a young age that gender isn’t binary, and has dreams of one day designing an intersectional doll line (including more disabled dolls, plus-size dolls, and those with different skin textures, including burns and eczema) to sell alongside their clothing.

MI Leggett, designer of gender-free clothing brand Official Rebrand, says that one of the doll’s key branding strengths is that it doesn’t have specific pronouns: “The reality is we are only now becoming visible and this exposure brings both power and vulnerability.” In the future, Legget hopes to see gender-neutral dolls that don’t have a stereotypically “androgynous” body type, as they believe it would be a “more exciting and authentic representation of genderqueer/gendercreative people.”

Hee Eun Chung, a 19-year-old creative based in New York, tells Teen Vogue that while the doll represents a “possible progressive stance in the doll market,” they are hesitant about the product because it could also have a negative effect by showing big corporations that the LGBTQ community is one they can exploit for profit. “In their video, they mention that their consumers demanded these products. If gender identity was not a popular subject, would they still be willing to create this product?" Chung wonders. "Are they viewing this moment in history as a way to create profit?”

“I believe that this is a momentous step towards normalizing gender identity and to create an inclusive environment for the youth," Chung continues, "but we cannot forget that capitalism still perpetuates a harmful cycle against POC LGBTQ+ vulnerable youth.”

Still, they adds, “the older generation would appreciate being seen since they have been fighting for freedom. And it would allow the younger generation to understand the nuances of gender and help open doors for them if they identity as non-binary, and prevent them from feeling constrained in a binary box.” Chung believes a gender-neutral doll would’ve positively impacted their mental health, helping them to understand the basics of gender as fluid and limitless, not only male or female. “If I had a gender-neutral doll when I was younger, it would have normalized my gender identity, and I would have identified with the term at an early age, instead of floating in an unknown abyss and feeling lost.” In the future, they hope to see toys of drag icons and other LGBTQ+ figures that have paved the way for the community.

“I believe that having this doll is a breakthrough to representation for the queer community, older and younger. It showcases the fact that we are real, we exist, and we deserve to be seen and represented in any form in the mainstream world,” 20-year-old designer and journalist Hawwaa Ibrahim tells Teen Vogue. “It means we are one step closer to the equality we deserve and it means that we are more than valid.” Ibrahim says that a doll like this would’ve meant everything to them since they always felt different when they were younger. “If I had a doll that was gender-neutral during that time of my life, I would have been free of confusion and would have had a sense of belonging and a lack of fear.”

Naomi Bosio, a 10-year-old who runs Tiny Bangs with their mom and sister, and recently came out as nonbinary, says, “I think the doll means that people are finally accepting people like me, and that’s really cool.” When they were younger, Naomi used to make their own dolls — having a gender-neutral doll would’ve helped them express themselves and not be scared. “I’m still scared, but these [dolls] make me less scared,” they say via email.

“If you asked me around five years ago if I thought that a gender-fluid doll would be a smart or a risky move by a global property such as Mattel, I would have chosen the latter,” says Erin Rechner, senior kidswear editor at a trend-forecasting company called WGSN. Rechner has seen the narrative surrounding gender-neutral toys grow since big-box retailers, including Target and Disney, began removing gender labels. Smaller niche brands have already been selling gender neutral dolls in smaller quantities, but Mattel’s global reach is massive, meaning the movement can only extend further. “Whether parents decide to purchase the Creative World dolls or not, it will at least get the conversation started,” Rechner adds.

Ultimately, when we give children room to explore and create their own identities, it empowers and emboldens them to express themselves unabashedly. “Styling a doll to look like themselves or what they feel like on the inside — or resembles a close friend, parent, or sibling — not only fosters inclusivity at a young [age], but also builds a foundation ripe for healthy self-esteem as they enter their tweens, while encouraging empathy toward others,” says Jennifer Musselman, a former media executive turned organizational psychotherapist and marriage and family therapist. According to her, when a child is nurtured and supported by family, friends, and media, they “can grow up with a strong sense of self and without shame about who they are or how the world views them.” This can be the starting point for preventing societal afflictions we face today, including bullying, gun violence, drug addiction, eating disorders, and more.

While Mattel’s gender-neutral doll is definitely a step in the right direction, Musselman asserts that paradigm shifts do not happen overnight, and some people will likely take issue with the dolls because of their unconscious bias around gender rules and roles. But today’s children can lead the way in rewiring long-standing expectations of gender. If we expose kids to diverse toys, clothing, and schooling, they’ll grow up to become adolescents and adults who not only demand a more inclusive future but help us create it. In fact, they already are.

The gender-neutral doll currently retails for $29.99 and is available through Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue