Walker’s great-great granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles, herself the designer of a haircare collection, worked with Mattel on the collaboration, according to a statement shared with CNN. We’re honored to welcome her into this group of trailblazing women and introduce more kids to her journey of becoming one of the nation’s first widely successful female founders.” Nuera said he made sure to capture Walker’s essence with his design by incorporating her favorite colors into the doll’s clothes, along with incorporating Walker’s hair care products. Walker’s Barbie wears a ruffled purple blouse paired with a blue full-length skirt and holds a miniature Wonderful Hair Grower accessory in her hands. Nuera said he also collaborated with members of Walker’s family during the design process. For Mattel, the toy is an opportunity to inspire children to break boundaries and educate them about Walker’s trailblazing career. The Madam C.J. Walker doll features a rendition of the entrepreneur wearing a floral printed blouse and turquoise skirt and holding her original product, “Wonderful Hair Grower.”

What's everyone talking about?: Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day Walker's hair care products were born out of necessity because she started suffering from an ailment that caused her to lose her hair. She tested many homemade remedies, which resulted in Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower, a scalp conditioning and healing formula. We wanted to focus on the fact that she manufactured hair care products and to make to make the young people and the adults who love it think about her being a businesswoman," Bundles said.This celebration of Madam C.J. Walker makes a great gift for Barbie® collectors and kids ages 6 years old and up. Includes doll stand and Certificate of Authenticity. Walker’s hair care and cosmetics products were an important part of her legacy, so representing those products was crucial as well, Bundles said. The accessory is based on the original container for the product. Walker traveled through the South and Southeast selling her hair products door-to-door, and temporarily moved her base to Pittsburgh to train "hair culturists" at Lelia College, which she founded. This collectible Madam C.J. Walker Barbie® doll wears a full-length skirt and a blouse with beautiful floral print and ruffled details.

It was a joy to work with Barbie on the design and creation of an Inspiring Women doll made in the likeness of my great-great grandmother, Madam C.J. Walker,” said Bundles in the statement. The Barbie® Inspiring Women™ Series honors Madam C.J. Walker, successful entrepreneur and the first documented self-made female millionaire in the U.S. Because Walker was known for her hair care and cosmetics products, the team knew that needed to be a part of the overall presentation as well. “I wanted to capture Walker in a time in her life where she was selling her Wonderful Hair Grower, at public meetings and private home demonstrations – the true spirit of self-made,” Carlyle says. “So the doll even comes with a mini tin of her Wonderful Hair Grower!” Mattel's "Inspiring Women Series" has previously included Ida B. Wells, Ella Fitzgerald and Maya Angelou, among others. A'Lelia Bundles, Walker’s great-great-granddaughter who wrote her biography, said it's exciting to see Walker honored alongside these figures. Specifically for the Madam C.J. Walker Barbie Doll, Carlyle adds, “I worked with A'Lelia to come up with a multi-dimensional color, a particular curl pattern and an era appropriate style with the twist that goes across her head like a crown.”Walker was also a washerwoman for many years, Bundles said, signaling that she knew fabric and loved clothes.

A new doll from Barbie’s inspiring women series honors Madam C.J. Walker, whose hair care business made her the first documented self-made female millionaire. Accessories like this are always fun to add, and Carlyle worked with the team to make sure this one was as true to the real thing as possible. “I worked with Sean Olmos of the Mattel Sculpting Department to create a to-scale tin with lid that comes off to reveal sculpted hair grower inside!” he tells us. “Graphic designer Jendayi Smith created not just the delicate floral print of the blouse, but also the iconic Wonderful Hair Grower label, scaling it perfectly to fit onto the lid of the tin, while also still being recognizable.” As we often say, imagining that you can be anything is the beginning. Actually *seeing* that you can makes all the difference. And the Madam C.J. Walker Barbie Doll , the latest in our Inspiring Women Collection, is a powerful example of what’s possible with unflinching determination like hers. The doll would make a great gift for someone special in your life, and a terrific addition to your own collection. Head over to our online shop and get her today Inspiring Women' series: Nature science icon Jane Goodall gets special Barbie made from recycled plastics The Barbie® Inspiring Women™ Series pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time; courageous women who took risks, changed rules and paved the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever before. Madam C. J. Walker was born Sarah Breedlove in 1867 on a Delta, Louisiana cotton plantation. The daughter of parents who were formerly enslaved and became sharecroppers, Walker would become a successful entrepreneur and the nation’s first documented self-made female millionaire. Barbie® honors her unflinching determination with a collectible doll, sculpted to her likeness. Complete with a “Madam C.J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower” accessory, Madam C.J. Walker Barbie® doll makes a stunning addition to any collection. Doll stand and Certificate of Authenticity included. Doll cannot stand alone. Colors and decorations may vary.Walker was born Sarah Breedlove in 1867 on a cotton plantation to formerly enslaved parents, who became sharecroppers, in Louisiana. By 20, she was widowed with a young daughter. If you’re familiar with our Inspiring Women Collection, you know that it pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time. If the collection is new to you, then we’re thrilled to tell you that we’re featuring courageous women who took risks and challenged the status quo with our selections. Each one has helped pave the way for generations of girls to dream bigger than ever before. It's still very special to me that Madam Walker is part of a Barbie series because I know Barbie is international and reaches millions of people," she said. "So, it just really gives her a new exposure to an entirely new generation as well as the longtime Barbie collectors who are very passionate about it." Madam C.J. Walker Barbie® doll is sculpted to her likeness and features articulation for endless posing possibilities and inspired displays. The Madam C.J. Walker doll dons a stylish turquoise and purple dress and comes with a “Madam C.J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower” accessory.