With minimal makeup, an average woman’s body proportions and a casual wardrobe, this new doll is everything Barbie isn’t – and if her creator has his way, she’ll be in stockings everywhere by Christmas.
Meet Lammily, the curvy doll – whose motto is “Average is beautiful” – dreamed up by graphic designer Nickolay Lamm.
Lamm created concept images of the so-called “Normal Barbie” in July 2013 and they quickly went viral. Thousands of people emailed Lamm to ask where they could buy his creation but he was forced to turn them away.
“No one could buy it because it didn’t exist,” he told TIME.com.
Now Lamm has decided to bring his creation to life. He is trying to raise $95,000 to produce the doll so little girls everywhere can grow up with a more realistic standard of beauty.
“The message about body image targets parents of daughters,” Lamm told reporters. “Many young girls do not care about body image, they just want a fun doll to play with. This initial campaign is aimed more towards parents, but the future depends on young girls wanting to play with Lammily.”
Lamm’s original designs for his ‘normal Barbie’ went viral last year.
Lamm’s original designs for his ‘normal Barbie’ went viral last year.
Lamm’s original designs for his ‘normal Barbie’ went viral last year.
The doll’s figure is based on the measurements of a typical 19-year-old US female and she is dressed in the uniform of teens worldwide: denim shorts, sneakers and athletic gear.
“Most fashion dolls on the market are dressed like princesses or wearing funky outfits,” says Lamm. “I wanted Lammily to wear clothes that Gap or J. Crew might design. There’s no reason why simple everyday clothes design can’t be transferred to doll clothes.”
Mattel’s vice president of Barbie design, Kim Culmone, recently defended the doll’s unrealistic body shape, insisting her figure was not designed to make a statement about body image, but was fashioned for functional play.
“Barbie’s body was never designed to be realistic … She was designed for girls to easily dress and undress.”
But critics of the legendary toy say that its unattainable silhouette does affect the way the young girls identify with health and beauty. In a psychological study, girls from age five to eightere shown images of either a Barbie doll, or a more realistic “size 16” doll. Those who saw the Barbie dolls had less self-esteem and worse body image, and had a stronger desire to be thin.
Lamm intends to have they toy available for sale by Christmas this year. To donate to Lamm’s project, visit the Lammily website.
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