Take a stroll down any toy aisle and you’ll see pretty much the same ol’ same ol’. Cookie cutter dolls with similar hair and features continue to dominate store shelves. Hair stylist and extension guru Mushiya Tshikuka saw an opening in the market and was inspired to create My Natural Doll to celebrate little girls with big hair.
My Natural Doll was created to give little girls a doll to play with that looks like them. In a world where the dolls we play with and the role models we see shapes our perception of beauty and our self-confidence, it is important that our little girls are constantly exposed to a reflection of themselves — beautiful dark skin and kinky hair like that which grows out of their own head.
The 'Keleshe' doll even features virgin human hair extensions, courtesy of Mushiya’s line Runway Curls. Instead of stringy doll hair, girls can style Keleshe’s hair the same way they would their own.
If you want to get a My Natural Doll before Christmas, you’ll have to place your order by 1pm on December 19th.
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You can’t put a price tag on the value of representation. We hope that My Natural Doll inspires brands and fellow creatives to bring more diversity to the toy aisle.
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