Vogue's All-Black Issue Returns... With Barbie!

Last July, Italian Vogue editor Franca Sozzani put out an issue featuring only black models, to make a statement about the lack of diversity in the fashion industry.

This year, the July magazine isn't dedicated entirely to black models, but in commemoration of last year's groundbreaking issue, a special July supplement is dedicated not to black models, but black Barbie dolls.

Barbie first came out with a black doll, called "Francie," in 1967, and in 1980 the first black Barbie doll launched. The new Italian Vogue supplement sounds like a cleverly orchestrated promotion for Barbie's next line of black dolls, called the "So In Style" dolls. British Vogue reports:

The first black doll from Barbie was introduced in 1967, as a friend of Barbie called Francie, followed by the first "Black Barbie" doll, introduced in 1980. The trend continues this autumn with the launch of a collection of black Barbie dolls, called the So In Style dolls; which have been designed with more authentic-looking black features, including a new facial sculpt that has fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinctive cheek bones and curlier hair.




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