Since many photos from the early 20th century are in black and white, Bundles wanted the Walker doll to have a colorful outfit. Walker, a hair care magnate from the early 1900s, is the latest influential figure to join Mattel’s Inspiring Women Series, which celebrates courageous and innovative women. Bundles sent to Mattel vintage photographs and sample tin containers used for Walker’s “Wonderful Hair Grower,” the hair and scalp product she created. Ryan Gosling shrugs off Barbie Oscars drama with a loving kiss from daughter and support from wife Eva Mendes.

Star expecting first child with husband Brennon following 18 month battle to conceive: 'I'm so blessed! Barbie dolls have been a beloved toy for generations, capturing the hearts and imaginations of children all over the world. Still, it’s the story of the businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist that Walker was that inspired Barbie to create a doll in her honor. To know little girls and big girls will have access to Madam Walker and just that physical symbolism of her story means it's going to be exploding exponentially in a way it never has before. The recognition comes just in time to honor the entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist during National Black Business Month.Rebel Wilson and her fiancee Ramona Agruma hold hands as they head back to their hotel after partying until 2 a.

It was very collaborative from the very beginning," Bundles says to PEOPLE about the doll-making process. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.Printed inside the Barbie's box is a recreation of a vintage photo of Walker's New York estate featuring several hundreds of her sales agents. J. Walker’s unflinching determination and pioneering spirit not only helped revolutionize the hair care industry of the time, but broke boundaries and opened doors for the next generation of women entering business and entrepreneurship,” read a statement on behalf of Mattel. J. Walker Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, where she trained future beauticians and created beauty products. Walker's Barbie features the entrepreneur wearing a floral printed blouse and vibrant turquoise skirt, holding her original product, "Wonderful Hair Grower. I love knowing that little girls and boys can role-play and imagine themselves as entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and social justice advocates like Madam Walker,” she told Fortune.

Walker was also a washerwoman for many years, Bundles said, signaling that she knew fabric and loved clothes. J. Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles, Walker’s significant contributions to the beauty industry have opened doors for generations of Black women. Created by Mattel, Barbie is an iconic fashion doll that encourages creativity, storytelling, and endless possibilities. The Louisiana native built her business in the 1900s selling Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, a scalp conditioning and healing formula. Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's adorable daughter Kaavia, 5, recreates her mom's 1991 prom look: 'She definitely wore it better!

Walker's hair care products were born out of necessity because she started suffering from an ailment that caused her to lose her hair. We've come up with a doll that I think is fun for girls and boys to look at and also something that some of my CEO friends are putting on their shelves as well. And as an entrepreneur and as a boss and as a philanthropist and a patron of the arts and somebody who cared about social justice, that they will perhaps see themselves and take one of those narratives. Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower” was massively popular in the early 20th century, and Walker leveraged that success to create an entire cosmetics empire.

Barbie dolls come in various styles and themes, from glamorous fashionistas to inspiring role models. She's such a fascinating historical figure to me, although very little is known about her life other than her accomplishments. Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer portrayed Walker in the 2020 Netflix series 'Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C. Launch day ended with 20 high-quality media placements reaching over 35 million people seeing information about Barbie Madam through various platforms like social media and online media sites. J. Walker, the first documented self-made woman millionaire, will soon have a doll in her honor as part of the Barbie Signature Inspiring Women collection.Later in her life, Walker went on to become a noted activist and philanthropist, supporting orphanages and Black colleges, and advocating for civil rights organizations and women’s rights. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. J. Walker and maybe see themselves as an entrepreneur — maybe see themselves as a person who is involved in social justice. Nicki Minaj releases Megan Thee Stallion diss track Big Foot and hits low: 'Why did you lie about your lipo? By the age of 18, Walker had her first and only child, also named A’Lelia, and would lose her husband two years later.