Stacey McBride-Irby

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Stacey McBride-Irby is an American doll and toy designer. McBride-Irby is known for creating the So In Style line of dolls for Mattel, featuring mixed race features and ethnicities.

Contents

Background

McBride-Irby grew up playing with Barbie dolls and decided to become a doll designer at age 13. [1] McBride-Irby later went to design dolls for Mattel. At Mattel, McBride-Irby designed the Alpha Kappa Alpha collector doll, to commemorate the sorority's 100th anniversary. [1] McBride-Irby would design Barbie dolls for Mattel for 15 years.

So In Style

In 2009, McBride-Irby was the lead designer behind the So In Style line of fashion dolls featuring dolls with natural hair textures, fuller lips and pronounced cheekbones. [2] McBride-Irby was inspired to develop the line to create dolls that were reflective of her daughter and community. [3] At the time, So In Style was celebrated for breaking barriers, [4] but reviews on the doll line were mixed. [5]

One World Doll Project

After leaving Mattel, McBride-Irby co-founded the One World Doll Project. [6] The company aimed to make aspirational dolls for all races featuring ethnicities from around the world. [1] The One World Doll Project's Prettie Girls line created dolls that children of mixed races could connect with, featuring natural hair and articulation. [7] The One World Doll Project launched a series of commemorative collector's dolls in support of Barack Obama's 2012 election. [1] In 2015, the One World Doll Project merged with the Tonner Doll Company. [8]

McIrby

In 2018, McBride-Irby launched McIrby, a diversity consultancy. [9]

In 2024, McBride-Irby's work developing black Barbie dolls for Mattel was featured in the documentary, Black Barbie. [10] [11] [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "New doll line aims to empower girls of all races". CNN. 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  2. ↑ "What Does the New Black Barbie Say about African Americans and Hair?". www.wbur.org. 2009-11-04. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  3. ↑ Bumpus, Jessica (2010-03-12). "So In Style". British Vogue. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  4. ↑ "Black Barbie turns 30 - Vogue.it". www.vogue.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  5. ↑ Scott, Megan K. (October 9, 2009). "Mattel introduces black Barbies, to mixed reviews". The Courier. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  6. ↑ "Prettie Girls! Fun, Fashion from One World Doll Project | DOLLS magazine". DOLLS magazine | Collecting Dolls. 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  7. ↑ Villalpando, Nicole (2016-09-15). "Unlike typical Barbie, kids can see themselves in Prettie Girls dolls". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  8. ↑ "One World Dolls — The Fashion Doll Chronicles". Fashion Doll Chronicles. 2015-12-04. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  9. ↑ Swrup, Aahana (2024-06-19). "Stacey McBride-Irby: The Barbie Designer is Now a Diversity Consultant". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  10. ↑ "More Than A Doll "Black Barbie" Is Black History". Los Angeles Sentinel. 2024-07-03. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  11. ↑ "The 'Black Barbie' Glossary: All the People, Places, and Cultural Moments You Need to Know Before Diving Into Shondaland's Newest Documentary". www.shondaland.com. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  12. ↑ Williams, Rae. "Netflix documentary highlights the cultural impact of Black Barbie". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
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