This Artist Repaints Bratz Dolls to Look More Natural
With faces full of crazy makeup and weird footless legs, Bratz dolls are not an image you can easily forget — and one that might not be setting the best beauty ideals for our budding women of the future. We’ve been seeing the doll market shift toward a more realistic image for some time now, with the Lammily doll spearheading the movement. Now it appears that Bratz are getting rebranded as well – though not by their manufacturer.
Tasmanian artist Sonia Singh finds Bratz dolls at thrift shops and gives them what might just be the best makeunder we’ve ever seen. Singh strips the dolls of their outrageously overdone makeup and hand paints their faces with a clean, natural look. She also knits and sews them new clothes and gets some help from her mom to create molded shoes (since Bratz don’t technically have any feet). The end result for these repurposed dolls, which Singh has named “Tree Change Dolls,” is jaw-dropping to say the least.
On her Tumblr, Singh says, “My sisters and I grew up playing with second-hand dolls and home-made toys in the beautiful Tasmanian natural environment. I love the satisfaction of repairing and reusing discarded items to give them a new lease on life.”
Singh tells TIME she’s asking supporters to donate to the International Women’s Development Agency in support of positive body image and women’s rights. She also claims to have plans for making these dolls shoppable by launching an Etsy site for the “rescued and rehabilitated” dolls sometime in the near future. Better watch your back, Barbie, it looks like you’ve got some serious competition headed your way.
What’s your take on these minimal beauties? Would you buy one for your kid? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
