Meet the un-Barbie
A popular Middle Eastern doll made her U.S. debut at the New York Toy Fair this week. Fulla looks a lot like Barbie, but she dresses conservatively, she's studious — and she has no interest in Ken.
TEXT OF STORY
SCOTT JAGOW: A Middle Eastern doll made its debut in the U.S. this week. Her name is Fulla.She’s 11 inches tall, just like Barbie. But that’s about the only thing those two have in common. Simone Orendain reports from Charlotte, North Carolina.
SIMONE ORENDAIN: Fulla’s slender with flowing brown hair. Her outfits are stylish but never show more than a little bit of shin. She also comes in the traditional Muslim dress which covers her from head to foot.
Charlotte-based toy distributor Basel Kanawati introduced the doll at the toy fair.
BASEL KANAWATI: The difference between Fulla and Barbie is the message that Fulla has. What Fulla is stressing is the values that little girls should have.
She’s marketed as a young, studious girl, obedient to her parents, into sports and not at all conscious of what boys think.
Kanawati says at the fair he heard constantly that parents are looking for toys with substance.
He’s working to get Fulla on major retailers’ shelves by spring.
In Charlotte, I’m Simone Orendain for Marketplace.