Mattel(MAT), which makes Barbie, announced Monday that the latest doll in its "Shero" collection will be modeled after Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. In 2016, Muhammad became thefirst American to compete in the games while wearing a hijab.
"I'm proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear hijab! This is a childhood dream come true," Muhammad said in a tweet.
The news was announced at Glamour's Women of the Year summit. The doll will go on sale in 2018.
Barbie has been working hard to make its collection of dolls more diverse in an effort to broaden the brand's appeal.
Ibtihaj Muhammad?@IbtihajMuhammad
Thank you@Mattelfor announcing me as the newest member of the@Barbie#Sherofamily! Im proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear hijab! This is a childhood dream come true
#shero10:36 PM - Nov 13, 2017
In its most recent quarter, Mattel saidBarbie sales were down 6%compared to last year.
The Shero line, which launched in 2015, includes dolls based on prominent women such as Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, model Ashley Graham, ballerina Misty Copeland, director Ava DuVernay and actress Zendaya.
In 2016, Barbie rolled outtall, petite and curvy versionsof the dolls.
The company followed suit with Ken dolls earlier this year. Barbie's boyfriend isnow available in three body typesand seven skin tones.
"Ibtihaj is an inspiration to countless girls who never saw themselves represented, and by honoring her story, we hope this doll reminds them that they can be and do anything," Sejal Shah Miller, Barbie's vice president of global marketing, said in a statement.
