Six young individuals who were crowned winners of the Barbie You Can Be A Designer Fashion Reinvention Competition walked away with a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship opportunity to learn from some big names in the fashion industry.
The aspiring fashion designers are Aleesya Inara, Nina, Khayrah, Alayna, Olivia and Umaa Meenaa who wowed the judges with their creative designs and impressive presentations.
The competition saw kids across Malaysia submit creative fashion designs, and out of the 85 entries submitted, 20 were shortlisted for a virtual presentation, where the participants were given the opportunity to present their designs to a judging panel which comprised of Kittie Yiyi, Min Luna and Mattel Continental Asia brand manager, Elaine Lim.
The winners were divided into two categories; Category A for kids aged 5 to 8 and Category B for kids aged 9 to 12.
Category A saw names like Khayrah, 8, present a transformational PPE-inspired gown as a tribute to her aunt who is a medical front liner, Aleesya Inara, 7, designed a doughnut-inspired dress and Nina, 6 made a bright and colourful beach outfit.
Meanwhile, Category B saw Alayna, 9, with a butterfly-inspired dress, Olivia, 10, designed a unicorn-inspired number and Umaa Meena ,11, presented a gorgeous galaxy-inspired creation.
"I was inspired to see girls as young as 5 years old getting excited about fashion design. It brought back so many memories of when I was little and would sew clothes for my Barbie dolls. It's been such a joy to be a part of the journeys that these little designers are taking," says Kittie Yiyi.
ONLINE SESSION
The mentorship was done online due to the pandemic, and each winner was sent a customised designer kit.
The session with Min Luna was all about finding their confidence and learning about their personal style, while Kittie Yiyi taught them about the ins and outs of the fashion industry while helping them create Barbie-sized versions of their designs for the dolls.
"It's been such a special experience to spend this time with the girls during such a formative period in their lives. I remember struggling with confidence when I was around their age so it has been a rewarding opportunity to encourage and instil some confidence in them," said Min Luna.
At the end of the mentorship, an online fashion show was held and the six girls had the chance to strut down the 'runway' in their own homes, wearing their creations.
Lim says the company is proud to offer an avenue to encourage young ones to pursue their passion as we stay at home.
"We believe that this experience will stay with these girls for years to come and continue to empower kids to be anything they want to be," she said.
In addition to the fashion mentorship for the young ones, Mattel also launched Sundays with Barbie, which is an episodic livestream series that feature women who are positive role models.
The series featured names like Kittie Yiyi, Min Luna sharing their thoughts on creativity, Veen Dee Tan who talked about self-expression, as well as Nalisa Alia Amin and Sonya Danita Charles who shed light on diversity and self-acceptance.