Williams fondly recalls the moment Bratz entered his life. He spotted the core four in a Toys “R” Us holiday brochure initially, then in TV commercials that charmed him with their unique blend of dolls, real people, and animation. “They truly stood out from the other fashion dolls,” he tells me. A trip to Woolworths landed a young Williams his first Bratz doll and he dreamt of one day designing his very own collection for the brand.
Fast forward to 2017 and Williams is aboard his first-ever flight to Los Angeles, travelling to MGA headquarters after catching the attention of CEO Isaac Larian. At the helm of the Bratz Collector line, Williams brought the dolls back to their 2000s-era pinnacle and reminded fans why they fell in love with the brand 17 years prior. In addition to smoldering, almond-shaped eyes and pouty lips, he made sure to include plenty of mix-and-match separates—a Bratz fundamental.
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Williams continues to pepper his Instagram feed with illustrations of Bratz-ified stars (like hot girl Megan Thee Stallion) to the delight of his one million plus followers—one of whom is Sean Harris a.k.a. @bratzboyinthezone.
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Harris is part of the Instagram-based community of Bratz fans that style and photograph their dolls in clothes they design and construct by hand. A devoted collector since the brand’s inaugural launch, he started @bratzboyinthezone in 2015 and began posting his signature designs two years later. “I wanted to start making my own clothes for my Bratz so they were unique to me, which would make them stand out from other Bratz collectors’ posts online,” says Harris.
Harris recalls every member of the Bratz pack striking a chord with his childhood identity upon their release. “I could see a part of myself in all of their personalities and style,” he shares. Nearly two decades later, he is busy creating looks and photographing them for his loyal online following—like the denim ensemble he crafted for Felicia (introduced to the brand in 2005) that evokes memories of Destiny’s Child in its heyday. The self-professed Bratz fanatic says of his inclusive and diverse online community, “We are a welcoming bunch of people who embrace difference.”
Desire a.k.a. @gothicbratzz is another Instagram-based artist that cherishes the accepting nature of the Bratz community. Desire, who became active on Instagram in 2018, has developed her own brand of dark and whimsical imagery, featuring desaturated, blunt-in-hand self-portraits in which she accentuates her doll-like face with Bratz-inspired makeup. “I get to show off my doll features and my style of makeup without people judging or making fun,” she says.
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Using the Bratz beauty aesthetic as a vehicle for self-expression has encouraged Desire to fully embrace her appearance and in turn, inspired others to do the same. “So many young black girls say that I remind them of their Bratz doll, and that’s what I was aiming for—showing young girls that follow me that you should love your features, whether it’s your hair type, skin colour, or big eyes,” she shares.
Desire has long felt seen by the Bratz brand. Growing up goth meant lines like Rock Angelz and Pretty ‘N’ Punk (both circa 2005) resonated with her “alternative” sense of style and brought representation to a subculture that was largely non-existent in the realm of children’s toys—not to mention Bratz’s inclusion of non-white dolls from the jump. “The fact they released a black doll on their first launch and it wasn’t added in at a later date means we weren’t an afterthought,” she says.
Desire recalls the ripple effect of Bratz’s entrance into a mostly white doll world. “I could see some of my own features being represented in doll form. Up until then, I only saw Barbies, and as a black trans woman, I can’t really relate to Barbie.” Desire is one of the many transgender members of the Bratz online sphere, and she attributes the continued relevancy of the Bratz aesthetic to enthusiastic engagement from the LGBTQ+ community.
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