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Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Ibtihaj Mohammad Barbie Collector Doll 2018


Today I will be reviewing the newly released Barbie "Shero" called Ibtihaj Mohammad. 
Since 2015, Mattel has been creating different Barbie versions of women who have "broken boundries" and acted as inspiration or role models for other women.

Here's a photo of some (not all) that are in the line-up this year.

 Photo credit:  Mattel

Here are the first 3 that were already released:

Photo credit: Mattel

I would still like to add these to my collection at some point, but for now, I'm thankful to have Ibtihaj!



This doll was designed by Kelley Lindberg and is a Black Label collector doll. 
She retails at $30.99 and can be found on www.barbiemattel.com or Amazon (that's where I got mine..free shipping!)


Ibtihaj, for those that don't know is a saber fencer on the US Women's fencing team. She is the first Muslim-American fencing champion to wear a hijab (a traditional head scarf).

DISCLAIMER:
Whether or not you agree with the practice of hijab is not the point of this review.
There is A LOT of controversy over this doll and I don't want to get into it as this is strictly just a review of the doll itself as a collector and not about whether or not the practice of hijab is right or wrong (speaking from a feminist point of view). 

The athlete herself, has praised this doll and what it means to her.
Here's a Youtube clip of her seeing the doll for the first time.


Out of her box, she comes with a stand, fencing mask, saber, 1 white glove and a certificate of authenticity.


She's a gorgeous doll. 


Her face is very pretty, but mine has slightly wonky eyes.  I think some black paint to touch up and even out her pupils might help.  Other than that, she has a very nice face sculpt and a big, bright smile.
To align with the significance of wearing a real hijab, there is no visible hair on this doll.
To add to that, the only other visible areas of her body, besides her face, are her hands.

Here's a photo of the real Ibtihaj for comparison.

Photo credit: ABC News 


Side profile of Ibtihaj. 




I think they stayed pretty true to her uniform judging by photos I've seen.  
She has one small pocket (for her glove?) 


        Also, here's a look at her Nike sneakers (sponsered?).  Sneak peak..she has ankle articulation!   

        

Her fencing mask is made of hard, non-flexible plastic.  The detail of the metal grate is very nice.  It is secured in the back by a strip of elastic.


Her jacket is on backwards for these photos with the red background. 

Whoops. :)
Here you can also get a better idea of the fabric of the jacket.  It's a creamier color than the stark white of the hijab and pants.


Go Team USA! 


Under her jacket she is wearing a top and pants.  The pants and socks are connected, which I actually like because the socks stay up better this way. Also, it's not as easy to lose them!

WARNING: DOLL NUDITY BELOW (...well, coming up)


Underneath everything, she is wearing a plain white leotard. 


Yup, she has hair. 


The hijab is tied to the front of her hair (you can remove it if desired) and the front of her hair appears to be pulled straight back into this bun.  


She is on a Curvy Collector body. 
Man, I was really hoping for a Curvy Made to Move body!! 


Her knees bend to a 90 degree angle. 


Her arms are pretty good, but elbows only bend to a little over 90 degrees. 
Hip articulation is "meh", (but I've seen worse, so not complaining.)


Luckily, she's not on the gymnastic team.


If you wanted to switch her to a Made to Move Barbie, she closely matches the Soccer AA one.  I don't have the pink-haired curvy MTM one, but I would guess that she probably matches her pretty well.


Here's Soccer AA MTM in Ibtihaj's fencing uniform. 


She's swimming in it a little, but not too bad!
Fun to pose.  


Now we're back to Ibtihaj.
I was able to get her into a few cool fencing poses so her articulation isn't too bad (and it's better than nothing!) 


No Photoshop.  This doll is standing by itself, kids! 



We are so happy to have this beautiful doll to add to our collection. 
Thanks for reading through this review and I hope you're all doing well. :)

What have you added to your collection that you're excited about this month?

xo Farrah


19 comments:

  1. Hello Farrah L! Great review! I was hopping she would have curvy MTM body too, but I guess she's more intended for display.
    Hearing to her story, I really do believe that she deserves a shero doll. I love this whole female role models line Mattel has come up with and I really want to get my hands on the Katherine Johnson doll.
    Your photos are great, specially the last one.
    Take care!

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    1. Thank you!! I agree, it's pretty cool that these women are being made into Barbies and there is such a wide variety already out there. I would also love to get the Katherine Johnson doll as well! :)

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  2. That's a nice doll! I think they did a good job with the likeness. I'm not interested in sports, celebrities or really any doll that doesn't represent strictly a mini fashion model; but unexpectedly for me, I fell in love with the amazons and got the cheaper purple one.

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    1. I honestly wasn't going to get her at first, but once I started learning about her I decided I really liked her. Which Amazons purple one did you get?

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    2. I think her name is Antiope. I don't watch Wonder Woman movies.

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    3. Oh yes, Antiope, yes, she's a beautiful one! I have her as well, but she's still in her box (I need to open her, lol.)

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  3. Thanks for this information. I did not know about her. The photos were great.
    To answer your question, I am waiting for a Boneka doll that I ordered.

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  4. Hello Farrah,
    What a terrific addition to your collection. They did a fantastic job on both her beautiful face and the musculature of her body. Her costume is beautifully done. The suit is terrific, the mask is lovely, the hijab hangs correctly...she really is a magnificent doll and a great tribute to a strong woman.
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. I totally agree, Giac! Thanks for your thoughtful comment! :)
      Big hug back and hope you are well!

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  5. Wooow I dream about her! I wish I will have her so soon. I love dolls in hijabs so much. This doll has amazing face, body and outfit :-) Great post! thank you!

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    1. I hope you can get her soon!! Thank you for your nice comment. :)

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  6. Witaj Farrah! To bardzo ciekawa lalka i cieszę się, że ją nam pokazałaś :-)
    Jej ciało podobne jest do Barbie Look Nighttime Glamour tylko ma artykułowane kostki u nóg!
    Artykulacja, jak na sportowca jest dość ograniczona, ale to lepsze, niż brak artykulacji w ogóle :)))
    Pozdrawiam serdecznie :-)

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    1. Thank you for your nice comment! I agree that her body is great and it better shows an athletic frame. I was wondering if she was similar to the Barbie Look Nighttime Glamor so I'm glad to hear she is! I am definitely happy with her articulation the way it is as you never know what you will get sometimes with these dolls. :)
      Google translate:
      Dziękuję za miły komentarz! Zgadzam się, że jej ciało jest wspaniałe i lepiej pokazuje atletyczną sylwetkę. Zastanawiałem się, czy była podobna do Barbie Look Nighttime Glamour, więc cieszę się, że tak jest! Jestem zdecydowanie zadowolony z jej artykulacji tak, jak to jest, ponieważ nigdy nie wiesz, co dostaniesz czasem z tymi lalkami. :)

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  7. Great review! I love your poses...they look so natural!

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  8. What a cool doll! I'm curious about the others in this line too now, I'll have to go check them out.

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    1. Thanks, Flo! They really have quite a variety that's already out and more on the way!

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  9. WOW what a great representation of the lady herself! I think the doll is lovely, and Ibtihaj herself is beautiful. I love how the body is the more realistic shape with the stronger fuller looking thighs etc. And the outfit looks really good, very nicely detailed.
    It is great that Mattel are bringing out these positive role model dolls too.
    Hugs xx

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    1. I totally agree, Sharon! Without this doll, my girls would not know who Ibtihaj even is or what she's accomplished so it's great to honor these women in doll form so that younger generations can also learn about them. :)
      Hugs back xx

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