American Girl Doll celebrates Harlem's renaissance with help from designer Samantha Black

Barbiecore has been a mainstream summer fashion trend, but American Girl is saluting the Harlem Renaissance with its newest doll.

The character 'Claudie Wells' celebrates the Harlem Renaissance and its literary heritage with the help of best-selling author Brit Bennett and fashion designer Samantha Black. Just like other American Girl dolls, the newest baby has a personal and historical story and a history that is immersed in the rich artistic and cultural heritage of African American Harlem in the 1920s.

Bennett, a New York Times bestselling author, was selected for the project after tweeting that she was interested in writing an American Girl story based on her experience with the brand and derived from the Harlem Renaissance. The subject is one the writer said she has always enjoyed studying, an outpouring of black art that has emerged alongside broader struggles for equal rights. Bennett consulted with five established scholars led by Pulitzer Prize-winning Georgetown University professor of African American history and studies Marcia Chatelain.

Bennett's "Meet Claudie" paperback was illustrated by Laura Freeman. It comes with every doll and is also available in a separate keepsake hardcover edition.

To further enhance the toy with some historical context, the designers of American Girl referenced 1920s publications, photography, and resources like W.E.B. Du Bois's "The Brownies' Book", the first magazine for black children. The brown-eyed doll was made with a new face mold and has shoulder-length black hair with curls, a hair bow, a plaid dress, a knit cardigan, a heart-shaped pendant , a cloche hat and an authentic Baby Ruth chocolate bar. , although it is a replica.

Thanks to a collaboration with Harlem's Fashion Row, Mattel's 21-inch "Claudie" can be dressed in three special-edition outfits meant to be modernized takes on '20s glamour. Launched in 1986, American Girl has experienced its own renaissance lately, thanks first to influencers posting from the flagship cafe, TikTokers sharing American Girl-inspired recipes and sardonic memes about American Girl wishlist dolls. (There were 381.4 million American Girl doll-related videos on TikTok as of Tuesday afternoon.)

In addition to hosting a parade Tuesday night at its flagship Rockefeller Center, American Girl will support the Harlem School for the Arts with a combined donation of $100,000 consisting of cash, Claudie dolls and books. The funding will support HSA Prep, a pre-professional scholarship program for students ages 12-18.

Black, who creates under the Sammy B label, discussed the new project on Tuesday. After initially going the corporate route in fashion design, she started her own company in 2016. Prior to that, Black worked at Aeropostale-owned Jimmy'Z, which specializes in women's denim and has also freelanced in design and consulted for a number of other brands, including American Apparel, Jessica Simpson, Jordache and Target.

Growing up, Black said she "idolized" American Girl dolls mostly because they were "so cool, different, and super expensive." At home, it was the expensive doll. It was not so easily achievable. As a child, her favorite was the “Samantha” doll, whose name resonated with the future designer. Although Black has never thought of designing a doll, she thinks it's really cool "to design something for little black girls" and she not only wants them to feel special, but also to look like themselves. see in the doll. Black also made a point of designing clothes that even adults would want to wear.

With the outfits she designed, Black hopes young girls can imagine themselves now and their future in other areas. “Growing up, I don't know if so much love and attention was given to brunette and black girls. Even I wanted the blonde doll because I felt the outfits and accessories were better,” said Black." With Claudie, I feel like everything about her is special, even from her casual outfits to the outfits I designed, she looks super cool. She is in a good life. It doesn't have to be difficult. A girl can have a sweet life - a fabulous, luxurious life."

Unsure of the impact of this venture on her business, Black has seen an increase in social media followers and expects more people to find her, which may not have not been the case otherwise. “I also hope that people will see me as a designer who can do a lot of things. Designing for a doll is fun, but there's also a lot to consider. You have to think...