Bratz dolls are American-styled dolls and franchises designed by Carter Bryant for MGA entertainment which was launched in May 2001. They are 10 inches tall dolls made of rigid vinyl for the head and bendable vinyl for the legs and arms. Bratz dolls had a lot of unique features that made them more competitive in the doll market.
They are best defined by their almond-shaped eyes, dashed with eye shadow, and their big glossy lips. But what makes them more unique is their different skin tones and hair textures that genuinely show a great sense of fashion and involvement of different ethnicities.
Bratz dolls are marketed as a group of girls who portray the ideal friendship dynamic. Bratz were never created to compete with each other over anything, thus making a dependable influence on kids from different ethnicities.
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Table of Contents
The Origin of Bratz Dolls
Bratz dolls were introduced in May 2001 by ex-Mattel employee Carter Bryant for competitor MGA Entertainment. The dolls became an instant sensation in the toy industry.
Since Carter Bryant was an employee of Mattel when he sold the designs to MGA, it resulted in a series of legal battles, with Mattel claiming that the Bratz idea belonged to them. Still, later in 2010, the court of appeal ruled in favor of MGA that Carter’s employment agreement did not cover concepts.
The original four dolls were Jade, Cloe, Yasmin, and Sasha, encased in a box with many items to showcase their unique sense of fashion and style. They hand backpacks, hair accessories, shoes, and beautiful clothes.
Each doll had its skin tone and hair texture, and color, demonstrating the designer’s way of creating multiracial awareness. All four dolls were made to bring out the friendship between girls from different cultures.
The idea of mixed race ambiguity became an element to create strong relationships among kids of different races globally, which enhanced the sales of the dolls, making a gross of $2 billion within the first five years.
Due to the success of the four dolls, MGA generated a quartet of similar dolls between 2002 and 2003. They also introduced a set of twins though they sold all dolls independently and in themed circumstances. They also released supplements such as playsets, furniture, media franchise, and cars to promote the brand line.
What Inspired the Creation of Bratz Dolls?
Bratz was a dream by Carter Bryant in 1999, inspired by model ads by Steve Madden. The models portrayed had striking features like big feet and big heads, which became Bratz main features.
When Carter introduced the idea to Mattel, he refused. It drove him to partner with MGA Entertainment, where the first four Bratz dolls, Jade, Sasha, Cloe, and Yasmin, were born. They had definite features and characters that varied from the usual doll line.
Carter had a dream of becoming a fashion designer, but after perceiving his vision was not achievable, he settled on being a designer for Bratz dolls and Bratz dolls outfits.
What Is the Controversy Behind Bratz Dolls?
Lots of controversies surround Bratz dolls. The high sale of the dolls affected the sale of Mattel Barbie dolls, which led to a legal battle between MGA and Mattel between 2008 and 2010. Mattel sued MGA, claiming that the brain behind Bratz dolls was their employee when he established the idea.
Also, in 2009 Bernard Belair sued both companies for royalties since Carter Bryant disclosed that Belair’s designs inspired him.
Other controversies surrounding the dolls are claims from workers making the dolls in china that they are made to work for long hours while the wages are meager.
The U.S Psychological Association also raised interest in body perception, grown-up sexuality, and also a way of life portrayed by the dolls to the young generation.
All these controversies have caused a drop in sales of Bratz dolls, with people acknowledging the hostile social media forums on Yahoo and Facebook bashing the dolls.
What Are the 5 Bratz Dolls?
The original Bratz dolls are four Yasmin, Cloe, Jade, and Sasha, but, Meygan was occasionally considered the 5th member of the group. She was later removed in 2003. In 2015 Raya was introduced as the official fifth member of the Bratz pack.
Each doll illustrates a different ethnic group, mainly focusing on fashion and passion. However, Bratz launched a range of dolls for many ethnic minorities. All the dolls shared the same popularity, bringing out a superior feeling in the children’s eyes.
The original Bratz doll Cloe represented Caucasian ethnicity, Sasha represented African Americans, Yasmin featured Latin Americans, and Jade represented Asian ethnicity.
The Bratz dolls have been featured as characters in cartoon movies and TV series, with each doll representing its original character.
Yasmin plays as a pretty princess with a passion for Bohemian clothes in terrestrial colors and incredible textures. Her mother is named after the wife of MGA founder Isaac Larian.
Cloe plays as Angles, a princess passionate about exotic animal prints and sparkly fabrics. Jade also portrays a girl whose sense of fashion is extreme and far out. At the same time, Sasha has power in urban streetwear like beanies and jean skirts.
In these characters, the producers wanted to represent the independence of free-spirited girls with no fear of controversy.
Bratz Dolls for Sale
In 2016 sales of Bratz dolls were stopped due to poor reaction from customers, but a new line was later introduced in 2018 called the Bratz collector and was released for sale on amazon.
Bratz dolls have also become an online market sensation, with their dolls sold on different online platforms at affordable prices.
Bratz Dolls Outfits
Bratz doll outfits have always been regarded as slutty by some parents. The outfit package has two costumes and accessories you can blend with clothes. They also come with various optional accessories depending on the doll you choose and the release.
Bratz has boys’ clothing, two luxurious suits matching each other, two pairs of shoes, sunglasses, and several exclusive accessories. The set is an excellent gift for a child.
The Bratz doll game pack has customized spas, hairdressers, smoothie lounges, selfie booths, and karaoke. They also have customized furniture and play sets.
Bratz Dolls Costume
Many designers are inspired by the Bratz dolls’ outfits and customize their ideas to create designs using woolly fabrics, paired sets, platform boots, and skewed contour.
The Bratz artistic designs inspire people and musicians to pose in those inspired outfits.
Bratz Dolls Cartoon
The release of Bratz dolls cartoons for kids has brought controversy among parents, some complaining that they wear miniskirts, belly shirts, and fishnets which are not ideal for children below the age of five.
How Have Bratz Dolls Influenced Our Society?
After the Barbie that incredibly made headlines, Bratz dolls came with an exciting style that became more successful. The brand was successful to the point of branching into games, TV shows, and music.
They became an inspiration to fashion designers and young women who copied the dressing styles of dolls and created their styles.
Most celebrities had copied the make-up on the doll’s faces, the plump lip gloss, the thick eyelashes, and shiny eye shadows, which the dolls had been having before ordinary people became accustomed to them.
The almond-shaped eye of the dolls has influenced the facelift transformation trend among most young people. They also brought the famous trend of bleaching front hair strands. Also, cloth designs like lipped jeans, mini skirts, and fluffy flat boots are original Bratz doll designs.
Bratz has derived popularity globally with all the influence in culture and has promoted its marketing strategy to a new level. Despite parental discontent, they have defied all odds and created many products under the brand. Bratz has lured many market platforms that use their brands for advertising their products.
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FAQs
Are Bratz Dolls Discontinued?
The company discontinued the sale of Bratz dolls in 2008 due to low ratings. Also, in 2016 they paused due to poor reception but later created a new line in 2018.
Why Did They Ban Bratz Dolls?
After a four-year legal battle between Mattel and MGA, a California federal judge ordered MGA to cease selling the Bratz dolls and prohibited using the toy’s name. This was done because the products defied copyrights owned by Mattel but were later lifted by the court of appeal.
Do They Still Make Bratz Dolls in 2023?
Bratz plans to release a collection of Bratz flaunts to mark its twenty-first anniversary. This proves that the Bratz dolls are still in production until now.
Conclusion
Bratz has brought a dialogue around female body image and ethnicity that have risen from the toy world into the available platforms.
Bratz has made a positive impression in the community and media by promoting young girls’ awareness of being themselves. They have also come up with multiple ways to empower young girls.
Bratz has continued to represent the disobedience of the cultural norm. When growing up, girls who possessed Bratz dolls learned to set their beauty standards.
