Early on Monday, Mattel, the company behind Barbie, made history with the release of its first hijab-wearing doll, Teen Vogue reported.
The doll, which was showcased at Glamour's Women of the Year Summit, is modeled after Muslim-American Olympic fencer >Ibtihaj Muhammad, "who was the first American to compete and medal in the Olympics while wearing a hijab."
Muhammad is the latest honoree of Barbie's "Shero" program, which recognizes women who "break boundaries to inspire the next generation of girls."
In an official press release on the matter, Sejal Shal Miller, Vice President of Global Marketing for Barbie, said:
“Barbie is celebrating Ibtihaj not only for her accolades as an Olympian, but for embracing what makes her stand out."
Sharing the news via her official Twitter page, Muhammad said she was "proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear hijab."
A history making announcement
People love it
"uh-Maz-zing"
"Wish I had this growing up"
Shoutout to Mattel...
"Representation matters"
"This is going to mean everything to young Muslim girls"
Not the first hijabi doll...
While this is the first time Mattel officially releases a hijab-wearing figurine, hijabi dolls aren't completely new to the scene.
In 2016, Nigerian fashion and lifestyle blogger Haneefah Adam, launched a popular Instagram page called "hijarbie," where she >showcases hijabi dolls modeled after successful Muslim women.
Earlier this year, a U.K. based modesty-focused clothing company, Shorso, also >started selling a hijabi doll that sings in Arabic.
"The inspiration behind creating the dolls and clothing was that we found there is a lack of these products available on the market," Jessica Robinson, Shorso's regional commercial director, told The Huffington Post at the time.