“Forever in Kente:
Ghanian Barbie and the Fashioning of Identity”
The
Author Carol Magee has specialized in African contemporary art with emphasis on
photography. She has published several book, articles, book chapters and
essays. She is currently working project “Being in Place” which examines urban
photography.
The
Article “Forever in Kente: Ghanian Barbie and the Fashioning of Identity” has
been published on 6th of November in 2005 in book “Social
Identities”. The article analyses the costuming of the big American toy
manufacturer Mattel´s Ghanian Barbie.
Ghanian Barbie is one of the “Dolls of the World” collection. The author
Carol Magee brings up in the text what ideologies Barbie exemplifies and
promotes and how these dolls reveal about issues of nostalgia, imperialism and
identity.
In
the text the author Carol Magee explains how she studied Ghanian Barbie and how
important part her costuming became. As we consider Barbie as a fashion doll it
doesn´t surprise. The April 2004 issue of Marie Claire raised the issue of
Barbie having so called the ideal body. Barbie has been sold through her
interchangeable clothing, her activities, career choice or expensive cars.
Barbie is compered to context of the Cold War, as said in the text “Barbie was
a reassuring symbol of solidly middle-class value”.
The
collection “Dolls of the World” Barbie exemplifies race and culture through the
costuming. “Dolls of the World” represents more how Americans comprise the
image of how the different cultures dress and every doll has been modified to
present specific identity. The dress has a powerful means of communication. As
said in the text “dress can communicate social position, age, gender,
ethnicity, nationality, and even emotional states”. The Ghanian Barbie has been
dressed with Kente cloth, with bright colours and striking
juxtapositions
of patterning and it has historic meaning.
As
the Ghanian Barbie has not intended for playing but for
more
as collector's item, the Ghanian Barbie doesen´t have the
same possibilites to allowing for identities to multiface than additional Barbie roles
have. The author Carol Magee points out that the Ghanian Barbie has only one
identity since there is not possibility to change hers clothes.
I
think that the text suits for public audience. Text is well structured which
makes it to easy to follow and text doesn´t need previous knowledge from the
subject.
The
Article was published in end of the year in 2005. In my opinion trying to bring
different cultural identities up is still a very sensitive topic. Example
Mattel tries to bring up diverse cultures using Barbie dolls in it´s “Dolls of
the World”, but like the author pointed out the issue of Ghanian Barbie opportunities
to have only one identity. It seems that there is no away to do it right and
people get offended.
Questions: How important part
the logo has in fashion industry? How
the logo reflects the brand´s identity? How fashion
designers can respect their customers´ different cultures?
(Chanel 2012-2013 ´Paris-Edinburgh`Métiers D´Art Collection, inspired by Scottish Romance)
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