FULLA: A Cut Above the Rest

Fulla, introduced in 2003, represents Middle East while Barbie, the most recognized doll, represents the Western culture. While both are into fashion, Fulla begs to differ and stands out to be the doll with values. Find out why.

Meet Barbie
Barbie is seen most of the time enjoying with her friends at the mark or in the mall. She also hangs out with Ken, her boyfriend at the beach or having barbeque in the garden. Fulla, on the other hand, plays the obedient daughter, pious child and a loving friend. She is not seen with a boyfriend and there are no plans by the creator to create one. Instead, she is studious, honest and caring. Yes! She also haves fun through biking and coking out too! She even has her own pink rug for her prayer time.

Meet Fulla
Introduced by the Syrian-based New Boy Design Studio in November 2003, Fulla has taken over the main exhibit areas of shops in Egypt and much of the Arab world, remarkably Saudi Arabia, where Barbie had been prohibited in September of the same year, with a government declaration disparaging her "revealing clothes and shameful postures". Fulla is wearing the hijab, a traditional Islamic head covering worn outside the house so a woman's hair cannot be seen by men outside her family. Fulla shows girls that the hijab is an ordinary part of a woman's life. She is packaged in a pink box, wearing a headscarf and a traditional abaya, a long-sleeved, ankle-length, black garment worn over clothes.

Why Fulla?
Fulla has the appeal of the pretty face, the large hazel eyes and long black hair compared to Barbie’s recognizable blond hair and blue eyes. Fulla has unremarkable accessories like a hairbrush and jewellery; she is also set with a prayer mat in serene pink, and items like jeans, a T-shirt and all types of colorful headscarves to match just like Barbie.
Her out-of-doors clothes have since become more colorful, but her shoulders are covered all the time and the skirt is always below her knees. By practice, Muslim women are expected to dress conservatively and Fulla shows just that.. Her indoor clothes, on the other hand, are intended like modern outfits and include skirts, swimsuits and even lingerie. She has many outfits that conform to Muslim values, yet are still considered fashionable in the West.
Fulla was not fashioned as an expansion of Barbie, and neither is she meant to be seen as a new edition of Barbie. Instead, she was created with a simply diverse personality in mind that would allow her to be recognized by children and parents alike who are enthusiastic on establishing principles other than what Barbie exudes.