In honor of National Afro Day, DeeDee Wright-Ward, creator of viral Naturalistas Fashion Doll line and CEO of one of the largest Black-owned toy start-ups, Purpose Toys, announced the expansion of the Naturalistas brand with the release of the Amazon Exclusive “Crown and Coils” Natural Hair Styling-Head set.
A celebration of coils and curls, the popular Naturalistas fashion doll line features seven unique core characters and offers an inclusive selection of four distinctly Black hair textures and styles. Created to help parents educate kids, “Crown and Coils” joins the “Crown and Curls” Styling-Head as the world’s first and only line of Natural Hair Styling-Heads to provide children with the opportunity to explore, interact with and learn to care for Natural Hair. The groundbreaking “Crown” line of Styling-Heads features a selection of several hair types (4A and 3C), both of which commonly found across the African American and global Black Communities. With the support of Amazon and the exclusive release of “Crown and Coils”on National Afro Day, Naturalistas continues to make history as the first all Black, culture-driven fashion doll line to not only center and celebrate children with coily and curly hair, but also to highlight the beautiful nuances of Natural Black Hair.
DeeDee Wright-Ward states: “Whereas straight hair, wavy and jewel-toned hair are over-represented across the Black doll category, the reality is many African American children and adults like myself, have tightly coiled natural-colored hair. But from the standpoint of authentically representing distinctively Black characteristics, many doll products marketed to Black children don’t often reflect their beautiful coils, curls or natural hair color, which can inadvertently send the message that hair that looks like theirs isn’t equally valued. We want to change this.”
DeeDee continues, “Through the Naturalistas’ “Crown and Coils” Styling-Head, children with type-4 hair are not only provided an educational tool that allows them to interact with and learn about Natural Hair management, they also get to see themselves celebrated and authentically represented. With the “Crown and Coils” set featuring 20 culturally-curated hair accessories, namely our signature Crown Afro Pick and Crown Braid Barrels, our Styling-Heads are a loving nod to the experience of growing up as children who spend a great deal of their lives in variations of culture-based hairstyles. With Afro-textured hair being a distinct identifier, our hair and styles are more than simple trends, but a unique representation of our incomparable culture.”
“A Celebration of Natural Coils, Curls and Crowns,” both “Crown and Coils” and “Crown and Curls” Styling-Head sets (SRP $29.99) feature distinctly Black (natural hair) textures, familiar (culturally) facial features, contemporary deco face paintings, and highly curated (culturally accurate) hair accessories that DeeDee Wright-Ward, CEO of Black-owned toy start-up Purpose Toys and creator of “Naturalistas” Fashion Doll line The Amazon Exclusive Naturalistas “Crown and Coils” Styling-Head Set was created to celebrate children with coily and curly hair. speak to Purpose Toys’ commitment to the celebration, education and authentic representation of Natural Hair. Naturalistas are sold and distributed by Purpose Toys.
DeeDee adds, “Our tagline across all Naturalistas brands is ‘Be Proud of Your Crown,’ and on National Afro Day and every day, we continue to support the healthy emotional development of children who wear their Natural Hair, by providing authentic, nuanced culture-driven products. It goes without saying that Purpose Toys is grateful for the support of Amazon in bringing celebratory, uplifting ‘dolls-of-culture’ to market.”
DeeDee Wright-Ward – CEO, Purpose Toys