In Celebration of Black Business Month, DeeDee Wright-Ward, creator of the viral Naturalistas Natural Hair Fashion Doll Line and CEO of California-based Purpose Toys (U.S.A.’s largest Black-owned, African American-founded, Culture-driven toy company, and leader of Natural Hair products for kids) announces the international expansion of Naturalistas, and the first retail partnership under their ambitious international distribution plan with Walmart Canada.
In 2022, Purpose Toys successfully launched Naturalistas, as the world’s first all-Black (Black-owned) Natural Hair fashion doll line sold at major retail. With the goal of celebrating children with naturally textured hair, Naturalistas have also become known for educating children about Natural Hair care, the culture of hair, as well as the nuances of common hair types found across the African diaspora.
“We are honored to kick off Black Business Month with the announcement and celebration of Purpose Toys’ and Naturalistas’ international expansion into Canada. We are also honored and extremely excited for the opportunity to uplift and celebrate the children of Canada and children around the world,” stated DeeDee Wright-award, Creator of Naturalistas and CEO of Purpose Toys.
As Natural Hair kids often face challenges regarding lack of nuanced, substantive representation in dolls, through Naturalistas, Purpose Toys hopes to join a global conversation that aims to help support the confidence and self-esteem of Canadian kids (and children around the world) through authentically designed, fun, and accessible Natural Hair toys for kids.
“Naturalistas’ tagline and most important affirmation the brand hopes to impart is, “Be Proud of Your Crown™.” As dolls with straight, wavy, and jewel-toned hair continue to flood the Black doll market, many children of African descent who identify more so with having coily, curly, loc’d, naturally textured, and natural-color hair feel increasingly under-represented,” Wright-Ward adds.
“Products that fail to authentically reflect the “Crowns” (i.e., hair) of the children to whom they are marketed, inadvertently send the message hair that looks like theirs isn’t equally valued. We want to change this,” concluded Wright-Ward.
Naturalistas features a host of 11.5-inch gently priced, accessible (nuanced) Natural Hair fashion dolls with trendy outfits, as well as the world’s first line of texture-focused styling heads (the “Crown Collection”) boasting a range of beautiful 4A and 4C coils, 3C curls, and more! Kids might also notice adorably familiar facial features, gorgeous full lips, varying sun-kissed skin tones, and other fun and uplifting variables across the collection.
With international expansion into Canada, Naturalistas and California-based Purpose Toys continues its mission to “Center and Celebrate Children of Culture.”
On this first week of Black Business Month (and every month) Purpose Toys aims to support the healthy emotional development of children who wear their Natural Hair.
“We are deeply grateful for the support of our friends at Walmart Canada and Walmart U.S. And we are honored for the opportunity to celebrate the children of Canada through play. Cheers to our amazing international sales team who continue to uplift and position Purpose Toys and Naturalistas as we carry out our mission to bring substantive representation to toy aisles around the world,” said DeeDee Wright-Ward.
Naturalistas are distributed through Purpose Toys and are currently available at Walmart (CAN) and Walmart (US), as well as other major retailers across the U.S.