To mark the initiation of its social impact arm, LBCreate, Love, Bonito, Southeast Asia’s largest omni-channel women’s fashion brand, has partnered with global toy brand, Mattel, to offer a limited-edition collection of Barbies for Southeast Asia.
Titled “Dream It, Do It!” Love, Bonito’s collaboration with Barbie aims to inspire young girls and women to believe in themselves and be empowered to pursue their limitless potential.
Image source: Love, Bonito x Barbie
For the collection, the brand worked closely with Barbie to curate the body types – namely Petite, Curvy, Original and Small Bust.
Each doll comes with a Barbie-sized apparel assortment based off Love, Bonito’s The Staples collection, and is available upon purchase of the specially created Love, Bonito x Barbie® T-shirt as part of a SGD$150 minimum spend in a single order.
Through the collection and T-shirts, Love, Bonito hopes to connect with young women across Asia and encourage them to have the confidence to follow their dreams.
Image source: Love, Bonito x Barbie
“We are glad to be able to collaborate with Barbie to create a collection of dolls who represent the Love, Bonito woman. She is a multifaceted multitasker, always on the go, wears many hats and plays many roles,” said Dione Song, CEO, Love, Bonito.
“The Barbie 62-year brand legacy has been known for championing female causes and the partnership with Love, Bonito further strengthens our voice in getting girls to continue believing in themselves. Our hopes of removing barriers that prevent girls from reaching their potential is an ongoing one and only with like-minded brands can we continue to expand this cause worldwide,” said Ho Shu Ting, Marketing Manager of Mattel Continental Asia.
Image source: Love, Bonito x Barbie
Supporting education in women
In addition to the Barbie initiative, Love, Bonito will be funding the education of 100 girls in low-income communities in Asia for a year through Room to Read Girls’ Education Programme.
This comes in response to a report by The World Bank which forecasted lower levels of schooling, learning and future earnings because of school closures in low-income economies.
Moreover, UNESCO projected that 11 million girls might not return to school due to COVID-19’s unprecedented education disruption.
“Love, Bonito’s investment will ensure that education endures during a particularly critical time for girls at risk of dropping out of school across Asia,” said Laurie McMahon, Room to Read’s Chief Development and Communications Officer.
“For girls in communities where Room to Read operates our Girls’ Education Programme, COVID-19 school closures could mean not just a pause, but an end to learning forever. Love, Bonito is part of the solution and, alongside Room to Read, is helping girls activate their voices and pursue their chosen life paths.”
Image source: Love, Bonito x Barbie
LBCreate
The initiatives mark the formalisation of Love, Bonito’s social impact programme – LBCreate, with the mission to bring women’s issues to the forefront and create actionable steps for the future.
Since the brand’s establishment 11 years ago, it has collaborated with AWARE and Daughters of Tomorrow to inspire confidence in women and support them when needed.
Now, with the launch of LBCreate, the brand will have a dedicated programme focused on the growth and development of girls and women who face many ongoing challenges, either within themselves or when facing external pressures.
The focus for the social impact programme will be on future-proofing women in society and at the workplace, addressing the multitude of health and wellness issues as well as women’s rights.
Each year, Love, Bonito will be partnering with an organisation in line with the above-mentioned focus to support the organisation’s efforts through funding, shared connections and raising awareness on the issue at hand.
“LBCreate is our commitment towards tapping into our strength as a brand made for women by women, connecting females to opportunities that will enable them to grow and succeed as confident 21st century superstars,” said Dione Song, CEO of Love, Bonito. “This year, with the launch of LBCreate, we commit to supporting the female community in Asia with the educational resources and tools to carve a future they aspire to be in.”
Love, Bonito x Barbie® T-shirt comes in two colourways and is priced at SGD$29.90. The T-shirt is sold exclusively on the brand’s website in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia.
