Who is Ellie Goldstein? Barbie releases first doll with Down’s syndrome with British model

More and more people can call themselves a ‘Barbie girl living in a Barbie world’ as the Mattel company continues to work on creating the ‘most diverse and inclusive line of dolls’ to increase representation.

Barbie’s ‘Fashionista Line’ was launched in 2022 and already features a doll with a prosthetic leg and another in a wheelchair, but is set to introduce a variety of skin tones, body types and disabilities.

The latest move in the campaign shows Barbie releasing its first doll with Down’s syndrome after consulting and partnering with American charity the National Down’s Syndrome Society and medical experts to create a doll that is truly illustrative of women suffering with Down’s.

A study in March 2023 found that 'the estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,1000 live births worldwide,' therefore this new doll will help millions of people to connect with the Mattel product.

Utilising the medical professionals advice, Barbie focused on creating a doll with a different face and body that has a longer torso and shorter frame as well as highlighting the 21st chromosome, which causes characteristics linked to the condition, by a necklace with three upwards chevrons. 

While Barbie partnered with NDSS to release the doll over the pond, the privilege of revealing Barbie’s latest doll to the British public was given to model Ellie Goldstein.

The 21-year-old model who has Down’s syndrome appeared in Barbie’s campaign shortly after starring on the front cover of British Vogue in March 2023, and said she was ‘so happy’ to see the new doll.

Ellie said: “Diversity is important to me as people need to see more people like me out in the world and not be hidden away.”

Ellie certainly has not been shying away from the spotlight over the past couple of years as she took the internet and beauty world by storm in 2020 when she was featured in Gucci’s mascara campaign with Vogue Italia, in her ‘dream gig’.

The Essex-born model racked up the most likes ever on the Italian brand’s Instagram page and has gone on to work with the likes of Adidas and Victoria’s Secret to name a few, to destroy the archaic beauty ideals that have long excluded disability from campaigns.

Studying performing arts, Ellie has been modelling since she was 15 and has an ambassadorship for the learning disability charity Mencap as well as the honour of Glamour magazine’s 2021 Women of the Year Game Changing Model to her name.