Barbie's Ken gets a dad-bod makeover – Stylewatch

The Ken doll reimagined by Lyst. Photograph: PR company handout

As everyone knows, where Barbie leads Ken follows. So, with a range of more diverse body shapes and skin colours released last week as part of the Fashionista range, comes the corresponding range of Ken dolls, or, at least, the imagining of it courtesy of shopping website Lyst and artist Jamie Phillips.

Consumers react to new Barbie.

So here’s a black Ken with an afro, Asian Ken in a suit, Cameron-on-holiday dad bod Ken, the inevitable bearded hipster Ken, and balding Ken, in a very normcore-meets-Spotlight outfit of grey marl sweater and chinos.

All diversity is to be applauded but our favourite is the petite Ken, in pink vest and Versace-esque shorts. The mix of Jersey Shore sartorial taste and Jay Manuel from America’s Next Top Model face is very jolly indeed. It’s an outfit that could also just as easily be worn by Barbie, so perhaps he touches on another modern fashion concern unaddressed by the Fashionista: gender-neutral clothes for the Barbie and Ken.