A young girl from Bosnia is crafting traditional Balkan outfits, complete with intricate headdresses and ornate aprons, designed specifically for Barbie dolls. Her aim is to pique interest in a new line of Barbie dolls inspired by Balkan folklore, capitalizing on the worldwide popularity of a recently released "Barbie" movie.
Eleven-year-old Esma Gljiva from Sarajevo started her project more than a month ago after seeing poor-quality figures in a souvenir shop. Souvenir figures are typically not proper moving dolls and their clothes are just glued on.
"These were some plastic dolls dressed in folklore costumes, they were not even the real dolls, ... they were not properly dressed at all," Esma told Reuters showing new dolls from her collection.
"I tried to do it in a better way, and I think that I succeeded," she said.
Esma has yet to see the Barbie movie, but her friends and family say she embodies the spirit of female independence and entrepreneurship that dominates the film.
Raised in a family of devoted amateur folklore dancers, Esma has learned a lot about Bosnia's multi-religious traditions and is herself a member of a local folklore group.
She is very precise when making dolls dressed in traditional Muslim, Christian Orthodox, and Catholic costumes, and takes care of hairstyles and miniature jewelry.
She says she would name her dolls the "Bosnian Barbie dolls" and she is planning costumes for a Bosnian folklore Ken.
Esma receives orders for her dolls daily, and she has sent them to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Turkmenistan, Norway, Britain, and other countries.
"We are so proud that she embraced this project with such devotion, and spent her summer holiday days doing this," said Esma's mother Adana Gljiva. "She also earned her pocket money."
