In celebration of Día de Muertos this year, the American Girl brand, a line of 18-inch toy dolls owned by Mattel, has released its first-ever Día de Muertos embroidered dress as part of its apparel collection.
Inspired by the authentic dresses that come from the state of Chiapas in Mexico, the detailed outfit is embroidered with colorful flowers and includes a ruffled off-the-shoulder neckline and a satin yellow sash around the waist.
The set also comes with a braided pink, blue and yellow headband with a marigold flower fastened in the design, a pair of light blue ballet flats, and a masquerade mask with floral artwork reminiscent of the face paint one would find on a calavera during Día de Muertos.
Other accessories include a small sugar skull with “hand-drawn” decals and a faux candle decorated with marigold flowers. You might recognize the marigolds as the same flowers featured in the 2017 Pixar animated film Coco.
In the Latine culture, marigolds are sometimes referred to as “flowers of the dead” and are believed to attract the souls of the dead to ofrendas (altars) that have been built in their honor. A booklet detailing more about Día de Muertos traditions also comes with the latest American Girl outfit.
Last year, in celebration of its 35th anniversary, American Girl re-released its original six dolls, one of them being a Latina doll named Josefina Montoya, whose dream is to one day become a curandera (folk healer).
The American Girl Día de Muertos embroidered dress and accessories are available for purchase at Americangirl.com.
