The slow fashion podcast: Representation, diversity and dolls

It was an honor to meet and talk to Johanna. She sums up the podcast episode so nicely and you can listen to the podcast here!

text by Johanna

"You can buy a mass-produced doll, but you can also think: what does this mass-produced doll lead to? That it is so cheap, who has to pay the cost for it? Try to look past the fact that it is cheap and easily available. I want benefit my child, but do I want to do something else? Is there something designed and made in Sweden that contributes to more? When I invest in this doll, it's not just the doll but so much more around it" - Fatma Guettou , founder of Watoto Arts, https://watotoarts.com/

This episode is about how a frustration in the toy store turned into an entire business. A few years ago, Fatma wanted to buy a doll for her child and was struck by the fact that the range did not at all reflect society at large. But instead of just feeling sad that so little had happened since she herself was a child playing with blonde Barbie dolls, she took matters into her own hands. Today, she runs Watoto Arts together with her husband, a company that makes Swedish-made dolls with the aim of challenging norms and creating conditions for inclusive play.

We also talk about an American doll test that is downright heartbreaking and about the importance of thinking of the whole society as a "doll box". Also: smart tactics to help each other so that more people can be seen and heard. And then we dive into this thing of running our own business, daring to test ourselves and always wanting to learn more. And how does Watoto Arts think in the choice of textile materials and production? Is it even possible to be credible in matters of diversity if you don't have a firm grasp of the entire production?

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Text from the Slowfashion podcast