No Longer Just a Barbie World

Houston company launches Prettie Girls collection of dolls of color (and Obamacollectables, too)

The Prettie Girls include an African, African American, Indian and DominicanRepublic doll.
Sophia makes her debut as a recent high school grad on the campaign trail forObama 2012. The collectible dolls range from $49.95 to $149.95.
Mattel veteran designer Stacey McBride-Irby brought her expertise to the OneWorld Dolls.
Bettie DeBruhl heads up the marketing for One World and is planning a majoradvertising push in 2012.

Barbie’s circle of friends is getting more colorful and multi-cultural, thanks to a Houston company that is launching a collection of dolls that truly represent the girls who play with them. The line of Prettie Girl dolls includes African, African American, Indian and Dominican Republic girls and their creators hope they will be the antidote to the one-look-fits all world of toys.

The One World Doll Project has an impressive pedigree behind it. Stacey McBride-Irby was a project designer for Mattel for 15 years and designed the ground-breaking So In Style line of African-American Barbie dolls released in 2009. Houston executive Trent T. Daniel is the company's CEO and public relations veteran Bettie DeBruhl is chief marketing officer. The trio met during a United Negro College Fund speaking tour and began to conceptualize what would become the Prettie Girl doll.

“A doll is a girl’s first best friend and through dolls we learn a lot about who we are,” DeBruhl said. “We get a lot of comments from women who are 60 and older saying they wished they’d had these dolls when they were growing up. They ask, ‘Would my life have been different? Would I have made different choices?’”

It’s heady stuff to contemplate for sure. After all, isn’t it just a toy?

DeBruhl says we shouldn’t underestimate the effect toys and other sources like television can have on the development of a girl’s self-esteem and self-image. Prettie Girl dolls feature various skin shades, facial features and body structures that reflect black girls.

Prototypes show hair of various lengths for styling and, unlike Bratz dolls that tend to be decked out for the club rather than the playground, the Prettie Dolls, which are 11.5-in. tall, are dressed in colorful leggings, bolero jackets and booties. The dolls also have positive attitudes and believe in getting good grades, making good choices and planning for the future-and not just their future wardrobe choices.

The Prettie Girl dolls will be available early next year.

Collectors are abuzz about another line of limited edition collector dolls that pay homage to Barack Obama’s presidency and the 2012 campaign. One World created Sophia, a recent graduate-with-honors from the Dream Academy for Excellence, the fictional high school that all Prettie Girls attend. When campaigning for Obama, she wears a “Sophia Loves Her President” t-shirt, cuffed Capri jeans and heels. For the inauguration ball, the Sophia wears an electric royal blue gown trimmed in sparkling silver, accented by encrusted jewels and garnet stones.

The limited edition dolls are $49.95. DeBruhl says they will be available for Christmas 2011. McBride-Irby is also hand-signing 2,012 Signature Edition Collector’s Dolls available, each with a unique number, certificate of authenticity, retailing for $149.95.

“We are getting so much feedback from the collectable community and are selling dolls even now without a lot of promotion,” DeBruhl says. “Dolls are emotional thing in black culture and we are excited about dolls that are strong, smart, intelligent and caring. It’s a cultural thing more than a consumer product.

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RODEO RUNWAY

Western glam takes over as RodeoHouston fans dress to impress

Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

Brooke Jones, Kiala Cardenas, Brittany Ruggeri, and Franschesca Jones.

Houstonians have dusted off their boots and rhinestones as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is in full swing. Already one of the largest events in Texas, the crowds are continuing to grow. In 2025, more than 2.7 million people attended RodeoHouston, and this year the event is already on track for record-breaking numbers.

Livestock competitions, carnival rides, deep-fried food, and headlining concerts are the official reasons people come to the rodeo. Unofficially, however, people watching has become a sport all its own. The crowded walkways on RodeoHouston grounds transform into a Western-themed runway, where personal style is just as much of the experience as enjoying deep-fried Oreos or a Ferris wheel ride.

A wide range of outfits is always on display. Some attendees go all in with head-to-toe sequins, fringe on everything, and dramatically decorated hats. Others keep things casual with denim, boots, and graphic t-shirts, while groups of friends will often coordinate themed outfits for concert nights.

Rodeo Fashoin 2026 Emily Duran and Brylie Wagner.Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

No matter the style, there are two must-have accessories: cowboy hats and boots. Hats serve a dual purpose for both fashion and protection from the sun during daytime events. Boots are essential to rodeo style, but sometimes come with a painful learning curve.

Many attendees walk more than a mile from the parking lot to the grounds, and after exploring, they often add more than 20,000 steps. For those who did not properly break in their boots, the end of the day can involve blisters and a slow walk to the car, boots in hand.

“Rodeo fashion is so fun. My friends and I planned out outfits together, and we made sure we broke in our boots before tonight,” Teresa Delgado tells CultureMap. “When you are from Houston, you only make that mistake once.”

Rodeo Fashion 2026 Karson Graves, Reese, Lowery, Mackenzie Lewis, Natalie Doyle, Brandi Hunger, and Jenna Faulkner.Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

Some days have them whether it's official or it's an unspoken trend. When Megan Moroney took the stage, pink was the color of the concert, inspired by Moroney's album Cloud 9. Nearly 70,000 attendees filled the stadium in everything from flouncy pink ruffled outfits to bright neon boots and hats.

“We have really been looking forward to this concert,” said Ashley Little from Cypress. “I didn't think too much about my outfit at first, but my daughter wanted to coordinate, so here we are wearing pink together.”

Between carnival rides, mutton busting, and nightly concerts, the rodeo has plenty to see, but some of the most memorable moments are stopping to notice that fashion is just another part of the show.

Photo by Gabi De la Rosa

Brooke Jones, Kiala Cardenas, Brittany Ruggeri, and Franschesca Jones.

houston rodeo fashion western style