One World Doll Project

A Houston, Texas based businessman named Trent Daniel has joined up with former Mattel doll designer Stacey McBride-Irby to create a new toy doll company called One World Holdings that has its sights set on the multicultural toy market with the introduction of its One World Doll Project. Although the company's first five dolls, known as “The Prettie Girls! OWP” will not be available in stores until this spring, the demand for high-quality dolls with minority ethnicities in the U.S. is currently so high, especially among African-American citizens, that the company's administrators already decided to take their new venture firm public.

One World Doll Project co-founder Daniel said that when his company saw that African-American women could not find dolls that looked like their children in any stores, the firm recognized there was a very high demand in the doll market place and then proceeded to develop the Pretty Girls! OWP line. The company’s multicultural line of dolls now includes Alexie, a Caucasian American doll; Dahlia, a Middle Eastern Indian featured doll; Kimani, a doll reflecting direct African origins; Lena, a doll leaning toward African-American features; and Valencia, a Hispanic American featured doll.

Although the One World Holdings Company’s administrative headquarters is located in Houston, the actual dolls will be made in China at a plant once used by Mattel to make Barbie dolls. According to Daniel, the China-based production means that the One World dolls will have the same levels of quality of hair and clothing as original Barbie dolls and he added that "We wanted to be the company to provide not only authentic dolls of color, but also ones that truly could compete with the quality and look of Barbie."  Although the launch of the multicultural line of dolls along with the company’s move to go public are both intended to ensure long-term financial success, according to a news release from One World Holdings, the broader goal of the One World Doll Project's core mission is much more far reaching. The news release said "The One World Doll Project's core mission is to make one of the most significant, positive cultural impacts on play and in the doll category in recent history."

As Houston’s first doll or toy company to go public, the new doll maker hit the stock market under the parent company name of One World Holdings and was issued the stock symbol OWOO. The stock debuted at 15 cents a share and closed at 25 cents, and represents a good opening for the aspiring company and its innovative new dolls. Whether or not the Pretty Girls! OWP line actually goes on to become “the most significant doll in recent history” remains to be seen, but it does look like the One World Doll Project is already off to a very good start.