A 9-year-old girl from Michigan has taken imaginative play to the next level. This aspiring fashion designer has a special gift for dressing her Barbie dolls. Recently, she even caught the eye of Mattel.
Sha’Kvia Woods, Nevaeh’s mom knew her daughter was a fashionista from an early age. She said, “She would always carry a Barbie doll around with her trying her best to match her doll’s clothing with her outfit for the day.”
While Nevaeh has always been very creative, over the past six months she started expressing a desire to design clothing. After Neveah told her mom, “You must create the life you want.” they purchased enough supplies to get her started.
Nevaeh draws her inspiration from her mother and both of her grandmothers. From a young age she would critique their outfits and pick out their accessories. Woods said, “She is very particular and knows exactly what she likes. I have to say she is definitely a natural.”
When Woods posted Neveah’s designs on her Facebook page, she didn’t expect to go viral, garnering nearly 9,000 shares. Mattel took notice and a representative from Barbie’s social team reached out to the budding designer.
Since receiving a package of new Barbie dolls from Mattel, Nevaeh has continued designing new looks. She currently crafts her outfits using scissors, socks and a hot glue gun, but she is determined to learn how to sew.
Going forward Nevaeh has her sights set high. In the future, she hopes to see her designs on a runway in Paris.
Woods said that when her daughter puts her mind to something, she is unstoppable.
—Jennifer Swartvagher
All photos courtesy of Sha’Kvia Woods
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