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As the new Barbie movie continues to win fans worldwide, a Bosnian girl is hand-making her own beautifully executed traditional Balkan costumes for the dolls, partly in a bid to offset some of the shoddy craftsmanship she's seen.
Eleven-year-old Esma Gljiva from Sarajevo started her project more than a month ago after seeing poor quality figures in a souvenir shop.
"These were some plastic dolls dressed in folklore costumes, they were not even the real dolls... they were not properly dressed at all," she said. "I tried to do it in a better way, and I think that I succeeded."
Esma Gljiva, an 11-year-old Bosnian girl, shows off the dolls that she dresses in her homemade traditional Bosnian costumes. /Amel Emric
Gljiva has yet to see the Barbie movie, but her friends and family say she embodies the spirit of female independence on show in the film. Raised in a family of devoted amateur folklore dancers, she learned a lot about Bosnia's multi-religious traditions and is herself a member of a local folklore group.
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She is very precise when making dolls dressed in traditional Muslim, Christian Orthodox and Catholic costumes, and takes care over hairstyles and miniature jewellery.
Esma's entire family – Barbies and all – are devoted to traditional Bosnian culture. /Amel Emric/Reuters
She says she would name her dolls the "Bosnian Barbie dolls" and is planning costumes for a Bosnian folklore Ken.
Gljiva receives orders for her dolls daily, and she has sent them to Bulgaria, Czechia, Turkmenistan, Norway, Britain and other countries.
"We are so proud that she embraced this project with such devotion, and spent her summer holiday days doing this," said her mother Adana Gljiva. "She also earned her pocket money."
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Copyright © 2023 CGTN. 京ICP备16065310号
Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466