“I have such fun memories of being at my grandma’s house, and playing with a Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse as a child,” says Moss, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 12 years old. “Raising awareness for T1D has always been really important to me, but I think creating this Barbie has also been a sort of healing experience for that little girl.” From her appearance on 2021’s Fendace catwalk, when she wore a baroque-print swimsuit and her Omnipod pump, to the 2022 Met Gala, for which she wore Burberry and her Freestyle Libre patch, this collaboration marks the latest chapter in a long-held mission to advocate for those living with T1D. “When I first started going out and doing these things, I got so many messages from people saying that seeing me helped them, or their children, feel more proud and represented,” Moss says. “I’m so happy I can do this through my work.”

Barbie has also produced a mainline doll with T1D.

Jonathan Daniel Pryce

Alongside Moss’s bespoke doll, the brand is also launching a mainline version with T1D. Part of the Fashionistas collection – which is modelled on an increasingly broad range of skin tones, hair textures, body types and abilities – this new Barbie comes equipped with a CGM, an insulin pump, a smartphone displaying a CGM app, a handbag stocked with essential T1D snacks, and a blue polka-dot two-piece inspired by global diabetes awareness symbols. “It’s so important for big companies to recognise and represent all kinds of people,” says Moss, noting the positive impact it will have on children. “It encourages conversations, and helps inform people who might not know much about T1D.” To ensure the doll was created with care, Mattel partnered with Breakthrough T1D, a leading non-profit organisation, and has donated £20,000 in the model’s name to support its work.

The resemblance is uncanny.

Jonathan Daniel Pryce

The Lila Moss Barbie might do more to raise awareness around T1D than any health outreach programme, and in addition, the doll is one of a kind. What, then, does the model plan on doing with it? “I was thinking about keeping it on a shelf at home,” she says, laughing. “But my mum has always said, ‘I wish I could carry you around in my handbag!’ So… maybe now she finally can.” For Moss, the significance of this project goes far beyond the novelty – or even the honour – of being immortalised as the world’s most famous doll. “I still get a lot of questions about my patch and pump, and I’m always happy to answer,” she says. “I hope this Barbie helps people understand that, even with T1D, you can still do everything you want to do. I hope it encourages others to feel confident in showing their own patches and pumps too.” Her message is simple: “We don’t need to hide our differences.”