Collaboration is everything to Mattel Creations. It’s our way of connecting the most diverse and fresh up and coming talent to our portfolio to continue creating WHAT’S NEXT. Our second creator story introduces you to four amazing artists from four very different backgrounds and gets to the bottom of why we collaborate.

Welcome to the Collaboratory

Creator Stories brings you behind the curtain at Mattel and into our passion for creating, designing, and collecting toys. This episode introduces you to Aleali, Kristopher Kites, Evan Mock and Blue the Great and their recreations of some of our most popular toys.

“I wanted to create a mini version of myself as a Barbie and create all the staple pieces I usually wear during fashion week.”

- Aleali May

Aleali May is no stranger to flexing her design chops with multiple Air Jordan collabs under her belt. But it’s her unique sense of style that caught the eye of Mattel Creations, and she used her impeccable styling know-how to create her first fashion collection for Barbie. It’s a full-circle moment for May, who started styling with her first childhood Barbie doll.

“Orko is underrated, and I felt there was so much exploration to be done with him.”

- Kristopher Kites

For Kites, an avant-garde designer best known for his oversized custom jewelry, it was a chance to revisit a childhood favorite and fashion one of his signature chains from it. Kites’ limited-edition Orko pendant features an iridescent chain that can be worn as a necklace or hung on a special display to bring the character to life.

“It was the first truck I ever owned. I really wanted to recreate it.”

- Evan Mock

Surfer and actor Evan Mock translated his hometown’s North Shore vibes into a Hot Wheels Toyota pickup truck — the same one he grew up driving in Oahu, Hawaii. “When I look at it now, I’m reminded of home and Hawaii. It was also the truck I sold to move to California to pursue my dreams, so it means a lot to me.”

“... Trains are always one of the best canvases because of the space and fact that it puts your art on the move.”

- Blue the Great

Multidisciplinary artist, Blue the Great found his signature style in spray paint. Known for his graffiti-styled murals and paintings, Blue's take on Thomas the Tank Engine features colorful bubble letters spelling "Blue" on the side, giving this diecast an edgy attitude.

This is just a glimpse of what makes this Collaboratory so groundbreaking (and cool). Watch the video and see why collaborating with artists from different backgrounds helps us continue delivering “WHAT’S NEXT."