Kitty Black Perkins

Career Black Perkins worked in non-doll fashion for six years before responding to a blind classified ad from Mattel. She reports never having had a Barbie doll until she purchased one to prepare for the interview. She became principal designer for Barbie in 1978. In 1991 The Los Angeles Times reported that Black-Perkins was responsible for over 100 designs a year, amounting to over one fifth of all of the designs for Barbie. She has received the doll industry's highest honor, the Doll of the Year (DOTY) award.

Black Perkins was Chief Designer of Fashions and Doll Concepts for Mattel's Barbie line for over twenty-five years. Her designs include the "First Black Barbie" (1980), "Shani and Friends" (1991) a short-lived line of African-American dolls, "Holiday Barbie" (1988, 1989, 1990, 1996), "Fashion Savvy Barbie" (1997), "Bathtime Barbie" and "Brandy" (1999).

Black Perkins is featured in the documentary Black Barbie, which premiered at the 2023 South by Southwest film festival.

Recognition In 1994 she was named a Woman of the Year honoree by the National Council of Negro Women. She is also an inductee into the Black Hall of Fame. At the time, Mattel faced criticism that a white man was responsible for designing a black doll. In response, Black Perkins publicly announced support for Greening's work on the doll, saying that “You don’t have to be Black to design Black.”

Personal life Black Perkins is divorced and has two children.