Whats up with Bratz?
Isaac Larian’s divaesque dolls are the latest in a line of toy entertainers. By Christina MacDonald One never knows where the next good idea is going to come from. Isaac Larian was running a company that imported and distributed electronic gizmos six years ago when a buyer from Wal-Mart told him the retail chain was eager to find a fashion doll that could compete with Mattel’s Barbie. Ever the entrepreneur, Larian immediately set to work, and the first Bratz doll hit store shelves in 2001. In the ensuing years, Bratz has become a toy phenomenon, with MGA now “the largest independently owned toy company in the world,” according to Larian. Sales, he says, topped $1 billion in 2004 at retail, including revenue from 30,000 Wal-Mart outlets. (Because the company is privately held, there is no public accounting.) Larian’s 10-inch knockouts with bee-stung lips, thigh-length hair and removable feet have continued to be a top seller among their core demographic: girls ages 7-11. Along the way,
