It all started with a simple, innocent question.
A question Yvonne Ottley was hard pressed to provide an answer for. When her daughter Alyssa asked, “Why can’t I play as the black girls and how come they don’t have hair like mine?”, Yvonne was at a loss for words. That yearning to answer that question was turned into a desire to provide not only an answer but an experience.
Frobelles is an amazing self-funded project run by a Black mother and daughter. It features, exclusively, girls of color with curly textures and afro hairstyles – a serve gap of representation in much of mainstream media, even today. The brand focuses on three adorable sisters, Coco, Kelli and Krista who all love their hair, love each other, and have their own unique styles. Over the last two years, Yvonne has been working alongside her daughter, Alyssa, to design the aesthetic and hairstyles for the characters.
Hair Slay & Fun Play, Everyday.
Last week, the official dress up game for the brand launched! In this beta release, young players get to play as Kelli, the socially savvy middle sister of the bunch who loves experimenting with her style. She’s known for wearing her hair big and a penchant for bold earrings and statement tees. Players get to choose from an array of beautiful hair styling, select fashion, and accessories to complete the look. It’s a simple game that does a lot–and we should look out for more.
“We (my daughter and I) discovered that whilst the games my daughter played were safe and child-appropriate, there was a distinct lack of diverse characters.
My daughter didn’t feel represented–she wanted characters with skin and hair like hers. It was this feedback that prompted me to step into the world of mobile gaming as a creator.” –Yvonne Ottley
Prior to the launch, Yvonne has been building a community of over 10,000 Instagram followers who love the characters and the educational content of the page which includes a mixture of Black hair care routines and key creative leaders in Black history. From the official website, it is stated that the brand “…was created to be the representation brown-skin girls need whilst supporting them in loving themselves and championing their beautifully textured tresses through play.”
I am here for positive representation of Black girls. I’m here for mother-daughter bonding. I’m here for Black women as entrepreneurs creating the change that they want to see in the world!
Download the game now in the Google Play Store here. I’m told that a version for iOS for Phone users is coming very soon (video with gameplay here!) See more about the super cute Frobellas girls here on their website!
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