Bratz is an American fashion doll and media franchise created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment, which debuted in 2001.

[1] The Bratz doll lines have provoked controversy in several areas from their stylized proportions to fashion-forward clothing, capitalizing closely on pop trends.

In July 2015, Bratz relaunched a second time for 14 years with new doll lines and introducing a new main character, Raya, to the debut lineup from its 2001 launch as well as a new slogan and website design.

[dubious – discuss][9] In 2013, Bratz got a new logo and slogan, and the dolls all got new bodies with articulated arms, with a height to match its competitor Monster High while keeping their unique faces, and sporting brand new fashions.

[citation needed] Only the four principal Bratz characters, alongside minors: Meygan, Fianna, Shira, Roxxi and Phoebe, have been made in the new bodies.

Since Black Friday of 2018, the new set of Bratz Collector dolls designed by Hayden Williams were officially released and sold exclusively through Amazon online.

[citation needed] In September 2018, a new line of dolls titled "Bratz Collector" were designed by fashion illustrator Hayden Williams and released exclusively on Amazon online.

[11] To celebrate the Mean Girls film's 20th anniversary, Paramount collaborated with MGA Entertainment to feature Cady and the Plastics as limited-edition Bratz dolls.

They include required overtime exceeding the legal maximum of 36 hours a month, forcing workers to stay on the job to meet stringent production quotas and the denial of paid sick leave and other benefits.

[15] The report shows copies of what it says are "cheat sheets" distributed to workers before auditors from Walmart or other customers arrive to make sure the factory passes inspections intended to ensure the supplier meets labor standards.

"[17] In 2007, concerns over the body image and lifestyle the Bratz dolls allegedly promoted were raised by the American Psychological Association after it established its Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls.

[20] The Bratz brand, which has remained number one in the UK market for 23 consecutive months (i.e. between 2005 and 2007) focuses core values on friendship, hair play and a 'passion for fashion.

[11] In 2024, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of International Women's Day, a number of celebrities had their likeness turned into Bratz dolls, including Chappell Roan, Normani, Miley Cyrus and Sinéad O'Connor.

[26] It added the word "only" to the toy line's slogan "The only girls with a passion for fashion" by attempting to isolate their dolls from Mattel's as many casual consumers confused the difference of two brands.

In its initial statement, the Court suggested Larson's previous ruling was "draconian" and had gone too far in awarding ownership of the entire Bratz franchise to Mattel.

[30] Isaac Larian and MGA Entertainment issued a statement that "the Court's stay is good news for all Bratz fans and for anyone who cares about fair competition.

The panel from the Court of Appeals said Judge Larson had abused his discretion with his ruling for Mattel, concluding that Bryant's employment agreement could have, but did not necessarily, cover ideas as it did designs, processes, computer programs, and formulae, which are all more concrete.

[32][33] In addition to the litigation for ownership and control of Bratz' on October 20, 2009, artist Bernard "Butch" Belair filed a new design infringement lawsuit against both Mattel and MGA in Manhattan federal court, seeking unspecified damages.

Belair claimed that his copyright designs of young women with "large heads, oval eyes, small bodies and large feet," which he had created for shoe designer house Steve Madden, were "pilfered" when Carter Bryant, during his 2008 court testimony, testified that he had been inspired by Steve Madden shoe ads which he saw in Seventeen magazine.

"[35] Mattel and MGA returned to court in January 2011 to renew its battle over who owns Bratz, which this time includes accusations from both companies that the other side stole trade secrets.

[38] In July 2012, MGA Entertainment sued pop singer Lady Gaga for $10 million for causing, according to the BBC, "deliberate delays to the release of a doll based on her image.

The live-action adaption of the franchise involving the four main characters exploring high school troubles and cliques was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics including at Rotten Tomatoes with emphasis "full of mixed messages and dubious role-models", adding that "Bratz is too shallow even for its intended audience.

In August 2007, an 88-minute, computer-animated, audiovisual production titled Bratz: BFF (Best Friends Forever) was released on the DVD rental website portal of Netflix.