I remember being a little boy and playing with dolls. The girls I played with welcomed me with open arms, even asking me to do their Barbie's hair or to style their My Scene doll's clothes. The boys on the other hand made fun of me. Everyday it was “Sissy, faggot, fruitcake" and the sad part was, my parents called me the same. It wasn't until I came out to my parents that I was spared the homophobic slurs. I remember being nine and at my after school program. When I heard my mom was coming to pick me up soon, I quickly put the Barbies back in the toy bin and greeted her. At the time, my little brother was six, and was in that mischievous stage. He snitched on me and told her that I was playing with dolls. My mom gave me such a look and it scared me. When we got home I hauled ass to my room lol! She called me downstairs and I sat on the couch. My brother was on the step and peakee his big head out snickering. Needless to say, She whooped my ass lol...I can laugh about it now, but I used to cry about it. My love for Barbie and other fashion dolls has never left me. Barbie's old slogan was “Be who you wanna be" and that inspired me. Her current trend on Twitter is #BeUnapologetic which is what I am now. I can't and won't apologize for ever playing with dolls. Because it inspired me to pursue a career that involves dolls. I want to be able to sayc“Hello, my name is Cartier Aikens and I am a principle designer for Barbie Collector" I'm going to be completely honest with you, I didn't know that designing a doll could be a career until watching Barbie behind the scene videos on youtube back in my Sophomore year.  Men like Robert Best and Bill Greening inspired me and taught me that Toys are NOT gender assigned. This career pursuit will change my life. It will help me to teach and inspire others. I have spent three years designing all types of dolls hoping to appeal to all people of different races, sizes, colors, heights. And hopefully one day sexual orientations. I mainly want to inspire my community, the Black community. I never knew there were doll designers who looked like me who were making their dream a reality. I thank Stacey McBride-Irby (creator of Barbie So in Style) and Niccole Graves( founder and CEO of Trinity Designs Inc.) I also want to be able to inspire boys who were like me when I was little, who were teased for playing with dolls, who were teased for wearing dresses, who were pushed and spat on for living their life. I want to be able to tell them that it does get better.