The Dolls have been whispering about new friends in the studio… and how spring is a season of new beginnings, of flowers blooming and nature reawakening. They say it’s the perfect time to introduce two new members of the Doll Family, who are all ready for adventure with their bright smiles and floral gowns.

So here they are! Please welcome… Peony and Tia! Also known as Barbie Signature Lunar New Year 2026, and Holiday Barbie Signature 2022.

They’re the first two Barbie dolls to join the Doll Family. As a kid, I wasn’t really enthusiastic about Barbies, because they weren’t huggable or soft. Something about them seemed far removed from reality… maybe because I couldn’t relate to any of them.

So, why the sudden change? What steered the direction of doll collecting this way?

Or rather… who?

The same person who has introduced me to numerous doll lines over the years: my mother. 🙂

I didn’t know Barbie had a Signature line for collectors. I thought they all still looked the same. Then in February, Mom discovered the Barbie Signature Lunar New Year Doll 2026. We were both intrigued.

Shortly after, Mom spotted the Holiday Barbie 2022 doll, who surprisingly hadn’t sold out… and we were doubly intrigued.

“Hmm,” she said, looking at both dolls. “They’re too skinny. But their outfits are nice.”

That decided it.

Now here they are!

Both dolls are part of the Barbie Signature Black Label line, four years apart. (Technically three, because Mattel announced the CNY doll in 2025, and the labeling on the box shows 2025. But for the purpose of this review, I’ll leave it at four. 🙂 ) Both dolls have the Model Muse body, which isn’t fully articulated, but can be swapped for the Made To Mode (MTM) body type. (Some reviewers have pointed out that the Model Muse body is slimmer and taller than the standard Barbie? I’m not 100% sure.)

I’m excited to see how expressive these dolls are in stop motion, and which other doll(s) they can share clothes with.

First, here’s an in-depth look at the box opening process! I’ve posted the dolls’ unboxing videos on my YouTube channel, @PlumVillageProductions, which is included at the end of this blog article. I post these videos on TikTok and Instagram as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe for more doll collecting content and whimsical adventures! 🙂

Please note: I’m not affiliated with Mattel in any way. All points made are based on my own research, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. I do my best to check doll specs and info, but if I make any mistakes regarding names of sculpt(s) or any other specifics, please let me know! I’m completely new to the world of Barbie dolls… these two are my starting point.

Doll Review: Barbie Signature Lunar New Year Doll 2026

Let’s start with the Lunar New Year 2026 doll, designed by Joyce Chen.

First, let’s take a look at the box, designed by Laydiana Chiv. The front of the box is adorned with peonies, as well as the Barbie Signature label:

The sides of the box also have peonies, and a more prominent gold pattern that resembles Chinese gates in courtyards and imperial palaces:

At the back, the box shows the description of Barbie Lunar New Year, highlighted by more peonies:

The structure of the box is very well thought out. The red part of the box has a unique opening at the top, similar to Chinese style packaging. It’s more obvious in the fifth photo below:

The inner gold flaps of the box fold upward, and the rest of the packaging slides right out in one piece.

(After unboxing the Holiday 2022 Barbie Signature doll, I think this type of packaging is uniquely different from the standard Barbie boxes.)

Peony’s dress and shawl are stapled to the box with plastic tags… I tried to be very careful when cutting the tags, but there are still indents in the fabric of her dress and shawl that probably won’t go away. From a distance it’s barely noticeable:

The top part of Peony’s doll stand is placed right beneath her left hand.

At the back, her Certificate of Authenticity and doll stand base are packaged in clear plastic and taped near the bottom. Plastic sliding tabs hold her arms and torso in place:

There are also softer plastic tabs holding her heels in place:

Here she is out of the box!

Peony is the first member of the Doll Family with side-glancing eyes, and I really love how expressive she is! At first I thought that she’d be mostly looking away from the camera, but from certain angles she looks quite alive, as though she’s constantly thinking about something.

Here’s a closeup of her heels:

Usually open-toed heels aren’t part of traditional attire, but it’s a creative interpretation nonetheless. 🙂

From the back, there’s thread securing her hair to the plastic molded piece:

Even after all the plastic is cut away, there are three plastic tags remaining in the back of her head. I don’t think it’s possible to completely remove them. Mattel should really consider better ways to package these dolls, instead of leaving the plastic tags permanently there. Just my two cents.

Peony’s hair is deep dark brown, layered and smooth, without any crinkles from packaging:

Another piece of softer plastic is secured around her waist:

And another around her left wrist:

Her peony-print gown and pleated peplum bodice are one piece, attached at the back with velcro. The bodice is tighter than it appears:

I kept hearing a crinkly plastic sound around Peony’s dress, and it turns out there’s a layer of plastic underneath… probably to prevent staining or dye transfer. It is tightly molded around her torso, so the only way to remove the plastic is to cut it. For the time being, I’ll leave it in place.

There are also soft plastic ties around her right wrist:

I was really curious about Peony’s golden bangle on her right arm… or what I thought was a bangle. It turns out to be more of a bracelet, as there’s a wide gap visible from the back. (Bangles are solid all-around, so this particular choice of jewelry is not really authentic.)

The bracelet is quite tight against her arm. I tried sliding it down to her wrist, and it fell off because the bracelet is much wider than her wrist — so I guess it has to stay higher up on her arm, even though the promotional photos show otherwise. Oh well.

Surprisingly, there are adhesives attached to Peony’s left hand and upper arm, to keep the shawl in place:

Her golden shawl is made of a stiffer material than her gown, and is not lined. (Have to be really careful not to snag it on anything, especially velcro.)

Here’s the base of her doll stand, taped together with the CoA:

And Peony’s certificate:

Also, here’s the upper part of her doll stand (I didn’t realize I was holding it upside-down):

With the plastic in her dress, it does take a lot of maneuvering to fit the doll stand. These dolls definitely can’t stand on their own! 😛

Now let’s take a look at Peony’s gown. It’s designed with peony print, and is quite soft, with peplum pleats at the front of the bodice. I find the style of this ensemble rather interesting. It’s a modern twist, unlike the traditional qipao or cheongsam of dolls prior:

I like how the bottom half of the skirt flares out at the knee — it’s single-layer and though it isn’t lined, it gives the impression of a lot of depth. Reading Joyce Chen’s Instagram post, she mentions that it’s meant to resemble the style of a horse dress — fitting for the Year of the Fire Horse.

There’s also a plastic disc between each ear and peony earring — probably also to prevent staining. (I left it in place for the video. I know it looks a little silly, but her earrings are tight against her ears, so making sure it doesn’t cause staining for now.)

Now time to unbox the next doll, Tia! 🙂

Doll Review — Holiday Barbie Signature 2022

The front of Tia’s box is designed with poinsettias in opposite corners. I think having a green background for the inner packaging was a smart choice, as it really brings out the red of her gown:

Here are closeups of the poinsettia designs:

The back of the box showcases all four Holiday Barbie dolls from 2022. I like how Mattel is creating more diverse dolls with each series:

Tia’s box is a bit crumpled in one corner, and torn in the other — disappointing for resellers, but I’m not too worried about it. These dolls are meant to be out of the box anyway. And to be fair, she’s probably been in the warehouse for much longer than Peony.

Tia couldn’t wait to leap out of her box:

Most of the packaging is the same for both Barbie dolls:

One difference is that Tia’s doll stand is packaged near her feet, away from view:

It’s identical to Peony’s:

Unlike Peony, Tia’s Certificate of Authenticity is… wrinkled. It feels like regular paper, so I understand why the material on the CoA is thicker for the 2026 doll than the 2022 doll. Customers / resellers / collectors probably complained about it:

Tia’s gown also had little plastic tags holding it in place:

“At last!” Tia exclaimed, as soon as she emerged from the main packaging. “Which way is the party?”

Expression-wise, Tia has a confident smile with more prominent makeup. She has the Olivia face mold and looks more Asian than Peony. Tia also has purple eyeshadow and pearl earrings (no plastic discs — perhaps it was a subsequent decision by Mattel?).

Tia also has red fingernails:

She really looks delighted to be out of her box! 🙂

Her hair is styled in a sleek ponytail, away from her face. It’s also layered and looks fairly even.

I like the fact that both dolls have hair that isn’t overly styled. Collectors or resellers may be disappointed, but personally I think it’s easier to maintain the dolls’ hair if it’s loose like this: