For decades, unicorns have been a popular icon for kids. A stroll down the kids’ aisle reveals everything unicorn-related, from backpacks to figures to plush. The one-horned horse often represents the magic of childhood — days spent frolicking in the backyard pretending to be from a far-off universe where unicorns can run wild. But why are unicorns always depicted as white?
April Showers wondered just that. A hard-working, single mom of two boys, Showers runs multiple businesses while maintaining her personal life. After a certain point, she was constantly being referred to as a “unicorn” because her friends thought she was keeping it all together at an incredible level. Showers loved the idea of the unicorn: The magical, mythical, and unique creature that mystifies everyone with its glow. She started to embrace her inner unicorn, even going so far as to research the mythological figure and sign off her texts with the unicorn emoji. But quickly, something shifted. “[The emoji] no longer resonated with me when I started to think about how the unicorn is white. So I decided to create a unicorn emoji that represented me better,” she says.
EMBRACE YOUR INNER UNICORN
And so, in 2019, Afro Unicorn was born. Known for its graphic T-shirts and bags, Afro Unicorn is characterized by its logo. The brand’s iconic design — a Black unicorn that features a blue horn, Afro, crown, and earrings — was created by Showers’ cousin to reflect Showers herself. “It was important for the unicorn to represent who I am, from its side-eye to its crown, jewels, eyeshadow, and fluffy hair,” Showers explains. “When fully realized, Afro Unicorn represents me.”
To elevate this representation, Showers revealed that the name has a dual meaning: “The first is to empower and elevate emerging entrepreneurs,” she says. “The second is an homage to Africa and a promise to amplify representation through my fully licensed character brand.” This multifaceted meaning is further reflected in the design. Not only does the Black unicorn image depict an Afro, but it also represents the varied skin tones of African descent, since the logo comes in three different skin tones.
In the beginning, Afro Unicorn started small as an organic, grassroots brand. Showers pressed and sold T-shirts through an e-commerce store, adding logos to clothing and bags at the request of her customers. But everything changed in August 2021 when a video of a little girl wearing an Afro Unicorn shirt went viral. After seeing the video, Showers received an email from Walmart with the subject line, “Afro Unicorn x Walmart.” The email asked her, “Have you ever considered party supplies?”
EXPANDING TO NEW HORIZONS
Afro Unicorn’s collaboration with Walmart marked the beginning of the brand’s rapid rise. With this partnership, Showers became one of the first Black women to enter the party supplies and celebration category. Although she started in the licensing industry with only two or three licensees, Showers now holds 45 licensees and counting. And in the next few months, Afro Unicorn will enter the toy space. “It’s thrilling to know that we have a line of plush, collectibles, games, puzzles, playsets, ride-ons, and outdoor play in the works,” Showers says. “Kids will be able to live in a world of Afro Unicorn!” This month, Afro Unicorn released a 13-inch standing plush with Dan Dee at Walmart, and this spring, GMA Accessories Inc.’s Capelli Sports is releasing a line of Afro Unicorn water toys.
And now, plans are in the works for an even bigger brand expansion in 2024 as Afro Unicorn and its master toy partner Just Play introduce collectible dolls, figures, playsets, building toys, and more. “From the moment we met April, we knew that Just Play had to be a part of her vision to bring Afro Unicorn to the toy aisle,” says Sunny Lauridsen, Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy and Licensing at Just Play. “We’ll be bringing [Afro Unicorn] to life through an assortment of plush, role-play dolls, and more that aim to empower girls to see the unicorn within themselves and to find their crown.”
Of course, creating these lines isn’t an easy process. “To develop the collections, we go through a very intense concept creative process,” Showers explains. “For the toy line, we start the process with developing stories for our Afro Unicorns.” In constructing these stories, Showers created the magical land of Afronia, where the three main unicorns — Unique, Divine, and Magical — live. “The process of story development leads to creating the new toy collections,” Showers says. “We want the kids to read the stories and bring them to life through play and their imaginations.”
But kids won’t have to wait until next year to fully embrace their inner unicorn thanks to a newly inked deal with Disguise, the costumes division of JAKKS Pacific.
Under the deal brokered by Retail Monster, Disguise will market, manufacture and distribute a full range of Afro Unicorn costumes and accessories.
“Disguise is proud to be launching Afro Unicorn products to support the extraordinary brand that its visionary founder and CEO April Showers has built to highlight the importance of representation and Black beauty,” says Tara Hefter, President and General Manager of Disguise. “Diversity and inclusivity are important attributes to Disguise and the costumes we create globally and we are excited to launch beautiful costumes in support of such an amazing brand.”
AUTHENTIC REPRESENTATION FOR ALL KIDS EVERYWHERE
Although Afro Unicorn has grown across multiple retail categories, the shift to toys and costumes is especially poignant for Showers. “Kids need to see themselves in the clothes they wear and the toys they play with,” she asserts. “Multicultural toys are essential for kids to incorporate into playtime because they learn how to interact with people who look like them. How do you fit in this world if you only have Barbie and Ken dolls?” Through Showers’ efforts, “kids will be able to live and play in a world of Afro Unicorn, where they can be their authentic selves and get over the European standard of beauty.”
As toy companies have started embracing more diversity in their collections, Showers sees the tide of authentic representation shifting. “George Floyd’s death became a catalyst for change, and the world came together to demand it,” she says. “[It’s a] positive trend for bigger toy companies to become more inclusive. We emulate adults as kids; we are products of our environment.”
It’s imperative that kids see representation everywhere, whether that be on the clothes they wear, in the supplies they use for celebrations, or in the toys they play with. With Afro Unicorn’s growing portfolio of licensees, it’s clear that it won’t be long before kids can frolic in their backyard with unicorns of every color.
A version of this article was originally published in the 2023 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!
