'Burka Barbie' part of doll auction

Barbie, the iconic children's doll, is dressed in a traditional head-to-toe burka in her latest incarnation. 'Burka Barbie' is part of a collection of 500 Barbie dolls previewed Friday in Florence, Italy, for an auction to benefit Save the Children.

The exhibition and auction are backed by toy-maker Mattel, but the dolls were dressed by Italian designer Eliana Lorena, according to The Christian Science Monitor .

Three dolls are dressed in traditional Islamic dress: one in a black garb with her face showing but her head wrapped; another in a orange-red, head-to-toe burka with a mesh peep hole; and a third in a lime-green burka, again head-to-toe with her face covered. ( See a photo of the dolls .)

"I know Barbie was something seen as bad before as an image for girls, but in actual fact the message with Barbie for women is you can be whatever you want to be," Lorena told The Daily Mail .

Barbie was introduced by Ruth Handler in 1959. The exhibition is part of Barbie's 50th birthday celebration.

The Christian Science Monitor reported that Saudi Arabia outlawed Barbie in 2003, saying that the doll's "revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories, and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West."

The proceeds of the auction of 'Burka Barbie' and all the dolls will go towards a Save the Children campaign which will help children around the world affected by conflict, according to The Daily Mail.

There is no word whether Mattel will release a "Burka Barbie," but there are several Barbie dolls with an international flair available, including "Sumatra-Indonesia Barbie" and "Amazonia Barbie."