📍Location: Design Museum
❤️Favourite Artwork Barbie: Barbie Looks #11 - (2022) - Image #52
🏷Favourite Name for Artwork Barbie: Pasta Chef Barbie (2022) - Image #13
💡Tattoo Inspiration: Something in Barbie font
📜What I learnt:
- The invention of Ruth Handler, founder and first President of toy company Mattel
- Barbie was first launched in 1959, available as a blonde or brunette, with a ponytail inspired by Sandra Dee. Based on the concept of “little girls just want to be bigger girls” Barbie was a toy that wasn’t a baby or toddler to look after, but a slightly older figure to look up to.
- By the end of 1959, over 300,000 Barbies had been sold
- A 2022 Cardiff University Study concluded that doll role-play has significant benefits for children’s social and emotional development
- Barbie has had ~206 careers and 50+ houses
- Barbie’s original slogan was “We girls can do anything” which was later updated to “You can be anything” in 2015 as part of furthering inclusivity.
- Barbie has had over 206 different careers - including multiple presidential campaigns. The precedent was set in the 1963 boardgame, where you could gain different skills to achieve careers. ‘Mother’ was included as a career, rightly acknowledging motherhood as a full-time occupation.
CAREERS
- Astronaut Barbie was launched in 1965, four years before the moon landing. In 2022, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the first European female commander of the International Space Station, and also the first female European Space Agency astronaut to do a spacewalk, took her ‘Barbie Shero’ doll into space.
- Barbie has had a diverse workwear wardrobe, including the 80s day-to-night Barbie, acknowledging the busy lives of working women and the part fashion plays in work/life balance.
- In 1961, Registered Nurse Barbie was one of the first dedicated career dolls released. By 1973, Doctor Barbie was launched, at a time less than 10% of doctors in America were women.
- 1993's Army Barbie followed the military focus following media coverage of Operation Desert Storm.
- Barbie’s versatility knows no bounds, as illustrated by Pasta Chef Barbie from 2022.
- Barbie has also been the focus of multiple presidential campaigns, and Presidential Barbie featured in Barbie: The Movie, portrayed by Issa Rae.
INCLUSIVITY
- In 1968, Barbie’s friend ‘Christie’ was released, the first Black Barbie. A special 55th Anniversary version followed in 2023.
- Hawaiian Barbie was available from 1972, presented in the image of an archetypal American impression of Hawaiian fashion.
- In 1980, Black Barbie and Hispanic Barbie were launched, the first non-white dolls launched under the name of Barbie, instead of being a separate character, another step towards Mattel’s intention of making Barbie inclusive.
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Other diverse Barbies include -
- 2003 - Happy Families Midge, Barbie’s friend, who could be pregnant and give birth.
- 2016 - Different body shapes included for the first time, marked with Time Magazine Cover (see image #75)
- 2018 - Barbie Fashionista #105 - dressed in black-inspired fashion with a natural hair style
- 2020 - Barbie Fashionista #150 - the first doll to have no hair
- 2021 - Barbie Fashionista #121 - who has a prosthetic leg
INNOVATION
Lots of different features have been available over the years, including:
- 1965 - American Girl Barbie was the first to have bendable legs
- 1967 - Twist 'N' Turn Barbie had a waist that twisted
- 1969 - Talking Christie doll was launched, the first with a voice of her own
- 1972 - Walk Lively Barbie independently walked, with moving head and arms too
- 1973 - Quick Curl Barbie had ‘magic’ hair that would curl instantly when combed
- 1975 - Growing up Skipper Barbie - “She’s two dolls in one, for twice as much fun” - she would grow from young girl to a teenager if you twisted her arms - this mimicked puberty effects with her becoming taller and curvier.
- 1983 - Twisty Curls Barbie came with a hair curling tool to use on Barbie or you
- 1988 - Perfume Pretty Barbie came with a bottle of perfume
- 1997 - Bead Blast Barbie came with various beads to decorate Barbie or owners’ hair
FASHION
Barbie is a fashion icon. She has been inspired by many notable fashion collections and set trends too.
- 1961 - Bubble-cut Barbie was inspired by Jackie Kennedy
- 1977 - Superstar Barbie - a glamorous doll, dressed head-to-toe in the shade of pink now synonymous with the Barbie brand
- 1985 - Oscar Dela Renta Barbie - the first fashion house to officially collaborate
- 1962 - Barbie Fashion Shop Playset
- 1971 - Sunset Malibu Barbie - had heavily tanned skin, indicative of the time before sun safety awareness
- 1984 - Sunset Gold Malibu Barbie - slightly more subtle tan, with a healthier glow on her face
- 1992 - Rappin’ Rockin’ Barbie - a grungy twist still with splashes of that iconic Barbie pink
- 1995 - Donna Karan Barbie - complete with Bloomingdales shopping bag
- 1998 - Uptown Chic Barbie - Bold colours and smart tailoring and accessories
- 1999 - Corduroy Cool Barbie - Inspired by the colours, patterns and textures of Prada’s 1996 Spring collection
- 2009 - Barbie Basics Collection #001 - Introduction of the runway model pose
- 2009 - Barbie Fashionistas - Glam edition
- 2021 - Barbie Looks #2
- 2022 - Barbie Looks #11
- 2024 - 65th Anniversary Barbie - Designed by Carlyle Nuera, it honoured Barbie’s roots with a black and white striped dress and high ponytail, reminiscent of the original 1959 doll. The sweeping, couture dress bringing the glamour and nods to fashion collaborations. The sunglasses a cool, modern twist, sapphire earrings to mark the sixty-five years, and of course a commitment to diversity with the option of different skin tones.
HOUSES & VEHICLES
- Barbie has had over 50 different houses
- 1962 - Dream House - first house released. Inspired by mid-century designers Florence Knoll & George Nelson
- 1968 - Barbie Family House - inspired by ‘Swinging London’ - Carnaby Street fashion
- 1978 - A-frame house - inspired by designer Frank Gehry
- 1979 - Barbie Townhouse - multi-story with working lift. First to use photographic backgrounds to design the space
- 1998 - Barbie Trendy Loft - inspired by popular 90s ‘loft-living’ style - High/Low. IKEA HATTEN table & Adessa Pero’s 1992 bookcase
- 1998 - Barbie Family House
- 1990 - Barbie Magical Mansion
- 2016 - Dreamhouse
- 2021 - Day-to-Night Dreamhouse
- 1994 - Jaguar XJS
- 2000 - Ferrari F355 GTS
- 2002 - Vespa
- 2021 - Fiat 500
BARBIECORE - CULTURAL IMPACT IN FASHION, FILM & MEDIA
- 1961 - 3 x 7" disc vinyl - Barbie Sings! "6 terrific teen-age tunes sung by Barbie and Ken (and you can sing along too!)”. Performed by Charlotte Austin and Bill Cunningham as Barbie and Ken, with words and music by Eliot Daniel and Oscar winner Ken Darby.
- 1986 Painting ‘Portrait of Billyboy’ by Andy Warhol - a face in the image of Barbie cementing her status in pop culture.
- 2009 - Vogue: The Barbie Issue - Vogue Italia, in parallel to its ‘Black Issue’ championing black Barbies throughout time
- 2016 -Time Magazine - covering the launch of varied body shapes (see image #26)
- 2023 - Bloomberg Magazine covering the impact of Mattel’s Barbie: The Movie
- 2023 - Barbie Style x Forbes - Named as one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” and advertised on Barbie’s very own Instagram page, sporting a fresh ‘career Barbie’ look.
On 21st July 2023 Barbie: The Movie, hit cinemas, following a worldwide publicity tour and ~$150 million marketing campaign (more than production costs), hailing a new age of Barbiecore. Causing a worldwide shortage of pink paint and featuring a diverse cast representative of Barbie’s commitment to inclusivity throughout the years, a hit soundtrack, humour and a moving monologue, Barbie was a huge success.
In a win for its feminist narrative, Greta Gerwig’s pink extravaganza was the biggest box office debut by a female director, hitting the $1 billion dollar mark just 17 days into its initial release, with Gerwig the first solo female director to achieve such a feat. Coinciding with the release of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the hype of ‘Barbenheimer’ swept the world as these polar-opposite pictures relaunched post-pandemic event cinema.
The film's release influenced fashion trends, with 'Barbiecore' inspired looks and official collaborations abound.
- 2022 - GINA London - Malibu mules, featured in Barbie: The Movie, the image of Margot Robbie’s ‘Stereotypical Barbie’ stepping out of the shoe, with the heel of her foot remaining elevated, opened the film’s trailer.
- 2022 - Balmain x Barbie Disco Bag
- 2022 Balmain x Barbie BBUZZ Bag
- A sample of Margot Robbie’s ‘tourdrobe’ outfits for Barbie: The Movie, and the iconic dolls they were based on.
Hi Barbie!
1- Original Barbie - 1959
2 - First Barbie Patent - 1959
3 - Keys to Fame Boardgame - 1963
4 - “We girls can do anything” game - 1985
5 - “You can be anything” campaign launch - 2015
6 - Samantha Cristoforetti in space with her ‘Barbie Shero’ doll - 2022
7- Samantha Cristoforetti Barbie - 2021
8 - Astronaut Barbie - 1965
9 - Day-to-Night Barbie - 1985
10 - Career Barbie - 1964
11 - Working Woman Barbie - 1999
12 - Registered Nurse Barbie - 1961
13 - Pasta Chef Barbie - 2022
14 - Doctor Barbie - 1973
15 - Army Barbie - 1993
16 - Presidential Barbie - 1992, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
17 - Issa Rae as Presidential Barbie in Barbie: The Movie - 2023
18 - Christie Doll - 1968
19 - Christie 55th Anniversary Doll - 2023
20 - Hawaiian Barbie - 1972
21 - Hispanic Barbie - 1980
22 - Black Barbie - 1980
23 - Barbie Fashionista #105 - 2018
24 - Barbie Fashionista #150 - 2020
25 - Barbie Fashionista #121 - 2021
26 - Barbie Fashionista #27 - 2016
27 - Happy Families Midge - 2003
28 - American Girl Barbie - 1965
29 - Twist ‘N’ Turn Barbie - 1967
30 - Talking Christie - 1969
31 - Walk Lively Barbie - 1972
32 - Quick Curl Barbie - 1973
33 - Growing Up Skipper - 1975
34 - Twisty Curls Barbie - 1983
35 - Perfume Pretty Barbie - 1988
36 - Bead Blast Barbie - 1997
37 - Bubble-cut Barbie - 1961
38 - A portrait of Jackie Kennedy (1960), and tutorial to copy her haircut (1Dell Purse Books, 1962)
39 - Superstar Barbie - 1977
40 - Oscar Dela Renta Barbie - 1985
41 - Barbie Fashion Shop Playset - 1962
42 - Sunset Malibu Barbie - 1971
43 - Sun Gold Malibu Barbie - 1984
44 - Rappin’ Rockin’ Barbie - 1992
45 - Donna Karan Barbie - 1995
46 - Uptown Chic Barbie - 1998
47 - Corduroy Cool Barbie - 1999
48 - Prada’s Spring Collection - 1996
49 - Barbie Basics Collection #001 - 2009
50 - Barbie Fashionistas “Glam” - 2009
51 - Barbie Looks #2 - 2021
52 - Barbie Looks #11 - 2022
53 - 65th Anniversary Barbie - 2024
54 - First Dream House - 1962
55 - Example of George Nelson design
56 - Examples of Florence Knoll design
57 - Barbie’s Family House - 1968
58 - A-frame Dream House - 1978
59 - Example of Frank Gehry design
60 - Townhouse - 1979
61 - Barbie Trendy Loft - 1998
62 - Adesso Però Bookcase - 1992
63 - IKEA HATTEN Table - 1993
64 - Barbie Family House - 1998
65 - Barbie Magical Mansion - 1990
66 - Dream House - 2016
67 - Day-to-Night Dream House - 2021
68 - Barbie - Jaguar XJS - 1994
69 - Barbie - Ferrari F355 GTS - 2000
70 - Barbie Vespa 2002
71 - Barbie Fiat 500 - 2021
72 - Barbie Sings! - 1961
73 - ‘Portrait of Billyboy’ by Andy Warhol - 1986
74 - The Barbie Issue - Vogue Italia - 2009
75 - Time Magazine - February 08th 2016
76 - All Eyes on Barbie - Bloomberg Magazine - July 2023
77 - Barbie Style x Forbes - Instagram - 2023
78 - The Dream House set of Barbie: The Movie - 2023
79 - Kate McKinnon as “Weird Barbie” - Barbie: The Movie - 2023
80 - Promotional Posters for Barbie: The Movie - 2022-3
81 - Main Poster for Barbie: The Move -2022-3
82 - Barbie: The Movie poster in Time Square - 2023
83 - “Barbenheimer” Fan Art Poster - 2023
84 - Margot Robbie as “Stereotypical Barbie” and Ryan Gosling as “Ken” in Barbie: The Movie - 2023
85 Balmain x Barbie BBUZZ Bag - 2022
86 - Balmain x Barbie - Disco Bag - 2022
87 - GINA London - Malibu Mules - 2022
Selection of press photos of Margot Robbie’s Barbie ‘tourdrobe’ and corresponding dolls.