Barbie, the well-known Mattel doll, turns 65 this year. To commemorate her milestone, a new exhibition exploring Barbie’s growth opens in London this week.
“Barbie: The Exhibition,” featuring over 250 objects from the Barbie universe, is on display at the Design Museum. The exhibition runs from July 5 to February 23. Some of the artifacts on display include a variety of dolls that depict Barbie’s various looks, design concepts, and fantasy homes.
A 1959 original Barbie with blonde hair, angular eyes, and a black-and-white swimsuit is on exhibit. Additionally, later models that reflect various racial backgrounds, hair types, and body shapes are also displayed.
A wheelchair-using Barbie and a Black Barbie are two more “firsts”. A portion devoted to career responsibilities has a voter, a scientist, a police officer, a doctor, and presidents. Another segment is on Ken, Barbie’s longtime companion who was first shown in 1961.
“I hope that whatever your reason for coming to this show …, whether you’re a Barbie fanatic or whether you’re a Barbie sceptic, you come away with an appreciation of detailed research and the rigorous design thinking that goes into the making of Barbie,” Danielle Thom, the show’s curator, said in an interview
“I do hope that people come away having learned something about … how this brand has come into being and managed to dominate the toy market for such a long period of time.”
This year’s exhibition honors Barbie’s 65th birthday. Building on the enormous success of last year’s “Barbie” film, starring Margot Robbie, the movie grossed $1.4 billion worldwide at the box office.
Barbie’s cultural impact and resonance have never been greater or more noticeable, according to Mattel senior vice president of design Kim Culmone.
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