The Design Museum in London is collaborating with global toy company Mattel to launch a groundbreaking exhibition that delves into the 65-year design evolution of the iconic Barbie doll. This highly anticipated exhibition will run from July 5, 2024, to February 23, 2025, marking Barbie’s 65th anniversary.
The exhibition will trace Barbie’s legacy, which began in 1959 when Ruth Handler sought to create a new narrative for her daughter, Barbara. Through a design lens encompassing fashion, architecture, furniture, and vehicle design, the exhibit will explore the transformation of one of the world’s most famous dolls. Curated by Danielle Thom, the exhibition has been three years in the making. The Design Museum was granted special access to the extensive Barbie archives in California, allowing dozens of rare and unique items to be showcased alongside other key loans and acquisitions.
Tim Marlow, director and chief executive of the Design Museum, expressed his excitement about the exhibition. “Barbie is one of the most recognizable brands on the planet, and her story evolves with each new generation. We are thrilled to mark Barbie’s 65th birthday with a major exhibition. I want to thank Mattel for collaborating with us through their extensive archive to help us tell this story. We look forward to displaying a range of eye-catching objects, some familiar but many never seen before, to showcase the evolution of design across the decades of Barbie’s world.”
Julie Freeland, senior director of global location-based entertainment at Mattel, echoed Marlow’s sentiments. “We are delighted to announce this partnership with The Design Museum and are excited to share the story of the brand’s evolution. Barbie has been loved worldwide for nearly 65 years, and this is the perfect moment to reflect on the cultural role Barbie has had throughout the decades. What better partner is there for this moment than the world’s leading museum on contemporary design?”
The exhibition will feature significant dolls from Barbie’s history, including the first edition of the original Barbie released in 1959, dressed in a black-and-white swimsuit. Other notable dolls include the first Black Barbie, a Barbie in a wheelchair, and models representing different races, hair textures, and body shapes. One section will be dedicated to Barbie’s various career roles, showcasing dolls as police officers, scientists, doctors, presidents, and voters. Another section will focus on Barbie’s long-term companion Ken, who was introduced in 1961.
The exhibition will also highlight the diversity of the Barbie range, featuring the first Black, Hispanic, and Asian dolls named Barbie, as well as dolls that reflect today’s multicultural society. This includes the first Barbie with Down syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair, and the first to be designed with a curvy body shape. Barbie’s friends, such as Midge, Christie, Teresa, and her younger sister Skipper, will also be showcased.
Visitors will encounter a rare first-edition ‘Number 1 Barbie’ from 1959, featuring a hand-painted face and a black-and-white bathing suit. This doll, acquired by the Design Museum with the support of the Conran Foundation, is one of the oldest Barbie dolls in a UK museum collection. Another major attraction is a unique Barbie doll that orbited Earth on the International Space Station in 2022, modeled after European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti. This Barbie participated in a mission to inspire young girls to pursue careers in STEM fields, and the exhibition includes video footage of Cristoforetti and the Barbie doll floating in zero gravity.
The exhibition will offer a comprehensive look into the Barbie universe, featuring playsets, vehicles, houses, and other accessories that have shaped her world. Visitors will see the first Barbie Dreamhouse from 1962, her first car, and her first campervan, reflecting the tastes and trends of their respective eras. Fashion will be a significant theme, with original Barbie outfits highlighting her origins as a fashion doll and her impact on modern dress. Outfits include ‘Poodle Parade’ from 1965, a life-size replica worn by Billie Eilish at the 2024 Grammy Awards, and a 1985 Oscar de la Renta design. The exhibition will trace the influence of designers like Claire McCardell, Christian Dior, Nolan Miller, and Zac Posen on Barbie’s fashion choices.
The final section of the exhibition will examine Barbie’s role as a pop culture icon and her influence on various design fields. This includes an original costume Margot Robbie wore in the 2023 “Barbie” movie and items exploring Barbie’s status as a cultural figurehead.
Tim Marlow remarked, “Design has been at the heart of Barbie’s story since her creation 65 years ago. Visitors will come face-to-face with some of the most important and recognizable iterations of Barbie from across the past six-and-a-half decades. We hope it will be a joyful, fascinating, inspiring, illuminating, and even perhaps nostalgic experience for generations of Barbie fans.”
Danielle Thom, curator of the exhibition, added, “The Barbie universe is expansive and exciting, thanks to the meticulous work of talented designers over the past 65 years. Barbie is arguably one of the most globally recognized examples of world-building through product and graphic design. She has inspired many designers and artists to respond to her history.”
Kim Culmone, SVP of Design for Mattel, commented, “Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has become an international icon and inspiration that continues to spark conversation, creativity, and self-expression worldwide. This exhibition tells the story of Barbie through a design lens, including fashion, architecture, furniture, and vehicle design, which are all spaces where she has left a mark on culture during her remarkable 65-year career. We can’t wait for fans and audiences to experience this exhibition with the renowned Design Museum.”
“Barbie: The Exhibition” will be open at the Design Museum from July 5, 2024, to February 23, 2025.
Source: Reuters
