Love is ALL

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Par Micha Christos

DESIGN MUSEUM

London

Until February 23, 2025

BARBIE

THE EXHIBITION

1992 Totally Hair Barbie. Petra Rajnicova for the Design Museum

1992 Totally Hair Barbie. © Mattel, Inc

1984 Peaches ‘N Cream Barbie. © Mattel, Inc

The highly anticipated exhibition in collaboration with Mattel and designed by Sam Jacob Studio at the Design Museum in London today unveils the dolls, dresses and dream houses of its major Barbie exhibition.

A rare first edition of the 1959 doll, 250 Barbie® objects, more than 180 remarkable dolls, the prototype of the talking Barbie from 1968, the first Barbie to move and the famous Barbie Totally Hair trace the evolution of the design over 65 years of the most famous doll in the world.

Barbie was even taken into space by astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti and is here on Earth but still a «star». Barbie’s appearance has changed according to cultural changes around diversity and representation. Her universe has also expanded to closely resemble fashion, design and social habits over the ages.

From a pink business suit to an elegant evening gown, a swimsuit, a surfer’s outfit, a golfer’s outfit or a surgeon’s outfit, Barbie has always led an exciting life with her friends Midge, Christie, Teresa, her younger sister Skipper and Ken, her eternal love, who appeared in 1961. Examples of the first black, Hispanic and Asian Barbie dolls reflect today’s diverse and multicultural society.

To accommodate all the differences, there is also the first Barbie with Down syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair and the first to be designed with a “curvy” figure.

«Barbie® : The Exhibition » is an in-depth journey into the world of Barbie. It shows how it has been shaped since its creation by a wide variety of play sets, vehicles, houses and other accessories that have collectively helped to “design” the world in which she lives.

A rare example of the very first Barbie Dream house, released in 1962, made of cardboard and featuring the resolutely modernist design of its era, is among the Barbie houses on display. Visitors will also be able to see examples of Barbie vehicles, such as her first car from 1962 and her first camper van from 1971, as well as a range of other “places” from ski chalets to space stations.

Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to see the influence of great designers and architects from Florence Knoll to Frank Gehry. Fashion, of course, is a major theme and dozens of Barbie’s original outfits highlight her remarkable figure.

Oscar de la Renta in 1985 was the first designer to design for the miniature model, a pop culture icon who has gone on to be dressed by all the big names.

A vast and exciting world, a joyful, fascinating, inspiring, enlightening and perhaps even nostalgic experience for generations of Barbie fans.

1985 Day to Night Barbie. Photo/ Mattel, Inc.jpg