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London exhibition looks at Barbie's design evolution over 65 years

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Reuters

<div><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A new exhibition looking at the evolution of Barbie opens in London this week as the famed Mattel doll celebrates her 65th birthday this year.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Barbie: The Exhibition&quot;, running at the Design Museum from July 5 to Feb. 23, features more than 250 items from the Barbie universe, including an array of dolls showing her changing appearance, design sketches and dream houses.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">On display is a first edition of the first Barbie released in 1959 with blonde hair, angled eyes, dressed in a black-and-white swimsuit, along with later models representing different races, hair textures and shapes.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Other &quot;firsts&quot; include a Black Barbie and one in a wheelchair. One section dedicated to career roles includes a police officer, scientist, doctor, presidents and a voter, while another focuses on Barbie&#x27;s long-term companion Ken, who was introduced in 1961.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;I hope that whatever your reason for coming to this show ..., whether you&#x27;re a Barbie fanatic or whether you&#x27;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,&quot; curator Danielle Thom said in an interview.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;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.&quot;</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The exhibition coincides with Barbie&#x27;s 65th birthday this year and follows on the huge success of last year&#x27;s &quot;Barbie&quot; movie starring Margot Robbie, which </span><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/08/07/23/barbie-races-past-1-billion-at-the-box-office"></a><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/08/07/23/barbie-races-past-1-billion-at-the-box-office">grossed $1.4 billion</a></span><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> at the global box office.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/25/24/literally-the-plot-of-the-movie-fans-outraged-by-barbie-snubs">&#x27;Literally the plot of the movie&#x27;: Fans outraged by Barbie snubs</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Barbie&#x27;s resonance and culture has never been larger, more prominent,&quot; Kim Culmone, senior vice president of design for Mattel, said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2024/3/7/helen-mirren-kylie-minogue-made-into-barbie-dolls-for-international-women-s-day-903">Helen Mirren, Kylie Minogue made into Barbie dolls</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>(Production: Antonio Denti, Natasha Mulenga)</strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>A new exhibition looking at the evolution of Barbie opens in London this week as the famed Mattel doll celebrates her 65th birthday this year.</p>

A new exhibition looking at the evolution of Barbie opens in London this week as the famed Mattel doll celebrates her 65th birthday this year.