In honor of Barbie’s 60th anniversary, CFDA members were given an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Mattel Headquarters in Los Angeles earlier this month. Barbie’s lead design team, which oversees the Signature Line, Dreamtopia and Career’s, took us down memory lane with Barbie’s mission to “inspire the limitless potential of every girl.” Isa Tapia, Zaid Affas and team members from Ashley Pitman, Rachel Zoe, Jenni Kayne, and Pam & Gela took the tour.
Barbie was created by Ruth Handler as a response to the limited selection of dolls her daughter Barbara had access to. Since the first Barbie, wearing her iconic black and white bathing suit, sunglasses and gold hoops, the world’s #1 fashion doll has had an amazing journey through the decades. Barbie has adapted to the changing social and political climates not only through her fashions but also her diverse and every changing shape and size. In the 1960s, Barbie entered the workforce as a message to little girls that they too had career options like nurse, teacher and astronaut. Since then, Barbie has held almost every career, from president, police officer, veterinarian to Olympic athlete.
Barbie has always been considered a style icon. In the 1970s, California beach culture and disco fever made way for Malibu Barbie and the glitzy Superstar Barbie. The 1980s brought the MTV revolution and Barbie was transformed into a neon-wearing rock ‘n roll star seen in Barbie and the Rockers. She also had an iconic moment in a hot pink power suit and briefcase as a nod to the increasing influence of women in the workforce. The brand also collaborated with countless designers and fashion houses like Anna Sui, Diane von Furstenberg, Juicy Couture, Bill Blass and Vera Wang.
As Barbie continuous to grow and evolve, Mattel wanted to offer a more diverse lineup of dolls. The first black doll named Christie was introduced in 1968 and since then, Barbie created dolls in almost every face and body shape, skin color and hair texture. There is also a Barbie with prosthetic legs, in a wheelchair, and wearing a hijab a. With so much accomplished over the past 60 years, we can’t wait to see what Barbie has in store for the next 60!
