Now open following Wednesday night’s star studded launch event, the highly anticipated Barbie: The Exhibition charts the 65-year design evolution of the world’s most famous doll, Barbie.
Wednesday 3rd July saw a star studded event held in honour of Barbie: The Exhibition, The Design Museum’s major new show which opens to the public today, 5th July.
On display is a rare first edition Barbie from 1959 – known by collectors as the ‘Number 1 Barbie’. The doll is one of 250 objects on display. Over 180 of the exhibits are remarkable dolls, including a custom miniature Swarovski crystal-embellished Richard Quinn attired doll displayed next to the original full-length gown from his autumn/winter 2021 show. Visitors can also gaze upon a one-of-a-kind Barbie role model doll made in the likeness of Adwoa Aboah, as well as the Samantha Cristoforetti Astronaut Barbie which actually travelled to space and flew on the International Space Station.
Guests entering through the museum’s pink bathed fountains included: Lady Amelia Windsor, Lady Mary Charteris, Robbie Furze, Yasmine Finney, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Bianca Bustamanti, Christopher Kane, Stephen Jones OBE, Sarah Mower MBE, Dennis Okwera, Astile Doherty, Connie Naysmyth, Bishi, Connie Constance, Daisy de Villeneuve, Daniel Lismore, David Sassoon, Deborah Ababio, James Corbin, Lily Nova, Philip Sallon, Princess Julia, Sohee Park, Darkwah Kyei-Dakrwah, Maximilian Reynor, Toni Ibekwe, Michael Halpern, Charley Dean Sayers and DJ Zara Martin.
Lady Amelia Windsor, Lady Mary Charteris, Dame Zandra Rhodes and DJ Zara Martin
DJ for the night, Zara Martin’s playlist included Barbie The Movie soundtrack favourites Charli XCX’s ‘Speed Drive’, Dua Lipa’s ‘Dance The Night’, and Sam Smith’s ‘Man I Am!’ In addition to an abundance of seasonal pink floristry, the party was awash with a pink glow across every floor, complementing the life-sized Barbie closet, Barbie box, bar and bespoke DJ booth. Vegetarian canapés were washed down with Nyetimber English sparkling wine as well as Raspberry & Pink Peppercorn alcohol-free cocktails.
Speeches kicked off with Tim Marlow, director and CEO of the Design Museum, explaining how the exhibition shows the incredible breadth of the museum’s programme, and reinforces how design touches all aspects of people’s lives, at all ages. Danielle Thom, curator, Barbie: The Exhibition, then shared how gratifying it was to celebrate the opening and how the exhibition explores 65 years of a design icon. She added: “I think you’ll be surprised and delighted by this exhibition. There was so much to choose from after six and a half decades, so I hope your favourite Barbie has made the cut.”
Kim Culmone, SVP Barbie & Dolls Design, commented: “I am particularly thrilled to showcase some of the most important and distinctive dolls in Barbie’s history, including the first Black, Hispanic, and Asian Barbies, as well as the first Barbie with Down syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair, and the first with a curvy body shape. These dolls represent our commitment to diversity and inclusion, reflecting the rich tapestry of our society.”
The dozens of original Barbie outfits on show highlight her origins as a fashion doll and her impact on the wider history of modern dress. This includes outfits such as Poodle Parade (1965) and a 1985 outfit by Oscar de la Renta, the first of many designer collaborations with the brand. Visitors will be able to trace the changing silhouettes of mainstream fashion over the last 65 years through the exhibition and see the influence of designers on Barbie’s fashion choices.
Special dolls on show also include a unique prototype of the very first Talking Barbie (1968), one of several rare items borrowed directly from the Mattel headquarters archives in Los Angeles. This prototype has a transparent torso, intended to display the doll’s pull-string activated voice mechanism to prospective wholesalers and toy buyers.
A rare example of the first ever Barbie Dreamhouse is among the Barbie homes on show, with examples of Barbie’s vehicles, such as her first car (1962) and her first campervan (1971) appearing alongside a whole range of other ‘locations’, from ski cabins to space stations. Exhibition goers will also be able to see the influence of major designers and architects on the Barbie universe, as well as the significance of various mainstream trends and big retailers.
Readers can book tickets for Barbie: The Exhibition here. Museum members and kids under six go free, while prices for children over six, students, concessions, adults and family groups start at £8.
