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Revolutionary doll
In 1959, Ruth Handler came up with the idea of the first "model doll" and called it "Barbie" in honor of her daughter Barbara.
Baby Doll barbie was officially born on March 9, 1959, on the day of the first presentation at the New York Toy Fair.
The prototype, made by engineer Jack Ryan for Mattel, was 29 cm long and already had the characteristic silhouette of a "Dummy" doll intended for dressing.
But with her generous breasts, endless legs and wasp waist, this doll embarrassed toy professionals!
It was necessary to wait for the doll to appear in the store in order to meet the big success of little girls.
The patent was officially approved in the USA on November 21, 1961. In France, this toy appeared in 1963 at the fair in Lyon.
Her first profession is a mannequin!
For designer Ruth Handler, Barbie is not so much a huggable doll as a dress figure.
To encourage little girls to complete her wardrobe, the very first doll is dressed minimally: a swimsuit with black and white stripes!
In addition to the swimsuit, she wears a pair of clogs and sunglasses in the shape of butterfly wings, earrings in the form of rings.
The first fashion designer at Mattel, Charlotte Johnson, draws inspiration from such fashion celebrities as Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel and Carven.
Over the course of ten years, the model doll's wardrobe evolved in accordance with the fashion of the time: a miniskirt in the late 1960s, hippies in the 1970s or a combination in the 1980s.
More than 200 professions
With the new doll, little girls don't want to "play mom" anymore. They can project themselves into adult life and imagine who they will be tomorrow.
Taking this into account, Barbie began to practice different types of professions.
At first, the doll represented the profession of a school teacher, nanny, flight attendant or aerobics teacher. Soon she expanded the list, became a business lady, a surgeon, a racer or a policeman!
Six new dolls
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Barbie, Mattel decided to produce 6 modern dolls with 6 different professions: an astronaut doll, a football player, a firefighter, a presidential candidate, a TV presenter and an airline pilot!
Let little girls follow their dreams!
Even adults will not be forgotten! At the end of 2019, a grand costume ball for adults and children will be organized in Paris.
A toy for its time
Barbie has changed a lot in recent years.
Since 2016, the "fashionistas" line has been launched with the desire to diversify the silhouette of the star doll.
To reflect the sizes of today's women, the Barbie brand is now much less stereotypical, rounder, bigger or smaller
Little girls have a choice of 7 skin colors, 22 eye colors and 24 different hairstyles. For the first time, the doll is equipped with articulated ankles, allowing you to walk in sandals, ballet flats or sneakers!
The famous doll even has her own Instagram with 2 million followers!
