Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adults. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, though child, male, and even some non-human variants exist. Contemporary fashion dolls are typically made of vinyl or another plastic .
73-508: Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler , manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll which Handler had purchased while in Europe. The figurehead of an eponymous brand that includes a range of fashion dolls and accessories, Barbie has been an important part of
146-534: A cultural icon and has been given honors that are rare in the toy world. In 1974, a section of Times Square in New York City was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris at the Louvre held a Barbie exhibit in 2016. The exhibit featured 700 Barbie dolls over two floors as well as works by contemporary artists and documents (newspapers, photos, video) that contextualize Barbie. In 1986,
219-533: A panda , a lion cub, and a zebra . She has owned a wide range of vehicles, including pink Beetle and Corvette convertibles , trailers, and Jeeps . She also holds a pilot 's license, and operates commercial airliners in addition to serving as a flight attendant . Barbie's careers are designed to show that women can take on a variety of roles in life, and the doll has been sold with a wide range of titles including Miss Astronaut Barbie (1965), Doctor Barbie (1988), and Nascar Barbie (1998). Barbie has become
292-421: A 50/50 joint venture between DBC and CBS News , then run by Larry Kramer and co-founder and chairman, Derek Reisfield . Thom Calandra was its first editor-in-chief . In 1999, the company hired David Callaway and in 2003, Callaway became editor-in-chief . In January 1999, during the dot-com bubble , the company became a public company via an initial public offering . After pricing at $ 17 per share,
365-464: A German toy doll called Bild Lilli . The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a satirical comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Bild . The Lilli doll was first sold in West Germany in 1955, and although it
438-467: A canvas for their work. Customizers repaint faces, reroot hair, or do other alterations to the dolls themselves. Many of these works are one-of-a-kind and are referred to as art dolls . These artists are usually not connected to the original manufacturers and sell their work to collectors . Fashion dolls may have been in use as early as the 14th century, and from around 1642 onwards some were called "Pandora". They were in use at European royal courts in
511-399: A cross-promotion Barbie doll with Oreo cookies in 1997 and 2001. While the 1997 release of the doll was only released in a white version, for the 2001 release Mattel manufactured both a white and a black version. The 2001 release Barbie Oreo School Time Fun was marketed as someone with whom young girls could play after class and share "America's favorite cookie". Critics argued that in
584-787: A gavel accessory. In May 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , Mattel announced a new line of career dolls modeled after the first responders and essential workers of 2020. For every doll purchased, Mattel donated a doll to the First Responders Children's Foundation. In February 2022, Mattel celebrated its 60-year anniversary of the Barbie Dreamhouse by partnering with Habitat for Humanity International. Mattel committed to taking on 60 projects, including new construction, home preservation, and neighborhood revitalization. In July 1992, Mattel released Teen Talk Barbie , which spoke
657-665: A makeover. In 2011, Mattel launched a campaign for Ken to win Barbie's affections back. The pair officially reunited in Valentine's Day 2011. Beginning with Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures in 2018, the pair are seen as just friends or next-door neighbors until a brief return to pre-2018 aesthetics in the 2023 television show, Barbie: A Touch of Magic . Mattel has created a range of companions and relatives for Barbie. She has three younger sisters: Skipper , Stacie , and Chelsea (named Kelly until 2011). Her sisters have co-starred in many entries of
730-410: A marketing strategy based extensively on television advertising, which has been copied widely by other toys. In 2006, it was estimated that over a billion Barbie dolls had been sold worldwide in over 150 countries, with Mattel claiming that three Barbie dolls are sold every second. Sales of Barbie dolls declined sharply from 2014 to 2016. According to MarketWatch , the release of the 2023 film Barbie
803-517: A number of phrases including "Will we ever have enough clothes?", "I love shopping!", and "Wanna have a pizza party?" Each doll was programmed to say four out of 270 possible phrases, so that no two given dolls were likely to be the same (the number of possible combinations is 270!/(266!4!) = 216,546,345). One of these 270 phrases was "Math class is tough!", which led to criticism from the American Association of University Women ; about 1.5% of all
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#1733086030145876-459: A private collection of 4,000 Barbie dolls being sold by two Dutch women, Ietje Raebel and her daughter Marina. In recent years, Mattel has sold a wide range of Barbie dolls aimed specifically at collectors, including porcelain versions, vintage reproductions, and depictions of Barbie as a range of characters from film and television series such as The Munsters and Star Trek . There are also collector's edition dolls depicting Barbie dolls with
949-542: A range of different ethnic identities. In 2004, Mattel introduced the Color Tier system for its collector's edition Barbie dolls including pink, silver, gold, and platinum, depending on how many of the dolls are produced. In 2020, Mattel introduced the Dia De Los Muertos collectible Barbie doll, the second collectible released as part of the company's La Catrina line which was launched in 2019. Barbie has frequently been
1022-537: A symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful." The 2003 Saudi ban was temporary. In Muslim-majority nations, there is an alternative doll called Fulla , which was introduced in November 2003 and is equivalent to Barbie, but is designed specifically to represent traditional Islamic values. Fulla is not manufactured by Mattel (although Mattel still licenses Fulla dolls and franchises for sale in certain markets), and (as of January 2021)
1095-401: A teenage fashion model, Barbie has appeared as an astronaut, surgeon, Olympic athlete, downhill skier, aerobics instructor, TV news reporter, vet, rock star, doctor, army officer, air force pilot, summit diplomat, rap musician, presidential candidate (party undefined), baseball player, scuba diver, lifeguard, fire-fighter, engineer, dentist, and many more. [...] When Barbie first burst into
1168-748: A treatise on collecting printed in 1565, Samuel Quiccheberg noted that princesses and queens sent each other dolls with details of foreign clothing. Jeanne d'Albret bought dolls, called poupines , in 1571. In April 1604, Helena Snakenborg, Marchioness of Northampton had a doll dressed in the latest fashion in London to send to her sister Karin Bonde in Sweden. During the period of 1715–1785, Pandora dolls became more common and were manufactured and used by seamstresses, milliners, tailors and fashion merchants, and displayed in their shop windows and sent across borders to illustrate
1241-514: A year. Vintage Barbie dolls from the early years are the most valuable at auction , and while the original Barbie was sold for $ 3.00 in 1959, a mint boxed Barbie from 1959 sold for $ 3552.50 on eBay in October 2004. On September 26, 2006, a Barbie doll set a world record at auction of £9,000 sterling (US$ 17,000) at Christie's in London. The doll was a Barbie in Midnight Red from 1965 and was part of
1314-445: Is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. It is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company , a property of News Corp , along with The Wall Street Journal and Barron's . The company was conceived as DBC Online by Data Broadcasting Corporation in the fall of 1995. The marketwatch.com domain name was registered on July 30, 1997. The website launched on October 30, 1997, as
1387-457: Is also used as Barbie's official birthday. The first Barbie doll wore a black-and-white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail , and was available as either a blonde or brunette . The doll was marketed as a "Teen-age Fashion Model", with her clothes created by Mattel fashion designer Charlotte Johnson. Analysts expected the doll to perform poorly due to her adult appearance and widespread assumptions about consumer preferences at
1460-449: Is expected to create "significant growth" for the brand until at least 2030. As well as reinvigorated sales, the release of the film triggered a fashion trend known as "Barbiecore" and a film-related cultural phenomena named Barbenheimer . Since 1984, in response to a rise of digital and interactive media and a gradual decline in toys and doll sales at that time, Barbie has been featured in an eponymous media franchise beginning with
1533-534: Is more assertive in its "Latinx" marketing and product labeling. Mattel has responded to criticisms pointing to a lack of diversity in the line. In 2016, Mattel expanded the So In Style line to include seven skin tones, twenty-two eye colors, and twenty-four hairstyles. Part of the reason for this change was due to declining sales. The brand now offers over 22 skin tones , 94 hair colors , 13 eye colors and five body types . Mattel teamed up with Nabisco to launch
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#17330860301451606-548: The Barbie film series, starting with Barbie & Her Sisters in A Pony Tale from 2013. 'Retired' members of Barbie's family included Todd (twin brother to Stacie), Krissy (a baby sister), and Francie (cousin). Barbie's friends include Hispanic Teresa , Midge , African American Christie, and Steven (Christie's boyfriend). Barbie was also friendly with Blaine , an Australian surfer, during her split with Ken in 2004. Barbie has had over 40 pets including cats and dogs, horses,
1679-624: The Generation Girl books, published by Golden Books in 1999, she attended the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City (based on the real-life Stuyvesant High School ). She has an on-off romantic relationship with her then-boyfriend Ken (full name "Kenneth Sean Carson"), who first appeared in 1961. A news release from Mattel in February 2004 announced that Barbie and Ken had decided to split up, but in February 2006, they were hoping to rekindle their relationship after Ken had
1752-557: The Ideal Toy Company in 1962. Advertised as "The Doll You Love to Dress", Tammy was portrayed as a young American teenager, more " girl next door " than the cosmopolitan image of Barbie. Sindy was created by the British Pedigree Dolls & Toys company in 1963 as a rival to Barbie with a wholesome look. American Character Doll Company released their " Tressy " fashion doll in 1963 to compete with Barbie. Tressy
1825-581: The My Scene line in 2002 and the Flavas line in 2003 to rival Bratz. In 2010 Mattel launched the Monster High doll line, based on fantasy and horror monsters. Subsequently, they launched a spinoff in 2013, titled Ever After High , inspired by fairytales. In 2016, both lines went through a massive reboot and were discontinued soon after. Also in 2016, Mattel launched an animal-themed line titled Enchantimals ; it
1898-561: The Passage Choiseul area of Paris an industry grew around making clothing and accessories for the dolls. Child like bisque dolls appeared in the mid-19th century and overtook the market towards the end of the century. Jackie Ormes contracted with the Terri Lee doll company in 1947 to produce a play doll based on her little girl cartoon character in Patty-Jo 'n Ginger . As in the cartoon,
1971-645: The VAI Resort complex , located 15 miles (24 km) west of Phoenix, Arizona . In 2009, to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary, a runway show was held in New York for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week . The event showcased fashions contributed by fifty well-known haute couturiers including Diane von Fürstenberg , Vera Wang , Calvin Klein , Bob Mackie , and Christian Louboutin . In 2019, Mattel launched
2044-626: The Velvet Doll and friends are 18". British designer Mary Quant 's Daisy doll from 1973 had a large selection of contemporary 70s fashion designed by Quant. Fulla is marketed to children of Islamic and Middle-Eastern countries as an alternative to Barbie. The concept of her evolved around 1999, and she hit stores in late 2003. Bratz were released in 2001, designed by Carter Bryant and manufactured by California toy company MGA Entertainment . They are distinguished by large heads with skinny bodies and lush, glossy lips. Mattel introduced
2117-515: The elevator of Barbie's $ 100 Dream House. Mattel announced that it would redesign the house in the future to accommodate the doll. In July 2024, Mattel released the first blind Barbie in collaboration with the American Foundation for the Blind . Alongside this, the company also launched a black Barbie with Down syndrome . In March 2018, in time for International Women's Day , Mattel unveiled
2190-667: The "Barbie Celebrates Role Models" campaign with a line of 17 dolls, informally known as "sheroes", from diverse backgrounds "to showcase examples of extraordinary women". Mattel developed this collection in response to mothers concerned about their daughters having positive female role models. Dolls in this collection include Frida Kahlo , Patti Jenkins , Chloe Kim , Nicola Adams , Ibtihaj Muhammad , Bindi Irwin , Amelia Earhart , Misty Copeland , Helene Darroze , Katherine Johnson , Sara Gama , Martyna Wojciechowska , Gabby Douglas , Guan Xiaotong , Ava Duvernay , Yuan Yuan Tan , Iris Apfel , Ashley Graham and Leyla Piedayesh . In 2020,
2263-486: The "Barbie Dream Gap Project" to raise awareness of the phenomenon known as the "Dream Gap": beginning at the age of five, girls begin to doubt their own intelligence, where boys do not. This leads to boys pursuing careers requiring a higher intelligence, and girls being underrepresented in those careers. As an example, in the U.S., 33% of sitting judges are female. This statistic inspired the release of Judge Barbie in four different skin tones and hairstyles with judge robes and
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2336-573: The "Jewish" Barbie brand is still available in other Muslim -majority countries including Egypt and Indonesia . In Iran , the Sara and Dara dolls , which were introduced in March 2002, are available as an alternative to Barbie, even though they have not been as successful. In November 2014, Mattel received criticism over the book I Can Be a Computer Engineer , which depicted Barbie as personally inept at computers , requiring her two male friends complete all of
2409-820: The 16th century to show the tactile qualities of fashion which could not be incorporated into paintings or described to tailors in words. A letter dated 1515 and sent by Federico Gonzaga on behalf of King Francis I of France to his mother Isabella d'Este asks her to send a fashion doll to the French court so that copies of her style might be made for the women of France. As an adult in Scotland, Mary, Queen of Scots owned dolls, called "pippens", which were dressed by her tailors , and may have been fashion dolls. Jane Seymour , third wife of Henry VIII , owned great and little "babies" dressed in gowns of cloth of silver, satin, and velvet tied with gold "aglettes", like her own sleeves. In
2482-456: The 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. It was created by Alicia Larguía, who was inspired by the French predecessor of Bleuette , a doll available through the famous magazine for girls La Semaine de Suzette The game proposed by Marilú was, on the one hand, that of the transmission of motherhood in the girls—who were called the doll's "mommies"—, but the doll's clothing also occupied a central role. The advertisements encouraged girls to change and renew
2555-600: The 2013 feature-length documentary Magical Universe . Carbee's collage art was presented in the 2016 Barbie exhibit at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris in the section about visuals artists who have been inspired by Barbie. In 2013, in Taiwan , the first Barbie-themed restaurant called "Barbie Café" opened under the Sinlaku group. The Economist has emphasized the importance of Barbie to children's imagination: From her early days as
2628-514: The African American community, Oreo is a derogatory term meaning that the person is "black on the outside and white on the inside", like the chocolate sandwich cookie itself. In May 1997, Mattel introduced Share a Smile Becky , a doll in a pink wheelchair . Kjersti Johnson, a 17-year-old high school student in Tacoma, Washington with cerebral palsy , pointed out that the doll would not fit into
2701-745: The Court also overturned the District Court's original ruling for Mattel, where MGA Entertainment was ordered to forfeit the entire Bratz brand. Fashion doll Barbie was released by the American toy-company Mattel in 1959, and was followed by many similar vinyl fashion dolls intended as children's toys. The size of the Barbie, 11.5 inches (290 mm) set the standard often used by other manufacturers. But fashion dolls have been made in many different sizes varying from 10.5 to 36 inches (270 to 910 mm). Costumers and seamstresses use fashion dolls as
2774-710: The Dreamhouse , Barbie: Dreamtopia , Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures , Barbie: It Takes Two and Barbie: A Touch of Magic . Aside in lead roles, she has appeared as a supporting character in the Toy Story films between its second and third sequels with a cameo at the fourth and the My Scene media franchise. In 2015, Barbie began appearing as a vlogger on YouTube called Barbie Vlogger where she talks about her fictional life, fashion, friends and family , and even charged topics such as mental health and racism . She
2847-554: The Gaultier dolls, the Huret dolls, or the more recent Vogue dolls and Barbies. Barbie was launched by the American toy company Mattel in 1959, inspired by the German Bild Lilli doll . Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for more than fifty years. Many fashion doll lines have been inspired by Barbie, or launched as alternatives to Barbie. Tammy was created by
2920-582: The United States as promotional specials until 2017. Since 2017, the film series were revamped as streaming television films, branded as animated "specials" and released through streaming media services, primarily on Netflix . At the time of the release of Barbie in the Pink Shoes on February 26, 2013, the film series have sold over 110 million units globally. Since 2012, she has appeared in several television and web series ; including Barbie: Life in
2993-611: The United States, and by 18% worldwide, with much of the drop being attributed to the popularity of Bratz dolls. In December 2006, Mattel sued MGA Entertainment for $ 1 billion, alleging that Bratz creator Carter Bryant was working for Mattel when he developed the idea for Bratz . On July 17, 2008, a federal jury agreed that the Bratz line was created by Carter Bryant while he was working for Mattel and that MGA and its chief executive officer Isaac Larian were liable for converting Mattel property for their own use and intentionally interfering with
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3066-406: The artist Andy Warhol created a painting of Barbie. The painting sold at auction at Christie's , London for $ 1.1 million. In 2015, The Andy Warhol Foundation then teamed up with Mattel to create an Andy Warhol Barbie. Outsider artist Al Carbee took thousands of photographs of Barbie and created countless collages and dioramas featuring Barbie in various settings. Carbee was the subject of
3139-421: The company announced a new release of "shero" dolls, including Paralympic champion Madison de Rozario , and world four-time sabre champion Olga Kharlan . In July 2021, Mattel released a Naomi Osaka Barbie doll as a part of the 'Barbie Role Model' series. Osaka originally partnered with Barbie two years earlier. A month earlier, a Julie Bishop doll was released to acknowledge the former Australian politician, as
3212-455: The contractual duties owed by Bryant to Mattel. On August 26, the jury found that Mattel would have to be paid $ 100 million in damages. On December 3, 2008, U.S. District Judge Stephen Larson banned MGA from selling Bratz. He allowed the company to continue selling the dolls until the winter holiday season ended. On appeal, a stay was granted by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ;
3285-464: The doll represented a real child, in contrast to the majority of dolls that were mammy and Topsy -type dolls. The dolls were popular with both black and white children. The first American fashion doll, Cissy, was released by the Alexander Doll Company in 1955. Cissy sported a pronounced bosom and high-heeled shoes. Marilú was an Argentine composition doll that was highly popular in
3358-504: The doll's clothes according to the occasion or season, with the Marilú brand thus promoting the clothes they made to accompany the toy. In addition, the Billiken and Marilú magazines included patterns for the girls or someone in their family to sew the doll's wardrobe, and published instructions and fashion tips. In this way, Marilú can be placed within the genealogy of fashion dolls, such as
3431-410: The doll's eyes were adjusted to look forwards rather than having the demure sideways glance of the original model. This would be the last adjustment Ruth would make to her own creation as, three years later, she and her husband Elliot were removed from their posts at Mattel after an investigation found them guilty of issuing false and misleading financial reports. Barbie was one of the first toys to have
3504-405: The dolls sold said the phrase. The doll was often erroneously misattributed in the media as having said "Math is hard!" In October 1992, Mattel announced that Teen Talk Barbie would no longer say "Math class is tough!", and offered a swap to anyone who owned a doll that did. In 2002, Mattel introduced a line of pregnant Midge (and baby) dolls, but this Happy Family line was quickly pulled from
3577-407: The female presence of music producers , DJs and audio engineers – to inspire more girls to explore a future in music production. In 2023, Mattel broke ground on a theme park near Phoenix, Arizona . The park is to open in 2024 and highlights Mattel's toys, including a Barbie Beach House, a Thomas & Friends themed ride, and a Hot Wheels go-kart race track. The theme park will take place at
3650-780: The globe. For example, in 2007, it introduced " Cinco de Mayo Barbie" wearing a ruffled red, white, and green dress (echoing the Mexican flag). Hispanic magazine reports that: [O]ne of the most dramatic developments in Barbie's history came when she embraced multi-culturalism and was released in a wide variety of native costumes, hair colors and skin tones to more closely resemble the girls who idolized her. Among these were Cinco De Mayo Barbie, Spanish Barbie, Peruvian Barbie, Mexican Barbie and Puerto Rican Barbie. She also has had close Hispanic friends, such as Teresa. Professor Emilie Rose Aguilo-Perez argued that over time, Mattel shifted from ambiguous Hispanic presentations in their dolls to one that
3723-483: The latest fashion trends. Rose Bertin was among those fashion merchants who used them. Pandora dolls fell out of fashion in the late 18th-century, when illustrated fashion magazines became common after the publication of Cabinet des Modes , and were finally banned by Napoleon I , who feared that they could be used to smuggle secret messages. During the first half of the 19th century, fashion dolls were sometimes used to display fashion garments for clients before it
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#17330860301453796-630: The market due to complaints that she promoted teen pregnancy, though Midge was supposed to be a married adult. In September 2003, the Middle Eastern country of Saudi Arabia outlawed the sale of Barbie dolls and franchises, stating that they did not conform to the ideals of Islam . The Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice warned, "Jewish Barbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories and tools are
3869-417: The necessary tasks to restore two laptops after she accidentally infects her and her sister's laptop with a malware -laced USB flash drive, before ultimately getting credit for recovering her sister's school project. Critics felt that the characterization of Barbie as a software designer lacking low-level technical skills was sexist, as other books in the I Can Be... series depicted Barbie as someone who
3942-458: The next decade while volume and margin increased by exporting refurbished dolls to Japan . Barbie was manufactured in Japan during this time, with her clothes hand-stitched by Japanese homeworkers. Louis Marx and Company sued Mattel in March 1961. After licensing Lilli, they claimed that Mattel had "infringed on Greiner & Hausser's patent for Bild-Lilli's hip joint", and also claimed that Barbie
4015-507: The release of two eponymous video games, one that year and another in 1991 and two syndicated television specials released in 1987; Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World and its sequel . She then began to appear as a virtual actress in a series of direct-to-video animated feature films with Barbie in the Nutcracker in 2001, which were also broadcast on Nickelodeon in
4088-580: The same molds for the Caucasian Barbies, new ones were created. In addition, facial features, skin tones, hair texture, and names were all altered. The body shapes looked different, but the proportions were the same to ensure clothing and accessories were interchangeable. In September 2009, Mattel introduced the So In Style range, which was intended to create a more realistic depiction of African-American people than previous dolls. Starting in 1980, it produced Hispanic dolls, and later came models from across
4161-476: The stock traded as high as $ 130 per share on its first day of trading, giving it a market capitalization of over $ 1 billion despite only $ 7 million in annual revenues. In June 2000, the company formed a joint venture with the Financial Times with Peter Bale as managing editor. In January 2004, Calandra resigned amidst allegations of insider trading . In January 2005, Dow Jones & Company acquired
4234-589: The target of parody : In May 2001, MGA Entertainment launched the Bratz series of dolls, a move that gave Barbie her first serious competition in the fashion doll market. In 2004, sales figures showed that Bratz dolls were outselling Barbie dolls in the United Kingdom, although Mattel maintained that in terms of the number of dolls, clothes, and accessories sold, Barbie remained the leading brand. In 2005, figures showed that sales of Barbie dolls had fallen by 30% in
4307-456: The time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot , a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. During a trip to Switzerland in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth , Ruth Handler came across
4380-454: The time. Ruth Handler believed it was important for Barbie to have an adult appearance, but early market research showed that some parents were unhappy about the doll's chest, which had distinct breasts. Barbie sold about 350,000 units in her first year, beating market expectations and generating upside risk for investors. Sales of Barbie exceeded Mattel's ability to produce her for the first three years of her run. The market stabilized for
4453-404: The toy fashion doll market for over six decades. Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and most profitable line. The brand has expanded into a multimedia franchise since 1984, including video games, animated films , television/web series, and a live-action film . Barbie and her male counterpart, Ken , have been described as the two most popular dolls in
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#17330860301454526-527: The toy shops, just as the 1960s were breaking, the doll market consisted mostly of babies, designed for girls to cradle, rock and feed. By creating a doll with adult features, Mattel enabled girls to become anything they want. On September 7, 2021, following the debut of the streaming television film Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams on Netflix , Barbie joined forces with Grammy Award -nominated music producer, songwriter, singer and actress Ester Dean and Girls Make Beats – an organization dedicated to expanding
4599-573: The world. Mattel generates a large portion of Barbie's revenue through related merchandise —accessories, clothes, friends, and relatives of Barbie. Writing for Journal of Popular Culture in 1977, Don Richard Cox noted that Barbie has a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale lifestyle that can be shared with affluent friends. Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At
4672-483: Was "a direct take-off and copy" of Bild-Lilli. The company additionally claimed that Mattel "falsely and misleadingly represented itself as having originated the design". Mattel counter-claimed and the case was settled out of court in 1963. In 1964, Mattel bought Greiner & Hausser's copyright and patent rights for the Bild-Lilli doll for $ 21,600. Barbie's appearance has been changed many times, most notably in 1971 when
4745-741: Was created in 2003 in Korea . Japanese fashion dolls marketed to children include Licca (introduced in 1967) and Jenny (introduced in 1982) by Takara Tomy . In the mid-1990s larger fashion dolls mostly marketed to adult collectors appeared. These include Gene Marshall from Ashton-Drake , Tyler Wentworth from Tonner and Alexandra Fairchild Ford from Madame Alexander . They are between 15.5 and 16 inches (390 and 410 millimetres), larger than typical fashion dolls marketed as children's toys. In 2005, London artists Desmond Lingard and Charles Fegen, created Sybarites , 16" resin artist-dolls as fashion dolls for adult collectors. MarketWatch MarketWatch
4818-526: Was first sold as an 11½" fashion doll, and, after being acquired by the Ideal Toy Company , by the late 60s was sold as a larger pre-teen doll. Tressy featured a long swatch of hair that could be pulled out of the top of the doll's head by pushing a button on the doll's midriff; that mechanism allowed children the ability to comb the hair in a variety of styles. In the late 1960s and early 1970s Ideal released several other large fashion dolls with hair with adjustable length. The Crissy Doll and friends along with
4891-572: Was initially sold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately. Upon her return to the United States, Handler redesigned the doll (with help from local inventor-designer Jack Ryan ) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie , after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959. This date
4964-616: Was made in the salon of the milliner, seamstress or tailor, until Charles Frederick Worth introduced living human models in the 1850s. The earliest bisque dolls from French companies were fashion dolls. These dominated the market between approximately 1860 and 1890. They were made to represent grown up women and intended for children of affluent families to play with and dress in contemporary fashions. These dolls came from companies like Jumeau , Bru, Gaultier, Rohmer, Simone and Huret, though their heads were often manufactured in Germany. In
5037-724: Was one for general practitioner Kirby White for her work during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. In August 2021 a Barbie modelled after European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti was released. The standard range of Barbie dolls and related accessories are manufactured to approximately 1/6 scale, which is also known as playscale . The standard dolls are approximately 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (29 cm) tall. Mattel estimates that there are well over 100,000 avid Barbie collectors. Ninety percent are women, at an average age of 40, purchasing more than twenty Barbie dolls each year. Forty-five percent of them spend upwards of $ 1000
5110-572: Was originally a spinoff of Ever After High but became its own line soon after. In 2014, artist Nickolai Lamm unveiled Lammily , a fashion doll based on Lamm's study comparing Barbie's figure with measurements matching those of an average 19-year-old woman. Asian fashion dolls are made by Asian manufacturers and primarily targeted to an Asian market. Blythe dolls with oversized heads and color changing eyes were originally made by American company Kenner but are now produced by Japanese company Takara . Another doll with an oversized head, Pullip ,
5183-454: Was portrayed by Australian actress Margot Robbie in a live-action film adaptation released on July 21, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States. Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts and her parents' names are given as George and Margaret Roberts from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin , in a series of novels published by Random House in the 1960s. In those novels, Barbie attended Willows High School; while in
5256-494: Was produced using the existing head molds for the white Francie doll and lacked distinct African characteristics other than dark skin. The first African-American doll in the Barbie range is usually regarded as Christie, who made her debut in 1968. Black Barbie was launched in 1980 but still had Caucasian features. In 1990, Mattel created a focus group with African-American children and parents, early childhood specialists, and clinical psychologist, Darlene Powell Hudson. Instead of using
5329-420: Was totally competent in those jobs and did not require outside assistance from others. Mattel later removed the book from sale on Amazon in response to the criticism, and the company released a " Computer Engineer Barbie " doll who was a game programmer rather than game designer . "Colored Francie " made her debut in 1967, and she is sometimes described as the first African-American Barbie doll. However, she
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