A number of variations of collectible Barbies are highly sought-after and collected by individuals across the globe today. This is due in large part to the Mattel’s sponsorship with the “Mickey Mouse Club” television program: Mattel became the first toy company to broadcast commercials to children, helping to promote the toy tremendously.īarbie has undoubtedly transformed the modern toy industry with a variety of dolls that feature over 180 different careers. Despite the controversy, over 300,000 dolls were sold within the first year alone. While some focused on Barbie’s leisurely lifestyle that seemingly lacked ambition, others were unhappy with her challenge of traditional gender roles. In 1980, the first African American and Hispanic Barbies were sold.īarbies were a divisive topic and received much criticism from the beginning. That same year, the Ken doll was introduced, a male doll model named after Handler’s son. Not until 1961 were red-haired Barbies available on the market. Originally, the first doll was available in brunette or blonde. She could be purchased for $3, with add-ons ranging from $1–$5. The doll was said to be from Willows, Wisconsin and held a prominent career as a teenage fashion model. By 1959, the first Barbie doll made its official debut at the New York Toy Fair.īarbie Millicent Roberts was named after Handler’s daughter. She even bought the rights to the German-made doll Bild Lilli, and modeled her version after the figure. After observing her daughter play with paper dolls, Handler was inspired to create a three-dimensional version of a career-minded, adult doll. Sold for $6,000 via Julien’s Auctions (April 2020).īarbie dolls were invented by Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel, Inc., an American toy manufacturing company founded in 1945. A Brief History of Barbie Dollsĭoris Day signed Barbie Collection Pink Label doll from 2011, related to the film Pillow Talk. Barbie has continued to evolve since its inception, and undoubtedly changed the modern toy industry forever. Today, the price of a mint condition Barbie from this era can run close to $25,000. Often, these Barbies had bendable legs or red hair, and they are considered some of the most rare and valuable. Vintage Barbie dolls on the market from 1959 to the late 1960s are especially prized among collectors. They quickly became some of the best-selling dolls of all time, with over a billion sold to-date. The dolls were designed to allow young girls to dream about their futures as career-driven, posturing women. Prior, only infant doll designs were available on the toy market, but Barbie brought something new and different. Since the first Barbie, named Barbie Millicent Roberts, was introduced to the world in 1959, new editions have been unveiled with each subsequent decade, wrought with added accessories and changes that reflected the times in which the dolls were produced.īefore her late-1950s debut, America hadn’t seen anything quite like the Barbie doll. This doll is highly sought after by collectors, especially well-preserved, vintage Barbie dolls. He also joined forces with Europa Art Group to design and create the shoes for five different items from the collection.The Barbie doll is of the most popular and recognizable dolls ever created, and not just among young girls. It is made of more than 40 meters of bright pink ruched tulle and the entire construction took over 50 meticulous hours to create." “I like the showstopper which is a one of a kind gown. I also used the South African beadwork in black and white an inspiration I derived from the Xhosa culture.”Ī favourite for Coetzee includes a beaded number that was inspired by a creation that he made for American rapper Cardi B. “The striking pink from the Pedi culture complimented by geometric patterns inspired by the Zulu culture were some of the array of South African cultural elements I brought into the collection. I want people around the world to get a sense of our country, the beauty of our different cultures and the variety of people who live in it,” he said. “I just wanted the collection to be a reflection of Africa and SA. Having dressed over the years A-listers like Oprah Winfrey and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Coetzee described the feeling as a “full circle moment”. So, this collaboration is definitely a dream come true.” “Barbie was the first doll that I dressed as a young farm boy. I was quite excited that I’d be working on a collection for Barbie because I’ve always had this fascination with dolls which is how my career in fashion started,” Coetzee told S Mag. “The conversation about this collaboration happened a year-and-half ago.
The collaboration has seen him create a ready-to-wear collection titled, The Barbie Loves Gert, which comprises 31 looks that celebrate the distinctive culture of SA.
Local fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee has given the world’s most well-known doll, Barbie, a new African look.
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