Barbie Celebrates 50 Years
The Original Fashion Doll
Barbie made her debut at the American International Toy Fair, New York, on 9 March 1959, sporting a top-knot ponytail and wearing her trademark zebra-striped swimsuit. She received a cool reception as toy buyers were sceptical whether she would sell. However, Mattel sold more than 350,000 dolls within the first year once Barbie hit store shelves. Barbie was one of the first toys whose marketing strategy was based on television advertising. She became a cultural icon and starred in her own films.
Creating Barbie
US businesswoman Ruth Handler recognised a gap in the market when her daughter Barbara played with paper dolls and their extensive wardrobes in teenage or career women roles, rather than playing mummy to baby dolls.
Handler approached her husband Elliott, co-founder of Mattel Toys, with her idea of producing a doll with an adult body. Elliott and his business partner Harold “Matt” Matson doubted the doll would sell so they weren’t interested.
Handler discovered the German Bild Lilli doll during a European holiday in 1956. Bild Lilli, based on a popular comic strip character, was originally aimed at adults. Lilli became popular with children who loved dressing her in different outfits.
Handler bought three, gave one to her daughter and brought the other two back to Mattel where she and engineer Jack Ryan reworked the doll’s design. The doll was renamed “Barbie” after her daughter.
Seventeen-year-old Barbara Handler disliked having a doll named after her despite being the inspiration for Barbie.
"Much of me is very proud that my folks invented the doll. I just wish I wasn't attached to it," she told People magazine in 1989.[i]
Body Image Controversy
Early market research revealed parents were unhappy with Barbie’s distinct breasts. Controversy still reigns with criticism claiming Barbie’s body promoted unrealistic body images of young women. Her body was remodelled in1997 with a wider waistline.
Barbie was marketed as a “Teenage Fashion Model” selling for US$3.00—as a blonde or a brunette. Extra outfits sold for US$1.00 to $5.00—based on the latest Paris runway fashions.
Barbie has held no less than 75 jobs including astronaut, airline pilot, flight attendant, Olympic swimmer, doctor, US Vice President, UNICEF Ambassador and veterinarian.
Fashion Leader
She has become a cultural icon and a leader in fashion. According to Mattel, Barbie has worked with over 70 of the biggest names in designer fashion including Yves St Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Christian Dior, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Calvin Klein, Versace, Vera Wang, Diane Von Furstenberg, Patricia Field and Monique Lhuillier.
A series of novels published by Random House during the Sixties chronicled her life as Barbara Millicent Roberts. She lived in the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin, with her parents Margaret and George, and attended the local high school.
Continued in Barbie Turns 50: Barbie & Ken where Barbie meets Ken, Ruth Handler's relationships with her children, and Barbie's empire expands into film and retail.
Further Reading
The History of the Barbie Doll
[i] People, As a Tiny Plastic Star Turns 30, the Real Barbie and Ken Reflect on Life in the Shadow of the Dolls, 6 March 1989
The Original Barbie with sunglasses
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1959 Barbie
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1961 Flight Attendant Barbie
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Olympic Barbie (Sydney 2000)
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The Handler Family
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