A Cultural Icon November 17, 2024

 The Museum of Art and Design has once again delivered a fascinating, fun and informative exhibit. Barbie^®: A Cultural Icon charts the 65-year history of Barbie and the doll’s global impact on fashion and popular culture through an expansive display of more than 250 vintage dolls, life-size fashion designs, advertisements, and other ephemera, along with exclusive video interviews with the doll’s designers. On two floors you can trace the evolution of Barbie from a child’s toy to a global icon, exploring the style trends, careers, and identities that Barbie has embodied and popularized since her debut in 1959. I was in High School when Barbie was created and was way past playing with dolls – after all, it was the ’60’s and we were doing other things. The opening section relays the Barbie origin story and presents all twenty-two original ensemble outfits, while subsequent areas consider the influence of the Space Age; the creation of Christie™, the first Black Barbie doll; the arrival of Ken™; and the creation of the Barbie Dreamhouse™. You will also see Barbie in the iconic fashions of the 1970s, including Groovy Style, beachwear, and disco-themed designs, while sections on the 1980s and 1990s present a selection of diverse Barbie dolls representing a range of ethnicities, body types, and careers, including a feature on the first Black Barbie. The exhibition culminates in the 2000s, spotlighting the continued diversification of characters within the Barbie universe and connecting them to contemporary fashion trends, perspectives, and identities. And yes, that is me, the Octogenarian Barbie at the top the page (you are never too old to be an Icon, right)?This exhibit is on thru March 16, 2025.