Barbie Celebrates Landmark 65th Anniversary With Glamorous Twist On Nostalgic Doll

Barbara Millicent Roberts a.k.a Barbie, turned 65 in March and her creators, Mattel, celebrated with a new doll release that is reminiscent of the first ever one. It comes in a long black-and-white ballgown with full net sleeves, plus cat-eye sunglasses, and her hair styled half-up, half-down.

The “Incredibly Glamorous” Barbie doll looks like a modernized version of the 1959 one, which came in a black-and-white swimsuit with similar white-rimmed shades. The senior vice president and head of design for dolls Kim Culmone confirmed this, saying she was made for modern collectors.

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Mattel also honored eight impactful women with their own Barbies to promote global impact and goodwill. The ladies include actresses Dame Helen Mirren, and Viola Davis, Nicole Fujita, singers Shania Twain and Kylie Minogue, Maira Gomez, Enissa Amani, and filmmaker Lila Avilés.

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A special anniversary collection also followed, featuring the popular career Barbies, and fashion dolls from the previous creations. The toy company also continued its partnership with Inspiring Girls International towards the Barbie Dream Gap Project.

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The lead designer for Barbie, who is also behind the anniversary release, said it was a tribute to the doll’s beginnings. Culmone emphasized that no stones were left unturned, and they made sure to add easter eggs and cues for fans to figure out in relation to the first-ever Barbie doll.

The glam Barbie came in two different versions at $60 upon release, along with the other releases at varying prices. Executive vice president and chief brand officer Lisa McKnight noted that they ensured Barbie’s 65th birthday celebration coincided with International Women’s Day. This was their way of showing solidarity as the original girl empowerment brand.