The history of Barbie Dolls: how your favorite childhood toy has changed. Famous doll from the last century

In the Guinness Book of Records, as well as Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, you can find Barbie. Some girls have collectible dolls. This is a special toy with an amazing story, March 9, 2017 Barbie turned 58 years old.

Barbie Appears

American resident Ruth Hendler raised her daughter Barbara. In the post-war fifties, a girl could only play with cardboard or paper dolls. Ruth noticed that during the game, the daughter represents her dolls as adults. The woman thought: what if we create a girl doll? She pitched the idea to her husband, Elliot. The couple owned Mattel, which at that time already collaborated with the Disney animation studio. However, the company's male designers rejected the project because "she has female breasts".

However, Ruth Handler did not give up. While traveling in Switzerland, she noticed an "adult doll" in a toy store. It was Lilly, who became the prototype of the modern Barbie. Ruth improved the appearance of the toy: she added wide black eyebrows, plump lips, slanting eyes. March 9, 1959 Barbara Millsent Roberts (Barbie) came out in a striped swimsuit, high heels, bright makeup and red nails. This doll was sold for ten thousand dollars. The first print run was three hundred and fifty-one units, these toys were already worth three dollars apiece.

Classification of collectible Barbie dolls

Originally, Mattel products were designed for gaming. Twenty years after the sale of the first copy, it turned out that many lovers of this beauty began to collect them. The girls who grew up with Barbie are now serious women. But the craze for this toy has not gone away, some of its admirers collect entire sets. In 1979, the company began creating exclusive Barbies. Collectible dolls were not used in children's games, but were intended for adult connoisseurs.

Until 1989, collection items were divided into:

• Limited Edition - dolls were produced in special boxes with a certificate of authenticity, the circulation of up to thirty-five thousand was not available for direct sale;
• Special Edition with a circulation of up to 35 thousand pieces is a separate issue of the series, there is a certificate of authenticity;
• Collector Edition - no more than 35,000, used as collectible Barbie dolls.

Fifteen years later, the classification has changed and today it depends on the number of issued copies:

• Platinum Label - release up to a thousand;
• Gold Label - issue no more than twenty-five thousand;
• Silver Label - issue up to fifty thousand;
• Pink Label - release without quantity limitation, available for free sale;
• Black Label - toys released on one theme, without any restrictions in circulation, coming for sale through the distribution network.

It is also necessary to highlight:

• OOAK - Barbie, created in one copy;
• Exclusive - dolls produced for a specific retail chain or convention.

Barbie Ballet Love

It is probably difficult to find a profession, occupation, event or hobby that a famous doll is not associated with. Starting with a fashion designer, a nurse, a business woman, and ending with a presidential candidate, an astronaut. For the first time, Barbie became a ballet lover in the early sixties. The next, released in 1976, the ballerina was made in such a way that she could perform splits or dance moves.

In 1986, the first porcelain doll appeared among Barbies. Influenced by the works of Edgar Degas, a collectible Barbie ballerina doll appeared. It is made of the finest porcelain. Barbie prima ballerina wore a traditional ballet dress. The top of this dress is presented in the form of a corset with a bodice. The gracefulness of the handles is emphasized by chiffon sleeves. The bottom of the dress is decorated with a pleated multi-colored skirt made of the finest tulle. A black silk ribbon is tied around the neck. The dancer is a brunette, her hair is beautifully combed. There are flowers on the shoulders, head and waist. The dancer's feet are shod in ivory-colored pointe shoes.

Collectible doll Barbie "Ballet Star" went on sale in 2015. The doll is wearing a light purple ballet dress with a traditional tutu. The modern toy ballerina is wearing thin pink tights and lilac pointe shoes with ribbons. The dancer's head, with blond, coiffed hair, is adorned with a pearl pendant. Thanks to the hinged legs, the ballerina can perform any dance figures.

Barbie and social events

An incredibly beautiful and elegant edition includes Red Carpet Collectible Barbie Dolls. Beautiful girls are a real triumph of charm, femininity, style. Initially, the series consisted of four representatives, then it was increased to six. The set includes Barbie all in gold: a tight dress with a defiant slit, drop earrings, heeled shoes with a strap, a gold-plated bracelet. Barbie in a traditional color focuses on a narrow waist with a corset dress. A spectacular model with straight blond hair wears a bright blue jumpsuit. The entire collection is complemented by exclusive accessories, hairstyles. Representatives of this series look like real movie stars or models before entering the red carpet of a high society event.

Clothes for collectible dolls

For the first twenty years, Charlotte Johnson invented and brought to life only images for Barbie. Collectible dolls received outfits from fashion designers in the early nineties.

World couturiers began to offer images for the famous blonde. They designed clothes for collectible Barbie dolls. For them, not one outfit or dress was created, but entire collections. Jean Paul Gaultier, Bob Mackie, Thierry Mugler, Paco Rabanne, Lanvin, Hermes, Kenzo, Guy Laroche, Lolita Lempicka, Sonia Rykiel, Paul Smith, Karl Lagerfeld, Cacharel worked on unique models for the beauty.

The largest collection of beauties consisted of more than 4,000 dolls, it was sold for more than one hundred thousand pounds. Every year, about 100 sets of clothes are produced for the famous doll, and up to fifteen toys are sold every minute in the world. To date, there are about 100,000 collectors, ninety percent of whom are women over forty years old. Judging by the reviews, most girls from 3 to 12 years old have at least a dozen Barbies, not taking into account her relatives, friends, friend, animals.

Barbie is over fifty years old, but the next generation of girls will just as delightedly play with these dolls, and adult women will collect them. Such devotion can only be envied. These Barbie connoisseurs spend a total of about seventy million dollars a year on toys. Whatever the reviews from the opponents of this doll, the Barbie era is not over yet.

Today we will talk about the history of the creation of the Barbie doll. Barbie is the most successful and famous doll in the world, in the history of toys. .

The history of the Barbie brand begins with the creation of the toy of the same name. Today, almost everyone knows the long-legged fair-haired doll. And this is not surprising. After all, she is the most successful doll in the history of toys. Barbie belongs to Mattel - practically the largest toy manufacturer in the world. The products of this company are distributed in at least 150 countries of the world, and in addition to Barbie, toys such as Batman, Superman and Harry Potter, which are produced under an agreement with Warner Brothers, are also quite popular.

Its creator is the American Ruth Handler, who, together with her husband Elliot, opened Mattel in 1945, the original purpose of which was to produce framed pictures. However, in post-war times, an increasing number of people sought to invest in entertainment, buying a wide variety of toys for their children. Feeling that this could be a good source of profit, the Handlers change the direction of their company and start the production of first children's dollhouses, and then also music boxes. Having signed an agreement with the Disney animation studio, they run advertisements for their toys during the showing of The Mickey Mouse Club, which makes the company unusually popular among potential buyers. In 1957, Mattel notices the fashion for the Wild West and begins to produce toy hard drives. Thanks to advertising and following new trends, Mattel is becoming more and more successful. Until he releases a Barbie doll and thereby makes a real revolution.

Ruth came up with the idea of ​​creating this doll after she noticed that her daughter Barbara was especially eager to play with paper dolls imitating adult people. After a little thought, Ruth decides to release a toy with which the girls could fully "play as adults." The basis of the famous doll was the heroine of the German comics Lily - a femme fatale with an aspen waist and long blond hair. She was very fond of little customers and quickly gained popularity. Named after the Handlers' daughter Barbara, the Barbie doll soon created such a craze that the company couldn't keep up with new ones to keep up with the overwhelming demand. At the same time, Mattel received its main income from the sale of not even dolls, but related products - clothes, accessories and toy houses.

The first Barbie was dark-haired and wore a ponytail; she had mother-of-pearl earrings in her ears, open heeled sandals on her feet, and she was dressed in a black and white striped swimsuit. Mattel told the country about its doll with the help of television advertising, and a hype began around the doll ... There were so many orders for Barbie that at first the company could not even satisfy the demand for the doll! The girls began to go crazy for Barbie, while the parents of many of them took the doll more than cool, believing that playing with her would not benefit the child's psyche.

But the popularity of the doll grew and grew. Barbie was not alone for long - in 1961, Barbie had a friend Ken, who was named after Ruth Handler's son. In 1963, Barbie's best friend, Midge, was created, and in 1964, her sister Skipper ... Now Barbie has more than a dozen relatives and friends; and her “parting” with Ken came as a shock to doll fans all over the world.

Out of the box, Barbie doll wore a ponytail (hence the corresponding image on the logo) and was dressed in a black and white swimsuit and black high-heeled sandals. All other elements of her huge wardrobe had to be bought additionally. Already in the 60s, the most famous fashion houses began to develop clothes for Barbie, and soon this doll became one of the most fashionable and sophisticated in the world. Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin and Jean Paul Gaultier come to the conclusion that sewing outfits for Barbie is no less prestigious than for Hollywood celebrities. Having acquired a wide variety of wardrobe items and a large, albeit toy, house, Barbie clearly began to demand company.

By 1961, Barbie had become the absolute best-selling fashion doll of all time. And no wonder - after all, the doll was born exactly when the social role of a woman began to be revised in the world, when the sophistication and sophistication of high fashion took possession of the minds and hearts of people ...

In the history of Barbie, there were some unpleasant moments. In 1993, the “Teen Talk” Barbie appeared on sale, saying phrases such as “Math is very difficult”, “Will we have enough clothes?”, “I like shopping”, “Let's have a pizza party!”. This doll caused a strong negative reaction from the buyers, as it formed the image of a “stupid empty girl” and taught a clearly not the best lesson in life aspirations to the girls who played with it. “Pregnant Barbie” also did not gain wide recognition in a number of countries: if earlier the claims against the doll were that she “thinks only about entertainment and clothes”, now there is a reasonable opinion that doll “birth” looks like a soulless and mechanical process , and the birth of a child does not cause a feeling of a miracle, as in life.

Having changed many outfits, houses, cars and pets, the Barbie doll eventually got into the Guinness Book of Records, and also became an exhibit of the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Despite the ongoing attacks and accusations of a negative impact on the child's psyche (girls go on a diet to somehow match the fictional image), Barbie continues to be one of the most popular dolls in the world to this day. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, this blonde beauty personifies exactly what girls want to be when they grow up. Secondly, Mattel's marketing strategy is very good, gradually expanding the world of Barbie, introducing more characters and various objects into it, and thereby fueling the passion of buyers.

World famous fashion houses do not leave Barbie unattended. Since the mid-eighties of the last century, the production of collection models of the famous doll in luxurious toilets began; In 1985, an international exhibition of Barbie dolls was held in outfits from Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Christian Dior. Barbie still demonstrates works from famous couturiers - Givenchy, Blass, Bob Mackey ... Sometimes fashion designers even make the doll itself part of the design of accessories for their collections.

Barbie's "real name" is Barbara Millicent Roberts. In the 1960s, her personal legend was that she came from the town of Willows, Wisconsin, and grew up in the family of George and Margaret Roberts. In the 1990s, Barbie's biography changed: with the release of the new "urban" series Generation Girls, Barbie was announced as a native of New York.

In 1961, Barbie "met" her "boyfriend" Ken (full name Ken Carson). They "been together" for more than forty years, although production of Ken was suspended several times. In 2004, Mattel announced that Barbie and Ken were separating. However, they "reunited" two years later. According to official legend, Barbie and Ken are not married. The only married doll in the series is Barbie's girlfriend Midge, who in 1991 "married" a "friend of Ken" named Alan and gave birth to twins. In 2013, Mattel decided to "rebrand" Midge, once again making her childless and unmarried.

Barbie cartoons

Information for free

The very first Barbie cartoon - Barbie and the Nutcracker, 2001, directed by Owen Hurley, artist Tony Poolam, starring:

Kelly Sheridan
Kirby Morrow
Tim Curry
Peter Kelamis
Christopher Gaze
Ian James Corlett
French Tickner
Kathleen Barr
Kathy Wesluck
Alex Doduk

Barbie and the Dragon
Barbie as Rapunzel, 2002 (0+)

Barbie: The Princess and the Pauper
Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper, 2004 (0+)

Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses, 2006 (0+)

Barbie and the Crystal Castle
Barbie & The Diamond Castle, 2008 (0+)

Barbie and the Three Musketeers
Barbie and the Three Musketeers, 2009 (6+)

Barbie: Little Mermaid Adventure
Barbie in a Mermaid Tale 2010 (6+)

The Barbie doll is one of the world's top selling toys and one of Mattel's best known products. Since its introduction in 1959, the Barbie doll has brought her company huge profits. As a result of the strengthening and development of the women's rights movement, fashion dolls have constantly caused someone's discontent, and Barbie dolls have been regularly criticized for their vision and representation of the image of a woman.

Tired of the fact that most dolls of the time depicted children, the wife of Elliot Handler, one of the founders of Mattel, Ruth Handler, suggested releasing a doll depicting an adult. Using the German Bild Lilli doll as the basis for her idea, Ruth Handler was eventually able to convince Mattel executives who had doubts about the success of her project that the doll had every chance of success, and the toy market needed a similar product. In 1959, the Barbie doll was presented at the American National Toy Fair.

The first doll had long white or black hair and was wearing a striped swimsuit. Additional clothing sets reflecting current American fashion trends could be purchased separately. In its first year of existence, over 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold. Realizing the huge potential of the market, Mattel soon launched the production of Barbie companion dolls, the first of which was Barbie's fiancé Ken doll. Other famous doll friends of the first Barbies were her younger sister Skipper (Skipper), and her best friend Midge (Midge).

Almost immediately after their release, heated debate broke out around Barbie dolls, in which it was argued that the dolls looked too spicy and did not correspond to the real idea of ​​\u200b\u200bfemale beauty. Statistical studies have shown that if Barbie were a real person, then it would be a woman with a height of 178 cm, chest-waist-hip proportions of 91-46-84 cm, respectively, and would be so thin that she could not have children . Also, some of the first Barbie dolls had proportions that corresponded to 49.8 kg of body weight of a real person, which is almost 14 kg less than the norm for a woman of this height. In 1997, the appearance of the doll was changed and more accurately adjusted to the real metrics of a person. But critics still argue that the doll is capable of creating the wrong image of a woman's body and having a negative impact on the impressionable mind of little girls.

Another stumbling block in the world of Barbie dolls was the release of their ethnic series. Opponents say that the Negroid, Hispanic and Asian versions of the Barbie doll do not reflect the real characteristics of these races, but are simply painted in a different color. In 2003, Saudi Arabia banned the sale of Barbie dolls on its territory, saying that the doll has a negative impact on the population and does not correspond to the ideals of a woman in the Islamic world. In an attempt to create more life-like dolls, other toy companies have also released their own line of alternative dolls.

Around the world, collecting Barbie dolls has become one of the most common hobbies. The very first and rare specimens of dolls are sold at auctions at very high prices. One of the most expensive purchases of a Barbie doll was made at one of the London auctions, when a doll called "Barbie in Midnight Red" was sold for $17,000 US dollars.

Despite the heated debate surrounding the Barbie doll and its impact on society, it is still a cultural icon and wildly popular toy. Since the 1960s, the doll has been a model of sorts, demonstrating the styles and trends of American fashion and its ideals. Despite the statements and disagreement of some critics, the Barbie doll is an important part of the culture and life of America, and most likely will continue its legendary existence.

March 9 marks the 55th anniversary of the birth of our beloved Barbie doll, a doll that more than one generation of girls around the world has grown up playing.
Two Barbie dolls - a blonde and a brunette - were introduced to the world on March 9, 1959 in America, Wisconsin. Her "mother" is Ruth Handler. Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. At that time, few people could have imagined that a children's toy would become a cult toy, acquire a house, a car and a family. In a little over half a century, Barbie has become a truly iconic doll, around which the hype is constantly maintained.

The doll on the left is the first Barbie.

Barbie dolls are produced by the American company Mattel. These dolls are sold in 150 countries around the world. In Europe, the doll began to be sold in 1961. Barbie has a friend Ken, sister Stacey, etc. The first Barbie doll was introduced in 1959. She was presented in two versions - blondes and brunettes.

Barbie has made a career in many fields - from a doctor and a rock singer to a presidential candidate. The biggest "celebrity" in the Barbie family was supermodel Twiggy. It began to be sold in 1967. Also in 1992

Barbie began her career as a military medic, and Mattel released khaki "military-style" suits. There are many analogues of Barbie produced in the world - "pirated" and official. The Muslim counterpart is the Fulla doll.

The very first Barbie cost three dollars, but dresses and accessories for the doll had to be purchased separately. At first, the doll caused wary responses in society - many considered Barbie vulgar, but she quickly gained popularity among schoolgirls.

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In 1961, a Ken doll was released to pair with Barbie. Later, she also had "relatives", and Barbie herself turned from an adult woman into a teenager.

Prior to 2000, Barbie had a rotating waist and no navel. After 2000, Barbie's body was somewhat changed. The chest has become smaller, the waist has ceased to rotate, the arms can be spread apart and the shins have narrowed. The hips have become wider and the legs are now, as well as the arms are spread apart. And there was a belly button.

As a result, the Barbie doll has become a cult. FIAT even introduced a special model of its car - 500 Barbie, painted in pink. The event was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the doll.

Today, Barbie is one of the most popular children's toys in history. The character is used in cartoons and advertising campaigns, a number of children's magazines, and in China there is a themed Barbie cafe, opened under license from the doll manufacturer.

Barbie was not left without a friend. Ken was born on March 11, 1961 and was half an inch (a centimeter and a quarter) taller than his girlfriend, and wore red bathing shorts and cork-soled sandals, having a yellow beach towel with him.

Already in 1961, Ken, along with Barbie, appeared in television commercials. And they named a new friend Barbie in honor of the son of the creator of both dolls - Kenneth.

From the very beginning, Ken has given designers a lot of trouble. The issue of visual proof of Ken's masculinity has sparked significant controversy among Mattel's designers and creative directors. We settled on releasing a boy doll in shorts with obvious bulges. But, apparently, something went wrong at the manufacturing factory, and Ken was released without any male sexual characteristics.

Throughout his life, Ken, like Barbie, has undergone many changes.
Barbie and Ken

Barbie images

This is what Barbie would look like if she were a real woman.

There are girls who dedicate their lives to the Barbie style, changing their appearance in order to completely resemble the famous doll.

Valeria Lukyanova

Odessa Valeria Lukyanova became famous after her photos appeared on the Internet. A girl with an impossibly thin waist, large breasts, large eyes and flawless skin has raised doubts about whether she is a real person. Valeria, who looks exactly like a Barbie doll, wears clothes and makeup, as well as enlargement contact lenses, to transform into a famous plastic girl. Although she herself denies that she underwent many plastic surgeries, experts believe that in order to achieve such an appearance, it was necessary to undergo more than one surgical procedure, including breast augmentation and removal of ribs. Despite her weight of 45 kg, she is on a liquid diet and is afraid of gaining weight.

Justin Jedlica - Living Ken

Justin Jedlica has undergone 90 different plastic surgeries to look like a Ken doll. The 32-year-old American has inserted silicone implants into his buttocks, abdomen, biceps, triceps and other parts of his body. Doctors believe that this amount of silicone can be life-threatening, but the man is still striving for perfection and wants to correct the shape of his nose.

Sara Burj

Briton Sarah Burge spent about $600,000 on surgeries to look like Barbie.

Dakota

Dakota, or as she is also called KotaKoti, is an American living in Japan, who became famous for her appearance similar to a Barbie doll and an anime heroine.

Fashion icon, superstar, top model, the most famous and popular fashion doll in the world - all this she is a brilliant and inimitable Barbie doll (Barbie), or Barbara Millicent Roberts (Barbara Millicent Roberts). I can't even believe that in March 2014 Barbie, this incredible beauty with a perfect figure, will turn 55 years old! This doll to this day can be called the most favorite doll of girls all over the world! Over such a long history of her existence, Barbie appeared in hundreds, if not thousands, of stylish images and stunning outfits, tried on a variety of professions, acquired a friendly family and many friends, visited an ambassador in several fantasy worlds (for example, in the kingdom of Fairies), became a heroine several animated films, conquered the virtual space, and not only ...

Mini biography of Barbie (Barbie)

But before we talk about the success story of this fantastic doll, let's take a look at the fictional biography of Barbie as a character that was invented by the author-creator of the doll.

So, Barbie comes from Wisconsin (USA). Her parents' names were George and Margaret. Barbie has younger sisters, Barbie is the eldest child in the family. Later, her family moved to New York, where Barbie herself studied at the Manhattan International High School.

Barbie is a very open, sociable and kind girl, she has a lot of friends. And Barbie loves animals very much, during her existence she had more than 40 pets.

Barbie is constantly in search of her calling. She has already been a flight attendant, pilot, veterinarian, diplomat, doctor and even an astronaut. By the way, Barbie is 29.2 cm tall and weighs 206 grams.

But above all, Barbie is a young, bright and beautiful girl, so a wonderful romantic story simply could not fail to arise in her life. In 1961, on the set of a Hollywood movie, Barbie meets a handsome man by name. Their romance, so bright and discussed, will last as long as 43 years. During this time, Barbie will travel around the world, attend a dance school together, and even become participants and avid fans of several Olympic Games. However, more and more often Barbie will think about marriage, family and children, but she is not ready for marriage ... On this basis, there was a discord in the most famous doll couple. So, on February 12, 2004, almost on the eve of Valentine's Day, the world learned about the separation of Barbie and Ken ... This, it would seem, can put an end to Barbie's love story ... But it still has a continuation. and Barbie will meet again on the set of Toy Story 3, playing key roles in the film. And in 2011, from the pages of the largest social network, Facebook will ask Barbie to return to him, declaring “Barbie, although we are made of plastic, our love is real!”. While Barbie has not decided on a decision. But we, in turn, vote FOR the reunion of this beautiful and most recognizable doll couple, in fact, just like millions of Barbie fans of all ages around the world vote FOR the Barbie-Ken couple on the official Barbie website!

How did Barbie become popular and conquer the world?

Barbie's predecessor appeared in Germany in 1955. It was a doll with long legs, large breasts, a slightly upturned nose, and her name was Lilly (Bild Lilli). Moreover, initially Lilly was not even a doll, she was a character in a newspaper comic strip. This character was invented by the editor of the German newspaper Bild Zeitung simply because the newspaper had a small part of the printed page for which there was not enough material. So in the form of a comic on July 24, 1952, an image of Lilly appeared in the newspaper with a funny caption. This character became so popular that in 1955 Lilly found a real embodiment thanks to a puppeteer named Ralph Heuser. She immediately fell in love with the public as a prototype of the ideal woman. But then it was still only a distant and imperfect example of a modern doll, which no one considered as a children's toy. Lilly was perceived solely as a funny gift for adults, because the cartoon character itself is a daring, beautiful and passionate girl, who certainly did not correspond to the image of an exemplary homemaker ... And only in 1959, the American company Mattel (Mattel) revolutionized the toy industry for children by buying the rights to Lily's image from the newspaper Bild Zeitung, and creating his first doll named Barbie!

So, in 1959, the progenitor of the modern Barbie doll named Lily was seen in one of the showcases in Switzerland by the vice president of the American toy manufacturer Mattel. Ruth Handler would later write in her autobiography that the copyright purchase was no accident. She wanted to create just such a doll for her daughter Barbara, whom she affectionately called Barbie. Her daughter dreamed of a real doll that could be combed and fashionably dressed. Actually, as you may have guessed, the doll is named after the daughter of its creator.

The most important thing was that it had to be exactly an adult doll, which would be a bright representative of the fashion world. This is how the first Barbie doll was born. It was after the appearance of the doll in Europe that the image of a baby doll or baby doll, familiar from the sixteenth century, was eliminated, playing with which the girl traditionally learned female behaviors.

Barbie has become an alternative and a real revolution in the world of toys of the 20th century. The world needed just such a toy - a woman as a woman, a woman in the form of a doll, a woman as a gender concept, a woman as a gender. At that time, such a toy model was very relevant. Waves of emancipation swept through Europe, the self-consciousness of a woman as an equal sex to a man grew stronger. That is why Barbie quickly gained Boundless love, recognition and popularity.

The doll began to develop as one of the most beloved dolls of all girls in the world. She was dressed up by Dior, Kenzo, Pierre Cardin and other famous fashion designers. By the 200th anniversary of the United States, Barbie was classified, along with Coca-Cola and Mickey Mouse, as a cultural heritage of the century. The doll has become a symbol of a self-sufficient and valuable European woman.

But Barbie's world would not be complete without her beloved and devoted friends, who went on sale a little later. Let's get to know them better...

Barbie friends: who are they?

Very often, any doll released by Mattel is called Barbie. Only this is not entirely true, because Barbie is alone! She can change outfits, but the image of a cheerful smiling blonde girl does not change. If you see a brunette, a brown-haired woman or a teenage doll, then this is not Barbie, but representatives from among her many friends and relatives. Like a real person, Barbie has relatives (these are her younger sisters), a beloved (Ken), closest friends (Midge, Teresa, Christie), as well as a couple of dozen acquaintances and friends (these are characters released by Mattel in different series and images no more than 1-2 times). Let's get acquainted with the characters closest to Barbie, who have been accompanying her through life for more than a decade!

Already in 1961, Barbie has a friend - Ken (Ken). The history of the name is interesting - it was also not chosen by chance. The male doll, following Barbie, was named after the son of Ruth and Allion Handler. Dark-haired Ken loved fashion as much as Barbie, so he also had a large number of different looks and outfits.

A little later, in 1963, Barbie's best friend Midge (Midge) appears, and in 1965 the younger sister of Barbie Skipper (Skipper) was introduced to the world.

Barbie's social circle continues to grow over the years. In 1968, the Christie doll, Barbie's second girlfriend, was released. She is distinguished by her swarthy skin and African-American ancestry, and introduces herself to another ethnic group for the first time.

Later, other dolls followed: Teresa (Teresa) in 1968 and Kira (Kira) in 1990 - the Latin American and Asian girlfriends of the Barbie doll. In 1997, by the way, Barbie has a very unusual friend named Becky, who is in a wheelchair. Thus, Mattel strives to instill in girls understanding and tolerance for different ethnic groups and social strata.

Christie	Kira	Becky

Movie Star Barbie!

In 2001, Barbie's acting career begins. She played her first role in the animated film Barbie and the Nutcracker. In 2003, Barbie plays in the cartoon "Barbie and the Swan Lake", and then in "Barbie and Rapunzel". All these films were a brilliant success, and the girls' hearts began to beat more and more often at the word Barbie. Barbie discovers new truths in films - with the help of self-confidence and determination, you can make this world a little better.

In 2005, a new movie adventure "Barbie and the Mysterious Pegasus" was released, which opened the doors to a truly magical kingdom full of secrets and mysteries. An evil wizard has stolen the royal daughter Annika (played by Barbie) and is threatening to bewitch the entire kingdom if Annika doesn't follow through with his plans. Will a meeting with the mysterious Pegasus, a magical flying horse, help her? And will she be able to win with her wand after a bunch of thrilling adventures and dangerous encounters?

Intriguing adventures continue in 2006, when the film "Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses" was presented to the world. In the new film, our heroine plays the role of Genevieve, the seventh of 12 sisters. Genevieve and her sisters live in a fortress with their father, King Rudolf. The father took the evil Duchess Roswitha as his assistant for raising his daughters. But 12 princesses inherited magic books from their mother and thanks to them they find their way to the World full of magic, magic, music and beauty.

And, of course, Barbie's triumphant march as a movie star continues with Pixar's mega-popular Toy Story trilogy. If in the 1st and 2nd parts of the film Barbie is awarded supporting roles, then in the 3rd part she plays one of the main roles, and even paired with her ex-boyfriend Ken (remember the Love Story we mentioned higher?). This film brings Barbie great love from the audience, and gives collectors a whole thematic collection of dolls dressed in outfits with images of the characters in the film.

This is not the end of Barbie's stellar career. Surely we are waiting for many more exciting films with the participation of our beloved heroine.

Now, dear readers, it seems to you that you know everything about Barbie? In fact, this is just the tip of the iceberg! For such a long history of its existence, the doll has changed its appearance more than once, appeared in the images of the most famous women on the planet, and even “gained weight” ... Do not believe it? Here are just a few little-known facts and myths about such a seemingly simple and understandable doll for all of us ...

What You Probably Didn't Know About Barbie Doll!

• The very first Barbie doll, presented in 1959 at an industry fair in New York, was made in 2 versions: Barbie - blonde and Barbie - brunette. The doll was dressed in a fashionable black and white swimsuit (the outfits were supposed to be purchased separately). The doll also had sandals, sunglasses, large earrings and a bright red manicure. Not a single wholesaler took the doll seriously, but retail buyers liked the doll, and it was sold out in a matter of days.
• In 1967, Barbie received from the designers a slightly open mouth and eyelashes (painted or natural, depending on the model). Since that time, the doll has been distinguished by feminine forms and looks more proportional and more harmonious than its predecessor. Now the prototype of Barbie is no longer a drawn Lily, but a very real person - American actress Jayne Mansfield. This outrageous blonde was distinguished not only by her beautiful forms and luxurious hair, but also by the desire to turn everything around her into a pink-air kingdom. Following Mansfield and Barbie, glamorous pink things and objects began to surround.
• That Barbie, which is known and loved by many girls today, received her famous and popular wide smiling face with big eyes only in 1977. Since then, Barbie has become exclusively blonde. Dolls with other hair colors were discontinued for the following years, and models with different hair colors and under different names from Barbie returned to the windows only in 1991. And in 2000, Barbie got a navel and she “gained” a little and became the owner of a smaller breast, thereby approaching more realistic female proportions.
• A woman with a figure similar to Barbie proportions is born on average 1 in 100,000.
• In 1960, a unique Barbie doll appeared - Valentina Tereshkova, in 1970 Barbie in the image of the singer Cher, and in 1975 - Barbie Olympic champion. The variety of Barbie looks knows no bounds! By the way, on the same dates, Barbie became the owner of the first property: Dream House (1960) and a car (1970).
• Since 2003, Barbie has been gaining 100% popularity in the world, and every girl in the US and Europe has an average of 7 dolls.
• Barbie has never been married (the separation from Ken happened in 2004) and even more so pregnant. Barbie's best friend, Midge, who was married and became a mother twice, performed in an interesting position. Interestingly, the pregnant Midge really had a belly, which was attached with magnets, and in which the puppet baby was placed. However, the public did not accept such a doll and the pregnant Midge was discontinued.
• In terms of statistics, 5 Barbie dolls are sold every minute in the world.
• With the development and growing popularity of the Barbie doll, the term "Barbie syndrome" appeared in psychology. This irresistible desire to look just like the famous doll. The most striking example was the American Cindy Jackson, who had about 30 plastic surgeries and spent about $50,000 to look like her favorite heroine Barbie.
• The first doll cost only $3 and sold about 351,000 dolls on its first launch.
• Mattel is actively involved in charity work and supporting people in the fight against the most terrible diseases of the 21st century, which is why Barbie has a friend, Becky, whom we have already mentioned. Becky even competed in the Paralympics in 2000! And Barbie herself in 2012 appeared in the most unexpected way. Barbie was bald. And this doll had 2 tasks. Firstly, to support girls with cancer and help them take on their temporary appearance. The advertising slogan spoke of their beauty. And secondly, to teach other children to be tactful and more tolerant of people who are struggling or who have managed to defeat this terrible disease.
• A huge number of fashion designers sewed outfits for Barbie. And, let's not be afraid of this word, the great Karl Lagerfeld created his own collection of dolls (Barbie and Ken) for the 50th birthday of Barbie (in 2009), the outfits and images of which amaze with their authenticity, style and fashion!

Instead of concluding...

Most toys do not manage to stay on the market for as long as the Barbie doll did. Barbie has survived a huge number of once popular toys: from baby dolls to the famous Tetris. And no one can explain or unravel the secret of her success. In our opinion, the whole secret lies in the uniqueness of the doll. She is inimitable and stunningly beautiful, who has become the embodiment of a girl's dream of fashion and beauty, of adulthood.

Even though she has many faces, she remains one of a kind, unlike any other toys. This is a doll that will open to your daughter a whole world of fantasy and girlish dreams. This is a doll that embodies the feminine ideal. She can inspire and delight. She deserves not only your attention, but also unlimited respect. Any other doll can be replaced with a similar toy, and the original Barbie from is always inimitable!