In July 2023, Mattel Films released its first highly anticipated movie, Barbie, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as the stars. It has put the iconic doll back in the spotlight in a big way. But the doll has been around for more than 60 years, so there’s a lot of history — and it’s not all about her wardrobe.
If not for a chance encounter in Europe, the Mattel Corporation might still be selling picture frames and plastic furniture. Co-founder Ruth Handler was traveling through Switzerland with her family when her daughter took to a grown-up fashion doll named Lilli—a far cry from the baby dolls still popular in the States.
Handler had a light bulb moment, and on September 6, 1959, helped Mattel debut the doll that would become her legacy – Barbie.
Based on the salacious cartoon character from a German tabloid paper, Bild Lilli was a fashion doll manufactured for nine years. The eponymous Lilli wasn’t a cartoon character designed for children but for post-war adults. Sassy, sexy and a bit of an exhibitionist, Lilli was regularly in some form of undress, while her captions were always suggestive and her dolls were just as provocative.
Labelled as “always discreet”, Bild Lilli started life as a bit of a gag gift for adult fans of her comics. Marketing campaigns encouraged boyfriends to buy them as gifts for their girlfriends. Still, despite her origin, the doll quickly became popular with children and caught the eye of American designers who borrowed heavily for the first iteration of Barbie.
We all love Barbie for her signature pink obsession and her ability to navigate trends (good and bad) — and while you might be aware that she’s had a lot of careers, from astronaut to doctor, you might be shocked to learn exactly how many jobs this one doll has held. (She had to pay for that Dreamhouse somehow!)
You probably don’t know her real name, when or where she was born, or how she and Ken got their names.
1. Her name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. (Named after the Mattel founders’ daughter, Barbara Handler. Their son, of course, is named Ken.)
2. Birthday: Barbie was officially born in the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin on March 9, 1959, the day Mattel president and Barbie inventor Ruth Handler debuted the doll at the American International Toy Fair in New York.
3. Family: She has seven siblings, Skipper, Stacie, Chelsea, Krissy, Kelly, Tutti, and Todd. She also has an English cousin named Francie Fairchild, who was sold from 1966 to 1976. Francie hit shelves again in 2011.
4. Barbie’s shape was revolutionary: Barbie’s figure has been criticised, but a voluptuous doll was in stark contrast to the baby and toddler dolls that were previously popular. Handler told the New York Times, “If a young girl was going to do role playing of what she would be like when she was 16 or 17, it was a little stupid to play with a doll that had a flat chest. So I gave it beautiful breasts”. If Barbie were a grown woman, her bust-waist-hip measurements would be an improbable 36-18-33.
5. Best Friend: Christie, one of the first black dolls in Barbie world, made her debut in 1968. She’s been part of the Barbie squad ever since.
6. First doll in a wheelchair. In 1997, the company debuted “Share a Smile Becky,” the first fashion doll to come with a wheelchair.
7. First doll with Down syndrome: In 2023 the first Barbie doll representing a person with Down Syndrome was released by Mattel “to allow even more children to see themselves in Barbie.
8. Famous friends: In 1967 supermodel Twiggy became the first celebrity to be immortalised as a Barbie doll. Other celebrity Barbies have included Cher, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis and Priscilla Presley, and Nicki Minaj.
9. Pets: Barbie has owned more than 40 pets, including 21 dogs, 14 horses, three ponies, six cats, a parrot, a chimpanzee, a panda, a lion cub, a giraffe, and a zebra.
10. Career: Her first career was as a teen model. Since then she has had more than 200 careers, including Palaeontologist, Desert Storm Medic, Canadian Mountie, McDonald’s cashier, Zoo Doctor, Firefighter, Business Executive, Secretary, Airline Pilot, Olympic Athlete and Rapper. There’s nothing she can’t do – even going into space. Astronaut Barbie debuted in 1965 (four years before the moon landing), then returned in 1986 and 1994.
11. Barbie for President: Barbie ran her first campaign in 1992, but, unfortunately, has never won the nomination. Launched to encourage girls to take an interest in politics, a presidential Barbie has been released for each new campaign cycle since 1992. She has never been successful. Perhaps this year she’ll succeed.
12. Her first outfit. The first Barbie sold in 1959 had one outfit: a black-and-white-striped, one-piece swimsuit. Her hair came in blonde or brunette – and her first hairstyle was a perfect little ponytail.
13. She has a huge wardrobe. It is estimated that one billion outfits have been made for Barbie and her friends since her 1959 debut. Barbie is an undeniable fashion icon. Supposedly, more than 100 million yards of fabric have been devoted to Barbie clothes, making Mattel one of the biggest garment manufacturers in the world.
14. Friends in the fashion industry. Barbie has been outfitted by over 70 well-known designers, including Oscar de la Renta (the first in 1985). Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Versace, Vera Wang, Dolce & Gabbana, and Givenchy have all contributed designs to Barbie’s wardrobe.
15. Her shoe collection: More than one billion pairs have been designed for her. As of 2015, Barbie can finally wear flat shoes. Mattel’s Barbie Fashionistas line features adjustable ankles, so she can rock comfy shoes and her trademark sky-high stilettos.
16. Jewellery collection: The most expensive Barbie ever sold was auctioned off for $302,500 in 2010. It was a collaboration with Australian jewellery designer, Stefano Canturi, to raise money for cancer research. The doll wore a Cubism necklace with a rare Argyle pink diamond in the middle of a white baguette and carre cut diamonds.
17. Her Dreamhouse: Barbie’s first Dreamhouse was released in 1962 and it was made entirely out of cardboard (but it did have little pink plastic hangers). It got its first makeover in 1974 and had a working elevator. Since then, she’s had a townhouse, a magical mansion, a deluxe dreamhouse and added features — including a hot tub, stained glass, doorbells and lights. Forbes estimates that Barbie’s Dreamhouse would be worth around $16 million if it were real. The three-story house has seven rooms, an elevator, a garage and a pool.
18. Social media: If you want to keep up with Barbie’s ever-changing wardrobe you can follow @barbiestyle for so many looks.
19. Her own runway show. In 2009, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Barbie, she had a show at New York Fashion Week, which featured looks from top designers, like Michael Kors, Betsey Johnson and Bob Mackie.
20. Cost. The original Barbie sold for $3… which equates to about $23.97 in today’s money. A 1959 Barbie (in mint condition) sold at a 2006 auction for $27,450. Other limited-edition dolls have sold for even higher,
