Viewing Sixty-five years of Barbie’s life in plastic at the Design Museum

Last summer was all about the Barbie movie, and now the world’s famous doll is the protagonist of an exhibition: opening to the public tomorrow (just ahead of the school summer holidays) at the Design Museum, Barbie®: The Exhibition explores Barbie through the lens of design, from a rare edition of the very first doll released by Mattel in 1959 to today through 250 objects.

Marking the 65th anniversary of the Barbie brand, this show charts the evolution of Barbie and the diversification of dolls over the decades to better reflect the women in the world: the first Black, Hispanic and Asian Barbies are presented here, as well as differently-abled Barbies and different body shapes the brand has introduced. These dolls show how the brand has tried to shift beauty standards through design in meaningful ways.

Alongside Barbie, there’s a veritable universe on show here too — various other key characters including Midge (Barbie’s first friend), Christie, Teresa, and Barbie’s younger sister Skipper, and of course, there’s a whole lot of Ken — an entire section displays six decades of Barbie’s boyfriend, who was first introduced in 1961. Fans will also love the homes, furniture and vehicles that have all helped create the Barbie universe, and spark imaginative play all over the world. But what was the best-selling Barbie of all time? The 1992 Totally Hair Barbie — with more than 10 million dolls sold.