The Barbie dolls and Dreamhouses featured in Barbie: The Exhibition at London's Design Museum reflect shifts in visual culture over the famed toy's 65 years.
With over 250 objects on display, Barbie: The Exhibition opens today and examines the history of the doll since it was created by Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler in 1959.
Barbie: The Exhibition opens today at London's Design Museum
According to curator Thom, the exhibition was conceived to unpack the toy's design influence over the last 65 years and explore the "myriad technical, aesthetic and cultural decisions that go into creating Barbie".
"What I would really like visitors to take away from the show, whether they've come as Barbie fans or Barbie skeptics but with an interest in design, is that there is actually a very complex and intentional set of design processes that go into creating the dolls and the accessories," said the curator. A first-edition Barbie is included in the collection
"And that intentionality does reflect the social context in which any given Barbie is being produced," she told Dezeen at the Design Museum.
"I want people to realise that Barbie is a worthy proposition from a design point of view," she added.
The show features dolls throughout Barbie's 65-year history
Created by architecture firm Sam Jacob Studio, the exhibition design includes iridescent colourful plinths and cylindrical toy packaging-style cases displaying past and present-day Barbies and t...