Barbie 60th anniversary display from Pitti Bimbo 88 where a special exhibition to celebrate her birthday and launch the girls clothing line created for Fall/Winter 2019 by Italian brand Patrizia Pepe was launched.
It was 9 March 1959 when Mattel first launched Barbie at the New York Toy Fair.
Since she first came into being, Barbie has played multiple roles, while undertaking more than 200 different careers.
Ever-evolving and always up-to-date, thanks to the power of her outfits, she has shown it’s possible to not only be a princess, but also a career woman, and pass from sportswear to 12 cm-high heels without losing any allure.
Despite her anatomically impossible shape, girls still see their dreams in her and by using their imaginations, their self-awareness increases alongside the goals they would like to achieve.
Personally I had a Tressy and Sindy instead of Barbie but I do often think my career as a Fashion Editor has frequently just been a version of dressing my toy dolls which I started on in my childhood!
The exhibition at Pitti Bimbo 88 showcased some remarkable Barbie collectable dolls stretching from early 1060’s incarnations to modern collectables. From Lagerfeld to Louboutin, Barbie has worked with more fashion designers than any other brand in the world, creating unique collaborations many of which were in the Pitti Bimbo exhibition.
Reproduction of the very first Barbie doll ever issued in March 1959
Barbie 60th anniversary display showing designer collaborations of the 2000’s at Pitti Bimbo 88
MSGM and Marco De Vincenzo from a collaboration arranged in 2015 by Franca Sozzani for Italian Vogue
From the 1960’s to 2000 the history of Barbie who celebrates the 60th anniversary of her launch on March 9th 1959 at a New York toy fair
Increasingly complaints have been made in recent years about Barbie’s anatomically impossible figure so in 2016 a fashionista curvy line was launched
A small selection of the 200 career girl Barbie’s that have been launched
Modern Barbies also now have a wide range of diversity
The new Barbie girls fashion collection from Patricia Pepe
All photos by Smudgetikka – all rights reserved. Posts copyright Smudgetikka – no reproduction without permission 2009-2019