The Barbie doll and franchise has been a staple in many childhoods in various ways from the iconic blonde doll to the animated films even to pop culture references. The pink Barbie logo is unavoidable. Barbie: The Exhibition at the Design Museum in London showcases Barbie throughout the decades and explores how Barbie has become more than just a doll with over 250 items on display from 1959 to the present day. Even includes a wall of Ken dolls and how Barbie has diversified through producing dolls with disabilities, different body types and ethnicity to help children feel included.
My childhood was dominated by dolls, where I had a mash up of my sister’s old Barbie dolls and its rival doll Bratz that entered the market in 2001. I have fond memories of collecting the dresses and outfits to create the most dramatic stories and let my imagination run wild. I think this is one of the reasons these types of toys are popular amongst children because they can create a safe space to let their imagination take over. Growing up, I was a massive fan of the animated Barbie films that Mattel produced in the early 2000 – 2008, in particular Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper and Barbie in a Christmas Carol to name a few, but the list goes on. I adored these films and still own a copy of many on DVD. I was disappointed that this wasn’t included in the exhibition because it brought new dolls to the market and fan base. There was a section that explored Barbie on social media and how the franchise is used to promote good causes and climate issues to the accounts many followers. This emphasises how Mattel have ensured that Barbie moves with the time and progresses to keep on trend with the current generation. This is also an example of Mattel’s choice to move away from classic fairytales and fantasy worlds of the animated films to modern and contemporary locations, characters and plots that appeal to a modern generation. I wish there was more on the films for a nostalgic purpose. I loved the inclusion of the play sets of houses, cars and jobs that shows how diversified Barbie became. I even spied a play set that I had growing up, which was exciting. The exhibition shows how Barbie is used to empower girls and young people through Barbie for president dolls, or an I voted Barbie that helps the franchise move into ideas of political topics and other current events.
The exhibition was small considering the price around £18 a ticket and had dolls from each decade, anniversary editions and play sets but lacked atmosphere or anything that would connect to visitors in a nostalgic way. There was no real story being told aside from how Barbie changed to fit with modern trends. I did enjoy seeing how Ken and Barbie changed in appearance and potential rivals of the brand, but this didn’t include any information on Bratz or the early rival Sindy and how this impacted the company. I didn’t feel the exhibition added anything new. It set out to showcase Barbie’s evolution and it did just that. I wanted more potentially ordinary dolls that many visitors may have had growing up or even well loved or as the 2023 Barbie film calls it Weird Barbie. The exhibition lacked elements of interaction, the displays were very static behind boxes.
Overall, an interesting exhibition that showcases the first Barbie doll to present day and how the franchise has become more than a toy but a tool for engaging young people in current socio – political topics and events. It is a light-hearted exhibition that many will find fascinating and enjoy stepping through Barbie history.
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and is currently writing and editing her Pirates of the Caribbean X Bridgerton debut Adult fantasy novel. For more content click here to read book reviews, short stories and updates on Amy’s writing journey.
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