London’s Design Museum Offers a Fresh Look at Barbie’s Evolution

“Barbie: The Exhibition” at the Design Museum in London was three years in the making—a surprising fact given that the beloved 11.5-inch doll has been the subject of so many museum shows over the years. What sets this exhibition apart is that the institution collaborated with Mattel, which debuted Barbie in 1959, on its curation. Mattel senior vice president of design Kim Culmone told Observer that London was chosen as the site of the Barbie show specifically because of the unique opportunity to work with the Design Museum.

Telling the 65-year story of the brand via its artifacts wasn’t easy, but curator Danielle Thom has created an exhibition that exemplifies the innovative nature of the dol and its evolution. In advance of the show, the museum added an original 1959 “Number 1” Barbie to its permanent collection—a testament to their commitment to the collaboration. Now, as part of “Barbie: The Exhibition,” the doll that started it all stands en relevé in her own room—alone but not lonely, for her aura and mythos fill the space.

Barbie, the doll, is a remarkable piece of design-led history, and it’s rare to see this artifact (of which there are dwindling numbers of mint-condition examples) displayed in all its glory. Rather than inside a box where the best of them remain, this one rotates on a platform complemented by a dramatic pink curtain and neon logo.

Moving further into the exhibition, which focuses heavily on Mattel’s playline dolls, eye-catching dramatic contrasts and bright, attractive displays draw a fluid line between displays. Thom told Observer that the show’s focus on Mattel’s playline, versus collectible, dolls and accessories was driven by the objective to shine the spotlight on Barbie as a toy. But to me, the line felt blurred with the presence of Barbie Basics, the Black Label collector line, and the Signature 65th Anniversary dolls, which have been marketed towards collectors. And the exhibition is filled with a delightful array of rarities, including a one-of-a-kind doll of astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (that took its own trip to the International Space Station) on display for the first time.

As something of a Barbie exhibition connoisseur, I can confirm that this show is much less fashion-focused than the 2016 “Barbie” at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, which showcased hundreds of dolls and outfits. This felt initially surprising, particularly since the Design Museum recently had a show of London’s fashion culture sponsored by Alexander McQueen. Given the mass production of Barbie’s miniature clothes and accessories at the magnitude required to keep hundreds of millions of dolls looking their best, the omission felt like a missed opportunity. Instead, the exhibition highlights notable changes in beauty norms over time as shown by the dolls’ transformations, era by era. Changes in face sculpt, for example, reflect changing aesthetic standards but have also resulted in a product with more expressive, human-like facial features.

Especially fascinating to see is the design process, laid out in a section reminiscent of the “Barbie: A Cultural Icon” show at the Phoenix Art Museum and now in Las Vegas but on a larger, more detailed scale. A hair chandelier—you read that right—is the centerpiece of this space, with the sketch-to-shelf time-lapse illustrated with a combination of unpainted face molds and fabric swatches.

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According to Culmone, there’s a near-universal assumption that Barbie is a “static object,” when in fact, she has been reinvented again and again over her lifetime. The exhibition does display several trailblazing design elements unique to Barbie: the internal engineering of the first talking Barbie, the body sketches for the original doll and the new recycled plastic being integrated to combat Barbie’s not insubstantial environmental impact. Many changes to Barbie’s articulation are also highlighted—the once-standard articulation points have been expanded to allow for freer consumer-led play. What you won’t see is anything that speaks directly to the marvelous design of Barbie’s dainty pointed feet, arched at a perfect angle for stilettos. The singular nod to her tiny tootsies is the iconic Margot Robbie-worn Gina pumps that became synonymous with the feminist blockbuster’s trailer.

For Barbie fans, seeing the progression from Mattel’s vintage designs to everything available to today’s Barbiephiles is a treat. The exhibition’s main room looks closely at the many non-fashion accessories in Barbie’s world. There are dream houses, automobiles and furniture, laid out so as to highlight the differences between each era—the difference between the 1960’s boxy, cardboard furniture and the sleek 2024 Kartell Barbie furniture collaboration is striking. I wouldn’t have minded seeing more about the way the doll’s packaging has evolved from the original closed, contained boxes to the current transparent designs that let the buyer see exactly what they’re getting.

The exhibition’s last room was curated to emphasize how Barbie has been “received and perceived” in the wider world. Since the Greta Gerwig-helmed film last year, Barbie has entered the cultural consciousness as not so much a toy as a persona. But Mattel created a distinct throughline that has allowed Barbie to stand on her own in a world with its own look, rules and opportunities. Barbie, living in California, owns “dreamhouses” inspired by the architectural norms of California homes of the era. The brand’s typefaces are iconic, though it’s interesting to see that “Barbie Pink” (a hue most of us would recognize) was not introduced until 1977 as a strategy to make the associated products stand out on shelves. Thom mentioned being surprised to learn that the color wasn’t part of the Barbie aesthetic from the beginning.

Culmone describes Barbie as exuding an image that remains “both timely and timeless.” Across this exhibition, there is a sense of nostalgic overwhelm, but everyone, young or old, will likely recognize at least one doll or fashion—perhaps a Barbie they owned or one their friend, neighbor or sister once played with. Though “Barbie: The Exhibition” falls short of the scaled visual spectacle in Paris, this exhibition presents a compelling picture of Barbie’s progression as a brand. And it’s so aesthetically pleasing that you’ll wish you could live in Barbie’s world.

“Barbie: The Exhibition” runs at The Design Museum in London, through February of 2025.