The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959. Upon her return to the United States, Handler redesigned the doll (with help from local inventor-designer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The first Barbie doll was introduced in both blonde and brunette on March 9, 1959. The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, and although it was initially sold to adults, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a satirical comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Bild. She gave one to her daughter and took the others back to Mattel. The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she purchased three of them. German doll Bild Lilli on which Barbie was modeledĭuring a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. History Barbie creator Ruth Handler with an assortment of Barbie and Mattel products (1961) As well as reinvigorated sales, the release of the film has triggered a fashion trend known as "Barbiecore". According to MarketWatch, the release of the 2023 film Barbie is expected to create "significant growth" for the brand until at least 2030. This is an increase from the $950 million the brand sold during 2017. In 2020, Mattel sold $1.35 billion worth of Barbie dolls and accessories, and this was their best sales growth in two decades. Sales of Barbie dolls declined sharply from 2014 to 2016. Writing for Journal of Popular Culture in 1977, Don Richard Cox noted that Barbie has a significant impact on social values by conveying characteristics of female independence, and with her multitude of accessories, an idealized upscale lifestyle that can be shared with affluent friends. Since its launch, Barbie has transformed the toy business in affluent communities globally by becoming a vehicle for the sale of related merchandise (accessories, clothes, friends and relatives of Barbie, etc.). The brand has expanded into a multimedia franchise since the late 1980s, including video games, computer-animated films, and a live-action film.īarbie and her male counterpart, Ken, have been described as the two most popular dolls in the world. Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls, making it the company's largest and most profitable line.
Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over six decades. The toy is the figurehead of the Barbie brand that includes a range of fashion dolls and accessories. For other uses, see Barbie (disambiguation).īarbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy company Mattel and launched in 1959. This article is about the fashion doll and brand.
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