BARBIE® CELEBRATES FIVE DECADES AS A FASHION ICON AND INSPIRATION TO GIRLS OF ALL AGES IN SOUTH AFRICA

 
Celebrating 50 years in 2009, Barbie’s famous face and head-turning style have made Barbie way more than the most popular doll in the world – today Barbie is a worldwide fashion icon, pop culture princess and a global brand powerhouse. For five decades, Barbie has inspired girls of all ages to dream, discover and celebrate their girlhood – from fashion to fantasy – all in a world without limits.

For the first time in South Africa a Barbie Inspired Designer Showcase will be held at Sanlam SA Fashion Week (SSAFW) in Johannesburg, South Africa. The showcase features top South African Designers with the Barbie as their muse while designing for the modern independent woman.

The Barbie SSAFW Show is on Wednesday 16 September at 9pm at the Sandton Convention Centre. One month ahead of the event, tickets will be available through Computicket for R150, and will also be available from the SSAFW exhibition on the day.

The Barbie After Party will be on Saturday 19 September. Tickets for the Barbie After Party will be on sale at SSAFW.

At any given moment in history, Barbie is a reflection of the times and always culturally relevant. She is on-trend without being trendy, classic without being outdated. She is always distinctly, unapologetically just… Barbie. 1959 – Barbie Millicent Roberts™ from Wisconsin was introduced to a skeptical toy industry at New York Toy Fair for $3. A truly global sensation, Barbie is recognized, adored and celebrated around the world, representing 50 different nationalities throughout the decades. She has helped commemorate historical events with worldwide impact. In the 1950s Americans were reaping the benefits of a strong, post-war economy. Teenagers were setting trends by the music they listened to, the movies they watched and the clothes they wore. Little girls dressed up paper dolls and played in their world of make believe. It was then that the idea for the Barbie doll cam as an inspiration to Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler, as she watched her young daughter, Barbara, playing with paper dolls. In researching the marketplace, she discovered a void and was determined to fill the niche with a three-dimensional fashion doll. Several designs later, Mattel introduced Barbie, the Teen-Age Fashion Model to skeptical toy buyers at the annual Toy Fair in New York in 1959. Mattel used innovative television advertising to reach its audience and instantly had a hit! Thus Barbie was “born” and more than 49 years later, the Barbie brand is still strong.

Barbie is the original billboard for “girl power”. From successful business woman to fashionista, princess to President, Barbie has inspired several generations of girls to dream and embrace their independence whilst appreciating their feminine qualities. At any given moment in history, Barbie is a reflection of the times and always culturally relevant. Creativity and inspiration is in Barbie doll’s DNA. Artists and designers from around the world have been inspired by her – whether using Barbie as a muse for fashion design or using the famed image of Barbie for a painting.