In 2024, London’s Design Museum will host a retrospective looking back at Barbie’s history to celebrate the doll’s 65th anniversary. The Barbie exhibition will be curated by Design Museum curator Danielle Thom and cover the history of Barbie design through fashion, architecture, furniture and vehicles, among other elements.
Barbie exhibition at Design Museum: the design story of a cultural icon
1985 'Day to Night' Barbie
The much-anticipated Barbie exhibition has been three years in the making: the Design Museum team has been given access to the Barbie archives in California to chart the history of the cultural icon. Within the exhibition will be rare and unique items from the archives as well as museum acquisitions and private loans that together will map the story of the iconic brand.
The story of Barbie started in 1959, when Ruth Handler decided to create a doll that would serve as a toy but also a model for her daughter Barbara, giving her a narrative that differed from what was available to children at the time.
RELATED STORY
See our look behind the scenes of the Barbie movie set
Over the years, Barbie has become the centre of a unique cultural movement that has given kids everywhere the chance to challenge stereotypes and imagine a wider web of professional and personal possibilities while experimenting with design through iconic Barbie Dreamhouses, diverse fashion and more.
The story of Barbie started in 1959, when Ruth Handler decided to create a doll that would serve as a toy but also a model for her daughter Barbara, giving her a narrative that differed from what was available to children at the time.
Over the years, Barbie has become the centre of a unique cultural movement that has given kids everywhere the chance to challenge stereotypes and imagine a wider web of professional and personal possibilities while experimenting with design through iconic Barbie Dreamhouses, diverse fashion and more.
'Barbie is one of the most recognisable brands on the planet and as we’ve seen recently, her story evolves with each new generation,' said Tim Marlow, director and CEO of the Design Museum. 'I am delighted that we can announce that we’re planning to mark Barbie’s 65th birthday with a major exhibition, and I want to thank Mattel for collaborating with us through their extensive archive to help us tell this story. We look forward next year to displaying a whole range of eye-catching objects, some familiar but many never seen before, to showcase the evolution of design across the decades of Barbie’s world.'
'Barbie' is going to be on view 5 July 2024 – 23 February 2025, tickets will go on sale from Spring 2024
Design Museum
224-238 Kensington High St
London W8 6AG
-
Colourful card game wins Design Museum’s Design Ventura competitionAnnual design competition Design Ventura was won by students from The Piggott School, who created a fun Eye Spy-inspired card game
-
Tour a Chilean pavilion perched on the coast: a sanctuary for sleep and star-gazingAlgarrobo-based architecture studio Whale! has designed a Chilean pavilion for rest and relaxation, overlooking a nature reserve on the Pacific coast
-
Step into Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron's dreamy photographs in London'Portraits to Dream In' is currently on show at London's National Portrait Gallery
-
Colourful card game wins Design Museum’s Design Ventura competition
Annual design competition Design Ventura was won by students from The Piggott School, who created a fun Eye Spy-inspired card game
-
Attua Aparicio wins Ralph Saltzman Prize 2024The Design Museum, London, announces Attua Aparicio as winner of The Ralph Saltzman Prize for emerging designers, and will showcase her work from 1 February until 15 April 2024
-
Meet the Design Museum's new Design Researchers in ResidenceThe multidisciplinary cohort for this year's Design Researchers in Residence includes April Barrett, Eliza Collin, Jamie Irving and Freya Spencer-Wood, who will explore the theme of ‘Solar’
-
You can now skate at the Design Museum's newly-installed pop-up ramp by Jonathan OlivaresThe Design Museum's 'Skateboard' exhibition (20 October 2023 - 2 June 2024) charts the history of board design and features a ramp by Jonathan Olivares
-
3D puzzle by students wins Design Museum’s Design Ventura 2023Annual design competition Design Ventura 2023 was won by the Piggott School's students, who created the 'Stack It!' 3D architectural puzzle
-
Marco Campardo wins Design Museum’s emerging designer prizeThe Design Museum, London, announces Marco Campardo as winner of The Ralph Saltzman Prize, an annual accolade to celebrate and support emerging designers and an exhibition until 3 April 2023
-
The Design Museum celebrates Yinka Ilori’s worldFrom community-focused commissions to design for play, 'Yinka Ilori: Parables of Happiness' (open until 25 June 2023) celebrates the British-Nigerian designer's creativity, his influences and his inspirations
-
Mac Collins honoured with Design Museum’s inaugural emerging designer prizeThe Design Museum announces British designer Mac Collins as the recipient of the Ralph Saltzman Prize, a new annual accolade to celebrate and support emerging designers
