Barbie will meet High Street Ken next year when the doll is the subject of a new exhibition at the Design Museum.
Dozens of dolls will go on show at the Kensington-based museum in the exhibition that coincides with the toy’s 65th anniversary.
It comes after the box office success of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, which stars Margot Robbie in the lead role and Ryan Gosling as Ken.
The museum has teamed up with toy firm Mattel, getting special access to the Barbie archives in California and the chance to display rare dolls to tell the story of the hugely successful brand.
Barbie was invented in 1959 by businesswoman Ruth Handler who saw her daughter Barbara — the inspiration for the name — playing with paper dolls and wanted to create a doll for her. Since then more than a billion dolls have been sold, with collectors around the world hunting down rare accessories and outfits which can change hands for huge sums.
The film has boosted interest in the brand, taking $1.4 billion in ticket sales and becoming a critical success.
Design Museum director Tim Marlow said: “Barbie is one of the most recognisable brands on the planet and, as we’ve seen recently, her story evolves with each new generation. I am delighted we can announce we’re planning to mark Barbie’s 65th birthday with a major exhibition.
“I want to thank Mattel for collaborating with us through their extensive archive to help us tell this story. We look forward 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.”
