Barbie

At the Musée des Arts Décoratifs

the first European retrospective on the American doll

This is the first time that Barbie receives a formal invitation to be the protagonist of a Parisian museum, and she receives it with great class. At the Musées des Arts Décoratifs, the great dream of every little girl takes place. Barbie isn’t simply a toy but an active part of every child since the end of the 1950s, and she’s been part of the female role model in the western world for more than fifty years. What is interesting is that two separate exhibitions linked to the world of children and children’s fashion are taking place in two different places across the globe: “Fairy Tales” at FIT in New York and “Barbie” in Paris. 700 Barbies will be displayed across 1500 square meters for the greatest retrospective on the doll that has been an example of elegance for almost sixty years. On display is the first Barbie from 1959 Barbie, along with Hostess Barbie, Working Girl Barbie, and Astronaut Barbie, just to name a few and, last but not least, Presidential Candidate Barbie. All this without, however,  forgetting the real-life designers who dressed her and whose creations will also be on display: Oscar de la Renta and Diane von Furstenberg, as well as Dior and Karl Lagerfeld. Yes, Barbie is definitely a piece of our culture. A piece that had often been looked down upon by intellectuals who were forced to change their minds when they realized that this toy had formed whole generations. Mattel was the first to understand that a doll could have the appearance of an adult, yet, still be the projection of a child’s dreams. Long live the Queen of Dolls.

Musée des Arts Décoratifs, until September 18.