Review: Barbie at The Design Museum

By Erin Deborah Waks

I grew up playing with Barbies. Mine, in true classic fashion, was a circa 2012, bleach blonde Malibu-style Barbie with long tresses and a wardrobe filled to the brim with pink dresses, pink shoes, pink handbags and - for good measure - a couple of sparkly purple accessories to counteract all the pink.

I absolutely loved her. She gave me the penchant I still, to this day, have for getting dressed up, beautifying myself and putting together a perfectly matching, artistically styled outfit. 

So when I visited the Barbie exhibition at Kensington’s Design Museum, I was struck by quite how far this seemed to be a (somewhat) universal experience of girlhood. Eavesdropping on middle-aged women crooning over the models from the 90s, inspired by the likes of Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, and listening to little girls in awe at President Barbie and - my favourite - Reporter Barbie, I realised just how joyous the franchise can be. And, of course, just how in line with the times. 

While the Barbie brand has, naturally, been criticised for its unrealistic representation of human bodies and lack of diversity among other things, I do think that few cultural phenomena have so adeptly adapted in motion with the changing social, political and cultural norms in society. From the evolved hairstyles to changing fashions, beauty standards and increasing inclusivity, the franchise made serious attempts to move with history.

From the original 1959 Barbie then travelling through the Wall Of Fame displaying the evolution of the doll over time, along the intricacies of Barbie’s dream house and finally to the representation of Barbie in modern cinema, fashion and journalism, the exhibition is well-curated, engaging and fabulous. I lapped up every moment of it - as did the excited eight-year-old walking metres ahead, dressed in a pink sparkly dress and dragging along an adorably supportive father (who was, much to my displeasure, NOT dressed in pink. Or even dressed as a Ken). If she loved it, and the older ladies loved it, and I loved it, surely there was something to love?

The Barbie exhibit in one word? Pink. And it certainly didn’t need anything else to counteract it.