A Fashionista in Hyde Park: The Perfect Barbie Dress

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Perfect Barbie Dress

The Barbie doll celebrates its 50th anniversary in this year. Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler (1916-2002) is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration. During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The Lilli doll was based on a popular character appearing in a comic strip drawn by Reinhard Beuthin for the newspaper Die Bild-Zeitung. Upon her return to the United States, Handler reworked the design of the doll (with help from engineer Jack Ryan) and the doll was given a new name, Barbie, after Handler's daughter Barbara. The doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. This date is also used as Barbie's official birthday. Mattel acquired the rights to the Bild Lilli doll in 1964 and production of Lilli was stopped. The first Barbie doll wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and signature topknot ponytail, and was available as either a blonde or brunette. Photo by Patrick Othoniel/JDD/ABACAPRESS.COM Photo via Newscom Photo via Newscom

Dear hearts, we would describe the particular shade of pink in the Zang Toi dress below, which made its debut today at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, as "Barbie pink." Indeed, this gown speaks to our inner 8-yr-old so strongly that we can see ourselves wearing it while talking to Ken in our Barbie Dream House or cruising down the highway in our pink convertible with Skipper by our side after shopping at Claire's Boutique. In other words, we loooooooove it.

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: A model walks the runway at the Zang Toi Spring 2011 fashion show during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2011 Official Coverage at Lincoln Center on September 15, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz)

"Barbie" at House of Toi Spring 2011 Fashion Show

We can also so see someone like January Jones wearing this gown. But since we know JJ refuses to wear any clothing that looks even remotely retro (even though she looks ten times prettier in her wardrobe on Mad Men than in anything she wears in the real world), we've decided that we get to keep this one for ourselves. Oh. We've also decided we get to keep the Ken dolls they were passing out at the show as well.