Barbie has never been limited to a single role. Veterinarian, teacher, gymnast, astronaut or rock star are just some of the roles that this famous doll has embodied. Now, more than 200 versions of Barbie linked to cinema and fashion can be seen in a free exhibition in the Community of Madrid.
The exhibition is located in the Clock Room of the Centro Cultural Villa de Móstoles, south of Madrid, under the title “Barbie, cinema and fashion“. It can be visited until January 18 and goes through different stages of popular culture, turning the toy into a model for designers and transforming it into film characters.
Limited editions and more than 40 movie posters.
All the Barbies are in displays, documented and dated inside methacrylate urns. Many of them recreate great Hollywood stars such as Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe, with their most recognizable dresses.
The exhibition is accompanied by more than 40 movie posters of different genres, continuing the journey through different films that have marked eras, with titles such as Grease, Pirates of the Caribbean or Beauty and the Beast, among many others.
The dolls are limited editions and adapt the world of Barbie to films such as The Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera or Twilight, in a journey through popular culture.
Designs by Dior, Versace and more.
In addition to cinema, the other axis of the exhibition is fashion. Thus, Barbie becomes a model for great fashion designers such as Christian Dior, Oscar de la Renta, Versace, Christian Louboutin or Nolan Miller.
Visitors can see haute couture in miniature, with styles typical of red carpets or major film productions.
Barbie: from toy to collector
Since its creation in 1959 in the United States, Barbie has become a global phenomenon. She was the first doll with a woman’s body, with many clothes and accessories to change her image.
Many generations have enjoyed this toy, which has had thousands of different versions, exploring different professions and models. To this day it continues to be found in children’s catalogs, but it is also a collector’s item for lovers of the brand.
This exhibition is a good example of how a doll has become a cultural icon that allows us to remember the history of cinema and fashion.