Happy 50th Barbie

Jonathan Adler Decorates Barbie's Malibu Dream House

Barbie debuted on March 9, 1959 and I can still remember buying my very first 'Barbie'.  I was 10 years old and I saved my quarter weekly allowance until I had enough to buy her.  I remember looking at the rows of available 'models' until I finally chose one, that I think was to resemble Diana Ross of the Supremes.  She had a black Afro haircut and was wearing a long strapless black sequin gown with a fringe of black tulle on the bottom.  I still have her packed away somewhere.  I spent hours making houses for her from the sleeves of my paper cut-out dolls.  That is probably where my passion for Interior Design started.

    
Barbie's living room (left) Barbie's shoe closet (right)

Interior Designer, Jonathan Adler has decked out a real-life 3,500-square-foot pad overlooking the Pacific Ocean to look like the blond doll's outrageous home to celebrate her 50th birthday. He was commissioned by Mattel Inc. to decorate the house for today's party.  The installation took six months of planning and a few weeks to install.

I love what Adler said about having Barbie as a client:
"Barbie was a dream client because she doesn't exist as a person, she exists as fantasy and
is the perfect client because she's always happy and fun and loves everything."

He lined Barbie's bedroom with wall-to-wall pink carpeting emblazoned with her initial. Her closet is filled with 50 pairs of pink peep-toe heels while her kitchen is stocked with cupcake-making ingredients. An in-house museum features 25 vintage Barbie dolls on display. In the garage? A pink Volkswagen New Beetle with a motorized pop-up vanity in the trunk. 

So where's Ken?  "Ken's around, but does she need Ken?" said Adler. "No."   

 WOULD I LIKE TO BE AT THAT PARTY TONIGHT!!                                                                                
                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                The Jonathan Adler edition Barbie

Images from Barbie Collector

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Patricia Gray writes about emerging trends, her inspirations, "What's HOT" in the world of Design, as well as sneak peaks of her work.