Barbie turns 60 on Friday. The Mattel fashion icon isn't nearing retirement, however: She's being strategically reinvented to reflect today's increasingly diverse world.
Thin, blond, white Barbie is on her way out. Physically and racially diverse Barbie dolls are in. And, accompanied by messaging that promotes progressive values, the diverse dolls are poised to become central to the brand's image.
"When you say 'Barbie' to someone, a very clear image of a blond-haired, blue-eyed, slim doll comes to mind," said Barbie's vice president of design, Kim Culmone, in a 2016 interview with The Telegraph. "In a few years, this will no longer be the case.