barbie story
In 1945, Elliot Handler and Ruth Handler began toy production in a small Los Angeles garage. They soon welcomed Harold “Matt” Matson as a partner. The trio formed Mattel, a name created by combining parts of their names and interests, and set out to make a line of toys that could capture children’s imaginations.
Barbie was the brainchild of Ruth Handler. While vacationing in the Alps in 1955, she spotted a Bild Lilly character in a toy shop window, inspired by comic-strip characters drawn for the Bild Zeitung. The glossy, fashion-forward, tall, and distinctly feminine fashion doll was originally intended as a collectors’ piece for adults. Ruth began testing ideas by cutting paper dolls with outfits, while watching her daughter Barbara and her friends play. This led to the realization that children wanted more than just toy figures; they wanted a doll with presence and possibilities. Barbie was named in honor of Ruth and Barbara’s own daughter, Barbara, as a tribute to that creative moment.
The original Barbie appeared with blonde hair and a black-and-white swimsuit, and she was marketed in 1959 as a two-piece figure with eyes that looked to the side. The initial run included a brunette version as well, with outfits sold separately. Early buyers, including some parents, were skeptical about the new doll, and Mattel’s founders themselves doubted its immediate success.
“I told my wife right away, ‘Ruth, no mother would buy her daughter a doll with these proportions,’” Elliott Handler later recalled. Yet the model-like doll rapidly captured markets across the globe, becoming a staple in many households.
Barbie’s appeal went beyond a simple toy. As Ruth Handler noted in her memoirs, Barbie offered a vision where women could have choices. From her early days, Barbie could grow into careers beyond traditional roles, sporting outfits suitable for nursing, flying as a flight attendant, or performing as a nightclub singer, rather than being limited to being Ken’s girlfriend or a shopper. This sense of possibility became a core part of Barbie’s identity.
Shortly after the first dolls arrived, Mattel expanded with dollhouses, accessories, clothing, and other related items. Barbie later gained a friend named Ken, named after the Handler couple’s son Kenneth. The world of Barbie soon welcomed extended family members, friends, children, and pets, broadening the doll’s social universe.
Today, Barbie comes in a wide array of tones and looks, with 35 skin tones, 97 hairstyles, and nine body types. The line includes dolls with various disabilities and features, such as large babies in wheelchairs, Down syndrome, and vitiligo. In a Reuters interview, Mattel’s vice president and chief brand officer Lisa McKnight reflected on changing perceptions of Barbie, noting that the brand has evolved from a singular beauty ideal to a diverse family of characters with multiple viewpoints.
Barbie’s journey also spans countless professions and social roles. She has worn many uniforms—from housewife to astronaut—and has even been depicted as real celebrities or public figures. Over the years, dolls honoring Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Reese Witherspoon, Gigi Hadid, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Kristen Stewart have appeared. In 2021, Anna Kikina, the sole woman in Roscosmos’s cosmonaut corps, became a modern muse for Barbie’s image.
Barbie in Russia
During the 1980s, Soviet children learned about Barbie as speculation and import activity began to spread ideas about the doll. By the early 1990s, Barbie reached Russian shelves and gained immense popularity, aMomentum that continued even after Mattel officially departed Russia in 2022. Antonina Tsitsulina, head of the Association of Enterprises of the Children’s Products Industry, discussed these dynamics with socialbites.ca.
Official deliveries ceased in May 2022, and by year-end the previously imported stock had been exhausted. Parallel imports then focused on newer and popular products. Tsitsulina noted that direct import began with large retail chains and some marketplaces. Mattel also paused licensing for the production of items under its own brand in Russia in 2022, ending the company’s direct office in the country and terminating contracts. The company retains the right to pursue legal action regarding counterfeit sales in Russia.
According to Tsitsulina, besides authentic Barbie products, a wide variety of “Barbie-like” dolls existed on the market, including Russian-developed versions and dolls produced by other international companies. Barbie remains the leading figure in this toy category, though the market includes numerous alternatives.
There are no Mattel factories in Russia capable of reproducing entire lines of toys, from houses to pets to clothes, especially the smaller dolls and accessories. Earlier, the Vesna doll factory in the Kirov region was known to produce standalone dolls. In the summer of 2023, global excitement around the Barbie movie reached Russia as well, despite the film not having an official release there. Tsitsulina observed a notable rise in Barbie and related product sales in Russia, climbing about 1.5 times from July 21 to July 28, 2023.