In 1968, Mattel created Christie. Christie had the same body as Barbie so that their clothes were interchangeable. But her face was a new design intended to highlight the facial features of a Black woman. Many consider Christie to be the first “Black Barbie.” Christie was part of a series of talking dolls.
A "colored Francie", first issued in 1967, was the first doll in the Mattel line with a truly dark complexion.
There were three black fashion dolls from Mattel, Francie (1967), Christie (1968), and Julia (1969), according to Dolls Magazine. Mattel has since then produced dolls reflecting all body types and skin tones. They even revamped the historic Black Barbie in 2020.
Her skin is a little bit lighter than the darkest that we could have done. It was really a preference, and I preferred that color.” And so, in 1980, Black Barbie was born. The packaging proclaimed: “She's Black!
Malibu Ken, the first African-American Ken doll, came along in 1982. Growing up, my parents didn't buy me Barbie dolls because they didn't look like me.
Skipper Madison Roberts was the original little sister of Barbie, and has been quite popular over the years.
February 14, 2004: Barbie and Ken officially broke up.
The newspaper assigned the split to Ken's failure to commit and Barbie's excitement to commit, wearing multiple wedding gowns. This was also a year that Barbie ran for president, so she was quite busy.
The first African American male doll, Brad, was introduced in 1968, as the boyfriend of Barbie's African American friend, Christie, who was introduced in 1967.
The first Barbie doll was introduced in both blonde and brunette on March 9, 1959.
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Kelly Roberts is the younger sister of Barbie, Skipper and Stacie and the older sister of Krissy. Kelly was introduced in 1995 and retired in 2010.
the original black barbie made her debut in 1980. though beloved friends of barbie - like christie and francie -- were introduced over the preceding decades, this was the first black fashion doll to be hailed as barbie herself.
Especially prized among collectors are the vintage Barbie doll models produced between 1959 and the late 1960s. The Barbies from this period that had red hair and bendable legs are considered to be the rare and most valuable examples.
South African singer Lerato "Lira" Molapo made toy history when she changed the face of Barbie in Africa by getting a doll modeled after her.
Black Barbie (1980) - This was the first Mattel-created doll that was actually branded as a Barbie. Made from the traditionally white “Steffie” mold, she sported an Afro, dangly red earrings, a long red gown, a statement necklace and a pick. This reproduction was released in 2009. (Photo: Mattel)
Technically, Ken has no official age (he is a doll, after all) although he was first introduced as Barbie's boyfriend on March 11, 1961, which means he has been around for 62 years. (Barbie was created in 1959, which would make her 64.)
Did you know #Barbie has 3 sisters? Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea.
This dollhouse wasn't the typical pink, plastic dream house made by Mattel, but a more traditional looking house that was "Barbie-sized." Among the rooms was a nursery for a Barbie baby, which posed a problem: Barbie is technically not married and, technically, she can never have a baby.
One of her siblings eventually went missing.
Tutti and Todd are twins—or they were, until Tutti mysteriously disappeared in 1971.
Ken met Barbie in 1961 on the set of their first television commercial together. The couple fell in love and started dating. Barbie broke up with Ken on Valentine's Day in 2004.
George Roberts is Barbie's dad in Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures (Series). No one knows how he looks since he doesn't appear in doll form. But recently, the Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures came out with George and his wife, Margaret.
Soon thereafter, Toy Fair 2004 introduced another male doll in to Barbie's Cali Girl beach-themed line of toys. This was Blaine, a boogie boarding Australian native, who is now dating Barbie.
Breakup that rocked the world: Ken and Barbie shocked their fans -- and the world -- when the doll world's "golden couple" went splitsville in 2004. The couples' romance began 50 years ago when they met on the set of their first television commercial together in 1961.
While some on social are wondering how Barbie snagged a girlfriend before them, or when exactly she came out, Aimee Song weighed in to make the relationship Twitter-official. “I am the girlfriend,” Aimee tweeted, alongside a photo of herself and her Barbie likeness wearing her “Love Wins” t-shirts.