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Photo Essay: A Look Inside The World Of Barbie In Santa Monica
Irene Iacayo, 35, poses with her five-year-old daughter, Crista, at an exhibit at a pop-up expo for Barbie in Santa Monica. She said she shares her love of Barbies with her daughter, so she jumped at the chance to dress up and play Barbie while visiting L.A. from Costa Rica.
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It’s the summer of Barbie.
A pop-up expo in Santa Monica gives Barbie lovers a chance to step into the shoes of the iconic doll. The World of Barbie exhibit, covered in pink and fuchsia tones from floor to ceiling and blasting classic Top 40 pop hits, takes visitors through interactive displays showcasing the many careers of Barbie – from rock star to astronaut.
The origin story of the iconic doll from the people who created her, including wild stories from never-before-heard interviews.
Many visitors represent generations of girls who have played with the fashion doll. Maddie Mau said she grew up with Barbie and came down from the Bay Area to bring her 6-year-old daughter, Penny, to select her own Barbie and customize her accessories.
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“I think it’s a natural appeal for kids,” Mau said. “It’s just the joy of the doll and getting to dress them up and the dream, right? She’s got all these different professions and can be anybody.”
Penny Brett, 6 years old, chose a fanny pack and cow print clothes at the expo’s Barbie customization station. She said she loves Barbie because she loves dressing up.
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And of course, there’s the buzz of excitement surrounding Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie, set to hit theaters on July 21.
“It’s going to be so camp,” Chae Jones said about the movie. Jones came to World of Barbie to celebrate her birthday weekend.
Tyli Gilmore, 10, also spent her birthday with Barbie and said she loves the colors and playfulness of the doll. At the expo, “you can act like you’re Barbie,” she added.
We took a spin through the exhibit ourselves to bring you this visual tour. Enjoy!
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A Barbie silhouette door knob.
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The expo is coated in vibrant pinks and Barbie iconography. The exhibit by Mattel, which opened April 14, is part immersive experience into the toy’s Dream House and accessories — like her DreamCamper and Interstellar Rocket — and part a museum commemorating the doll’s history.
Barbie’s living room.
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Entering the expo, visitors step inside Barbie’s living room, decked out in beachy furniture and fun (but artificial) pastries. Next to her living room is the Barbie Dream Closet and a slide leading into a light pink ball pit.
Dressed for occasion.
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Many at World of Barbie came dressed for the occasion. Alia Pyatt, 29, dons a light pink ball gown and a sash that reads, “President.” Pyatt said nostalgia — along with hype for the movie, which features a President Barbie played by Issa Rae — brought her to the expo.
Barbie history.
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Interspersed between the immersive rooms are fragments of Barbie history, including a room dedicated to some of the most famous iterations of the doll going back to the very first Barbie from 1959.
A space ship display.
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Irene Iacayo said she had an entire collection of Barbie dolls from her childhood that she regrets selling. Now, her daughter is making her own collection and has her own Barbie Dreamhouse.
Barbie's shoes.
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A pink wall showcases every style of shoe designed for Barbie over the last 60 years. Barbie’s feet famously do not fall flat on the floor, although Barbie designers have introduced a few Barbies over the years with adjustable ankles.
Over the years.
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The display room of famous Barbies features the most recent developments to diversify Barbie’s look. The new line includes dolls in varying body shapes (launched by Mattel in 2016), in wheelchairs, with the skin-pigmentation-altering condition vitiligo, and more.
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The Barbie Laboratory.
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As visitors move through the two floors of the expo, the different rooms allow people of all ages to experiment with Barbie’s various professions. The Barbie laboratory displays versions of Scientist Barbie and is decorated with a massive pink periodic table.
Barbie as a scientist.
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In the 1950s, Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler originally created Barbie to be one of the first aspirational dolls, a woman who could be everything except a housewife. Today, according to Mattel, Barbie has had over 200 different careers.
Birthday with Barbie.
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Tylie Gilmore, 10, pictured second from the left with her cousins and best friends during her birthday party at World of Barbie. Gilmore said she loves that Barbie feels like a grown-up and a kid at the same time. She and her friends also described Ken as cute, but unfortunately taken.
A customized Barbie.
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Nova Gonzalez, 6, plays with her own customized Barbie outside the World of Barbie expo. Some at the expo, including Akimi Devoe, who came with her daughter to Tylie Gilmore’s birthday party, praised Barbie for diversifying the doll’s skin tones and colors, as well as cultures, to better reflect women like her.
Outside World of Barbie.
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Posters outside World of Barbie promote the different careers of the fashion doll and their interactive experiences inside the expo. The expo is located at Santa Monica Place and closes in September 2023.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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