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Exploring the Marvelous World of Barbie Doll Design in the 1990s

Introduction:

In the world of toys, Barbie has always reigned supreme, captivating the hearts of millions of girls around the globe. For those of us who grew up in the 90s, Barbie dolls were an essential part of our childhood. The excitement of unboxing a new Barbie and immersing ourselves in imaginative play was unparalleled. Little did we know, however, that behind the scenes, a team of talented designers were meticulously crafting these iconic dolls. Today, we delve into a captivating YouTube video that offers a glimpse into the enchanting world of Barbie doll design in the 1990s.

The Video – a lost treasure from the marvelous world of Barbie doll design in the 1990s:

The YouTube video in question takes us on a journey through the behind-the-scenes process of designing Barbie dolls and their fashions during the 90s. From concept creation to meticulous detailing, the video showcases the immense effort and creativity that went into bringing these dolls to life. As the video unfolds, we are introduced to the designers who passionately share their insights and techniques, giving us a rare glimpse into their world.

Designing Marvels in the Barbie doll world of the 1990s:

During the 1990s, Barbie dolls underwent a series of transformations, reflecting the ever-evolving fashion trends and societal shifts. The video reveals how designers drew inspiration from various sources, such as runway fashion shows, historical eras, and even pop culture icons. Witnessing these influences come to fruition in the design process is truly fascinating.

From selecting the perfect fabric to crafting intricate accessories, the attention to detail in Barbie doll design is awe-inspiring. We see designers meticulously sketching out outfits, experimenting with different color palettes, and ensuring that every aspect of the doll’s appearance is meticulously considered. The dedication and passion of these designers shine through their work, making each Barbie doll a masterpiece in its own right.

Glimpsing into the Past:

As we watch this YouTube video, a wave of nostalgia washes over us, transporting us back to our childhood. We can’t help but feel a sense of wonder and appreciation for the dolls that brought us so much joy. The video allows us to reflect on the impact Barbie had on our lives, fostering creativity, imagination, and empowerment.

Conclusion:

The YouTube video showcasing the behind-the-scenes process of Barbie doll design in the 1990s is a true gem for those who grew up in that era. It offers a captivating glimpse into the world of Barbie doll creation, revealing the dedication, creativity, and passion that went into designing these iconic toys. As we watch the video, we can’t help but marvel at the intricate details and the lasting impact Barbie had on our childhoods. Although we may have missed witnessing this process as children, we can now appreciate the marvelous artistry that brought our beloved Barbie dolls to life.

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Barbie Hair

Have you ever asked yourself what kind of material they used for Barbie hair? I did ask myself this question years ago and I found the answer. The answer is not so easy to explain. The material changed within the years. I’m not 100% sure but I think the early Barbie( 1959 – 1984?) dolls had Saran hair only. Some of the early Barbie dolls and their friends have the problem that the hair feeling is similar to straw. Maybe they changed the composition of materials within the decades?

Anyway, nowadays you can buy Saran hair, Nylon hair and Kanekalon hair ( used from the late 1980s on ).

Barbie hair

You can see Saran on the right and Nylon on the left. Nylon hair was used for the Rockers and Rockstar series in the mid 1980s. I assume there are more Barbie dolls with Nylon hair but I don’t have all of them so that I can look it up. Nylon hair is much shinier than Saran hair. Saran hair is available in natural colours like blond, brunette, titian and black. The main difference is the effort to style it. Nylon hair is easy to style. Just one hot water treatment and the job is done. For Saran you need more effort. It’s not so easy to bring it in any form you want it to. It has a kind own character.

The third material is Kanekalon hair. Kanekalon was first seen in the late 1980s and has a feeling like wadding. It’s also called wadding hair among collectors. It was mainly used for the 1990s dolls with massive amounts of hair like Totally Hair Barbie or Jewel Hair Barbie. I assume the reason they used it is the price. Saran is more expensive. Hollywood Hair on the other hand has Saran hair.  Kanekalon hair tends to tangles. You think you have all tangles out and bang new ones are in.  No problems for collectors but for children a real nightmare.

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Kanekalon was widely used for Barbie dolls in the 1990s. Ski Fun Barbie & Midge, Paint n Dazzle Barbie and many more had Kanekalon hair. There are a few exceptions like the Strolling Fun Barbie & Kelly.

 

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Happy New Year!

Before this year ends I’d like to post something for the last day of the year. What to wear on New Year’s Eve. Do you like to go to a ball or stay at home? What about these dresses for New Year’s Eve?

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Christmas time

Christmas is not very far away and I thought  a long time about what to write execpt the ordinary wishes and greetings but it’s not easy. For many years I found it  very exciting to show you the latest purchases or completed outfits, dolls or play sets.  In the meantime many things changed. It has become easier to take pics and show them to your facebook friends rather than bringing anyone to read a blog article. Sad but true somehow but nevertheless I’d like to show you some pics of great Barbie dolls I bought several years ago. So here’s my Merry Chritmas to you.

First Holiday Treasures Barbie

First ever produced Holiday Treasures Barbie

Holiday Treasures Barbie

Second Holiday Treasures Barbie doll

Second Holiday Treasures Barbie

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Last Holiday Treasures Barbie

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Club Exclusive Holiday Treasures Barbie

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Francie, the cousin of Barbie

Today I’m going to present you Francie. She’s the first and only cousin of Barbie. She was released in 1965 and was produced for approx. 10 years. She disappeared around 1975. When she was available she was popular among young girls. At first she was only available as Straight Leg doll (without knee joints) but in 1967 a Bend Leg version was available too. Francie has a different body than Barbie and she is smaller. She was originally called Francine Fairchild but she was sold under the name of “Francie” and was thought to be a 14 year old.

The Francie dolls are popular among the collectors too. She was available in a wide variety of dolls like the two one I have in my collections. The “No Bangs” Francie is the most expensive doll. She has no bangs and giant hair do. I don’t have one yet in my collection but I really like her. She so late 1960s – stylish. Her wardrobe is very beautiful. Exiting outfits from the Mod-era (Mod-era 1966 – 1975) contribute to her popularity. The Growing Hair Francie was the only mechanism Francie doll.  I was glad to get one last week.

1970 Growing Hair Francie

1970 Growing Hair Francie

1967 Bend Leg Francie

1967 Bend Leg Francie

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When the Barbie clothes had own names

A long time ago Barbie clothes had names. The era started in 1959 and ended in the early 1970s. Until then every clothing ensemble had its own name. The names were sometimes funny, partially inspired by Hollywood and had a very high quality… a kind of Haute Couture in miniature. Today I’d like to show you two of my early (Vintage) outfits. The first one is a dark gray suit with a white shirt called Saturday Date. The red socks came in an extra Accessory Pak along with the red tie. Hey, we can be creative in this point. We can combine what we like. Why not a red tie and red socks for a date on Saturday in 1961? Have you noticed the tiny zipper on the pants?

Ken's Saturday Date

The next outfit is for Skipper.  It’s called Sunny Pastels and was produced in  1965 for Skipper (Barbie’s younger sister, also available since 1965). The dress is made of cotton and has a very high quality too. Although the outfit is 52 years old the colors are still vibrant. By the way it’s one of my personal favorite outfits.

Skipper's Sunny Pastels

 

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A look into my workshop

Behind the scenes I try to figure out how Vintage Barbie clothes (Vintage era from 1959 – 1966) were made. I’m especially interested the patterns for the fabric. How can I turn a piece of fabric into a piece of clothing. I want to design own clothes in the Vintage style later but at first I have to understand how the patterns are made and the result I get when I follow sewing instructions.

It’s not as easy as you might imagine. I have to deal with many different problems. Especially the body forms of early Barbie dolls seem to be one of my main problems. At first I thought they were all the same size but they aren’t. Although they seem to be the same size they aren’t and that’s a big problem when you don’t know it. Then you can’t adjust the pattern to the body. For example that’s my result when I tried to sew a blouse.Barbie Blouse

 

Vintage Barbie blouse

As you can see here the blouse seems to be to tight for the Midge/Bubblecut body I used here. Obviously the breasts are larger than it seems. I haven’t really measured until now but fellow collectors told me that the first Ponytail Barbie bodies are smaller/ the measures are different. That’s very interesting and a good thing to know. By the way it’s no problem that the blouse is to tight. I thought that I might get problems like these. I made it just for reasons of learning.

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Differences in the Movie Date dress (Mattel) and Cream Puff dress (Fab Lu), a good copy of the Movie Date

Last week I found a Vintage Movie Date dress. Barbie Movie Date dress

It might not sound very special but here’s the story why I write about the dress. In summer 2017 I got a Vintage dress (Barbie Vintage era 1959 – 1966). I thought I had bought the Movie Date dress but in reality I hadn’t. I needed several months to find out that my dress without any label was made by Fab Lu. It got the name Cream Puff. The design of the Cream Puff is very similar to the Movie Date. The only difference is in the processing of the seams, the wideness of the stripes and the colour of the stripes.

Cream Puff looks like this…

Fab Lu Cream Puff

and here you can see the difference of the seams… the Fab Lu seam is normal, not special but in comparison to this seam the Movie Date seam is very different but very Mattel-like. I have seen the Mattel seams in very different outfits but all in the same way done.

Fab Lu Cream Puff seam

Vintage Movie Date dress

At first sight and without both dresses it’s very hard to see the difference. That was my problem too. I hope I can help you with my information.