Life in plastic! Barbie's world comes to the capital in new exhibition

THE first Barbie Doll is among the toys going on show in a new exhibition exploring the "design phenomenon" behind the hit film.

- Robert Dex

It is one of about 180 dolls in the Design Museum show tracing the toy's history and revealing an unlikely link to the influence of London style on the all-American creation.

Visitors to the Kensington museum will be able to see the first talking Barbie, the first black, Hispanic and Asian dolls to bear the Barbie name as well as the first Barbie with Down's syndrome, the first to use a wheelchair and dozens of examples showing how it tracked fashions and changed with them over the years.

Curator Danielle Thom said: "Barbie obviously is a global brand and this year is the 65th anniversary of the launch of the first Barbie doll so its timely in that respect, but more specifically from the point of view of this institution I think it's valid to see Barbie as a design phenomenon.