Susan Dickenson

THE PARTY OF THE YEAR

Fifty years ago this spring, Barbie was born, and you’d better believe quite a celebration will be taking place over the next several months, the highlight of which is a March 9^th birthday party (her actual birthdate) planned by event-planner-to-the-stars Colin Cowie, to take place at a real live Barbie Malibu Dream House styled and decorated by none other than retro-chic designer (and member of our magazine's inaugural Designer Insight panel) Jonathan Adler. According to the official Barbie 50^th Anniversary Web site, the newly designed “real” Dream House (located on the beach in Malibu, Calif.) will play backdrop to a “pink-carpet” birthday bash, where Barbie's friends will be invited to peek into the fashionista’s digs and storied closet.

Unfortunately, the party is by invitation only (my address is P.O. Box 2754, High Point, N.C. 27261), but apparently we’ll be able to get the look at home with a collection of “Jonathan Adler Loves Barbie” décor pieces including designer pottery, pillows, decorative objects and more – available at one of Jonathan's nine stores or on his website.  As if that weren’t enough to firmly secure Mr. Adler’s spot as the luckiest designer in the world (yes, I’m a huge Barbie fan), get this: he gets to partner with Barbie on an “ultra stylish Barbie Collector doll” complete with coordinating doll-size furniture! Sigh…    

BLAST FROM THE PAST: in the photo at left, it's Christmas morning approx. 1970, and my mom (lounging in her on-trend pink "lounging pajamas") watches as I (the long-haired brunette, also in "lounging pajamas") read the instructions to start our rotating Barbie kitchen of the future while little sis Sherry (the blonde) opens Live Action P.J. on Stage (close-up at right), Barbie's liberated dancing hippie cousin who has her own guitar, go-go boots, fringe vest and 45 rpm phono record. Our new hot pink Barbie dune buggies are parked off to the left. When MY daughters got their hot pink Barbie dune buggie, 1993 version, we -- I mean two of them -- could sit in it and drive it around the neighborhood. sigh...

Barbie celebrations, boutiques and special exhibits are also planned in the coming months at Colette in Paris, in Shanghai (where the brand’s first ever flagship store is opening) , and at Bloomingdale’s in New York City where a month-long celebration is planned to kick off February 11^th.  For more information on Barbie’s birthday, visit www.barbie.com (and tell them that I sent you.)

Posted by Susan Dickenson on January 27, 2009 | Comments (4)