IT WILL never work, she was told. No mother would buy their kid a doll with breasts and a waist and it would be too complicated and costly to make a toy like this anyway.
But wow, have the naysayers ever had to eat their words.
Barbie isn’t just a doll, it’s a global phenomenon – an instantly recognisable brand found on backpacks, stationery, pool floats, scrunchies, rugs, bed linen, bikes, scooters, sneakers and every conceivable item of clothing from undies to hoodies.
Toy manufacturer Mattel made a record $1,7 billion (then about R24,8bn) in annual sales in 2021 alone thanks to Barbie and her treasure trove of spin-offs – and that was before the hype around the Barbie
