Mattel’s Barbie Exhibition Set for Vegas

Mattel and Illusion Projects are set to open Barbie: A Cultural Icon, the brand’s first exhibition to tour the U.S., in Las Vegas next month.

Barbie: A Cultural Icon will showcase the six-decade evolution of the Barbie brand. The exhibition will display the first-ever Barbie doll produced in 1959 and will then lead guests through the decades with more than 150 vintage dolls, artifacts and life-sized fashion pieces on display.

Video media and interviews with Barbie designers will expand the narrative to give guests a full picture of how the brand has evolved over the years and its impact on fashion and pop culture.

The exhibition will open inside The Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas. More tour dates will be set.

“We are excited to partner with Illusion Projects to bring Barbie: A Cultural Icon to Las Vegas,” said Julie Freeland, senior director of location-based entertainment at Mattel. “Barbie is a brand that has evolved through generations, and we can’t wait for fans of all ages to take a journey through time with us!”

“Barbie has an amazing and inspiring history,” added Tim Clothier, CEO of Illusion Projects. “There is a real sense of nostalgia when you see what was happening in the world and in Barbie’s world when you were a kid—and then follow the story to how she’s impacting our world today.”

“So much of the entertainment and fashion culture of Las Vegas is mirrored in the generations of Barbie,” said Pete Housley, the exhibition’s executive director. “The Barbie Exhibition is perfectly positioned in the middle of The Shops at Crystals alongside many of the world-famous fashion brands that Barbie has worn through the decades.”