Now for some architecture news. A Dutch friend of mine, Theo Van der Vaart, was one of the original photographers for Barbie, back when she was created. Shanghai had its own Barbie Flagship store. Above are some images that came up in google searches. That store would have carried a new Barbie, the architect, had it stayed open. Rita Catinella of Architectural Record
writes:
"Barbie has always had a dream house, but she's never been able to design one of her own ... until now. Love it or hate it, Mattel's latest addition to their Barbie I Can Be line of dolls is Barbie Architect, complete with a blueprint holder (in pink), hardhat, and black glasses perched jauntily on top of her head. According to Mattel, the Barbie Architect is "ready to tackle the daily responsibilities of a real architect in or out of the office... wearing an architecturally inspired dress showcasing a city skyline, Barbie doll’s outfit is symmetrically stylish with bold colors and clean lines. In designing this doll, Barbie partnered with the American Institute of Architects to keep Barbie I Can Be… Architect doll authentic to the career." While fine for the office, those high-heeled boots seem less than practical for a construction site, but she does have a hard hat at least."
The Shanghai store might have carried this doll, had it not closed. Shanghaiist blog reported that the Barbie store
shut down.
4 comments:
I suppose architects don't carry architectural scales anymore.
hi Carl, no actually, they do. one uses them when discussing drawings. things have to be plotted to scale and one needs to measure things.
cheers,
Arturo
I heard author Stephanie Coontz say on the radio recently that things have changed since Betty Freidan wrote "The Feminine Mystique." Now, women can have careers. But they have to be hot while pursuing them.
I suppose this is proof that it's not going to disappear away for some time.
dear CK
i hadn't thought about the "hot" angle. people are people, so they'll gravitate to beauty. Barbie makes me think of Reese Witherspoon's character in Legally Blond. the changes for women in my career have been in place many years. half of my graduating class in architecture where women in 1982, although we were a smallish class of 36 students.
hugs
Arturo
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