‘Barbie was relevant to the times, she followed the trends’: Carol Spencer was one of the first designers of the popular doll and worked at Mattel for more than three decades

When Ruth Traderwife of the co-founder of matthinking about how she wanted the doll she was making, she knew three things for sure: I wanted the doll to be realistic, follow fashions and trends, and be understandable to the children who played with it.. Thus, Barbie was born in 1959 with a slim figure, blond hair and a tight zebra-style bathing suit.

Since its invention, admiring the clothes Barbie wears has been a favorite aspect of the doll with fans. And designing those clothes was the job of Carol Spencera young Fine Arts graduate who He started working at Mattel in 1963 and didn’t know the impact his creations would have until 60 years later..

Spencer, who is currently almost 90 years old, was in charge of bringing Barbie to life through her clothes. on the talk show So it dawnedbroadcast by Radio City (89.3FM in Guayaquil)the retired fashion designer remembered that in order to find inspiration, she would walk the streets of Los Angeles and the beach in Malibu to see what young people were wearing and mimic the fashion in the next Barbie.

She went through the most iconic changes in fashion and pop culture in the second half of the 20th century, such as when she rose to fame Elvis Presleyto replace Frank Sinatra as the protagonist of the moment, or then the British Mary Kwan designed the miniskirt: “We just followed what was going on,” she explained.

One of her favorite designs, in the 1960s, was the ‘Color Magic Barbie Crisp n’ Cool’. People don’t forget that “in the 1970s we followed the trends”, like the Ken dolls with mustaches and long hair.

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“I have many favorites, having worked there for so many years.Spencer said wistfully.

But one moment he particularly remembers is in 1990, when “finally, Mattel designers were recognized with their name on the packaging and I was the first designer to receive that honor”, he said in the radio interview.

Although the fashion designer left the brand in 1999, she has not stopped following what is happening with Barbie and currently has a great collection: “In my dining room I have about 350 BarbiesI have some in the room.”

That, she says, is a big part of the success of Barbie, whose film was released in theaters in Ecuador yesterday the doll remains relevant in every era.

“It’s amazing that every generation loves Barbie for a completely different reason and in a different way.”Spencer noted, specifying that the current generation prefers to play with dolls that have professions. He does not distinguish between children and adults, because he believes that Barbie is interesting for everyone.

Carol Spencer has yet to see the movie starring Margaret Robbie And Greta Gerwigbut she said she’s excited to go to the cinema and see her designs reflected on the big screen.

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“Mattel had been planning that movie since the mid-1990s and they finally got the right shot, the right look,” the designer revealed. “From what I’ve seen in fashion shows, they’ve portrayed some of the all-time favorite dolls,” she added.

She finds the work of the designers who worked on the Gerwig-directed film “admirable.”