11 fancy Barbie dolls we wish we had in the 90s. Just like the Queen Elizabeth one

Akshata KamathApr 21, 2022 | 17:53

Barbie's strategy to maintain its popularity has been to launch diverse and most loved dolls. So, here are 11 dolls from Queen Elizabeth to Naomi Osaka, we wish we had in the 90s.

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If you were born in the 90s and the 2000s, have you ever received a fancy Barbie doll as a birthday gift? I have received a Barbie doll a few times as a kid, and back then, the mere fact that I was holding a Barbie would make me feel like I was a princess who was attending the fanciest event in the world.

A Barbie doll set was the most precious gift for me and I could spend hours just staring at the wonderful doll in the box and hugging the box with my arms. I would never share it with my cousins and would never remove the doll from her box. ''What if they spoiled my Barbie?'' the possessive 6-year-old me thought.

A few days later, the Barbie, her clothes and her hairbrush would come out of the box and would rest on the sofa. She can't just sit on the floor. She would sit next to me when I studied, and if I went to my neighbour's home, my Barbie would go with me. My neighbour had a Ken doll and his Ken and my Barbie would play together every evening.

But here is the thing: the Barbie of early 2000s was blonde, fair and lovely, and every doll pretty much looked the same. There was just one prototype of Barbie, and one of Ken, and one type of Dream ''Barbie Wuurrrlllddd'' that was aspirational. Also, a lot of different Barbies were not really available in India. So, they created really limited expectations and visions of what we could do when we grew up.

You might remember Katrina Kaif, who walked in a real life Barbie ensemble at a Barbie-themed fashion show in 2009.

Yes, the 90s Barbie would only chill, cook, shop and go around with her boyfriend. But today's Barbie's are so different.

Today's dolls come from various work professions, have different cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, and it is so refreshing and relatable to so many children across the world.

Photo : Instagram

Here are 11 Barbie versions we wish we had in the 90s:

1. QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Wouldn't it be fun to play with the Queen herself?

Queen Elizabeth's Barbie. Photo: Twitter

To celebrate the Queen's 96th Birthday this summer, which is also called the Platinum Jubilee celebration, Barbie released a new doll of Queen Elizabeth II. The doll wears an elegant gown and blue riband and is adorned with a fancy crown and accessories, just like the Queen herself.

Imagine taking the Queen to school, you guys. How fun would it be!

2. BARBIE IN SPACE

As a kid, dreaming of going to space felt pretty distant and unachievable. Maybe because we could only see pictures of men hanging out in the space stations which sent an indirect message that only only men were capable and allowed to do big scary tasks. I guess having a doll like this back then would have encouraged more women to dream bigger and literally go out there. But nevertheless, these Barbies can now send a message to young girls that even they can reach for the stars.

3. DR BARBIE

We wish it had not taken the Covid Crisis for Barbie to release its Dr., Nurse and hospital support versions of Barbie dolls. But nevertheless, the team make quite an impact.

4. THE TENNIS STAR - NAOMI OSAKA

Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka has her own line of Barbie dolls which was inspired by her 2020 Australian Open series. It was created to remind young girls that they could make a difference.

5. THE CONSTRUCTION QUEEN

Remember watching Bob, The Builder on Pogo? Well, Bob may have been a hit character in those days but had there been a female equivalent, I am sure many girls would have seen themselves as the ''Construction Queen'' of town. This is exactly why this particular Barbie is like a breath of fresh air!

6. WOMAN OF COLOUR

In the recent years, Barbie has launched many ''dolls of colour'' based on Women of Color who are also role models for many, like Ida Wells & Maya Angelou. While Ida was an Educator, journalist, and an anti-lynching activist, Maya was a celebrated writer, performer, and social activist who was the first Black woman to appear on a US quarter coin.

7. THE OLYMPIC WINNERS

How inspiring is it to have dolls that have won Olympics? It is only natural that kids would be inspired to participate in sports and be an all round champ.

8. HELLEN KELLER

The Barbie's of 90s were always the epitome of a ''perfect'' model. But this does not represent the real people and often leaves people with special needs and abilities out of consideration. Having dolls that represent Hellen Keller, the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, represents these special sections of the society which kids should know about.

9. THE VITILIGO BARBIE

Viitiligo causes patches of skin to lose their pigment and the idea of having a Vitiligo Barbie is quite far fetched from the ''perfect woman'' standards that Barbie dolls have set since years. But when Barbie launched a prototype of the vitiligo doll on their Instagram page, it became the most ''liked'' post . Thus they decided to launch the vitiligo Barbie to showcase "a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion". Ofcourse, it touched a lot of hearts.

10. THE TRADITIONS

Barbie has gone a step further than just having Barbie clothes, and launched dolls with traditional Mexican makeup, Chinese hairstyles and respendent costumes to celebrate regional festivals.

11. SOMETHING FOR THE GUYS!

Though we don't know what we would do with this, but here is a very random Ken doll: the ''King Ocean Ken'' who is supposedly a Merman doll. Talk about innovation.

Which one of these did you like the most?

Last updated: April 21, 2022 | 17:53

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