This post was most recently updated on October 13th, 2019
In 1959, at the American Toy Fair in New York City, a new doll was debuted that would permanently impact the toy industry. Before this time, most young girls could only play with dolls that represented infants. One mother realized, as her child played with paper dolls, that young girls want to dream about the future, role play, and aspire to do great and meaningful things. Ruth Handler wanted to stretch the boundaries of children’s imaginations and create a world for them where they have choices and can be anything that they aspire to. With this meaningful goal in mind, the Barbie, named after Handler’s daughter Barbara, was born.
Barbie has been constantly challenging social norms and pushing ahead into the future. Since 1959, Barbie has taken on countless roles and careers, all while being impeccably dressed. Barbie has been an astronaut, firefighter, doctor, teacher, scientist, and even the President. There have never been any limitations for Barbie, and the children who play with her have a world of creativity and possibility at their fingertips.
As 60 years of boundless imagination approaches, there is a lot to celebrate. What better way to celebrate one of the most stylish women than by teaming up with one of the pillars in eyewear design? Thierry Lasry epitomizes everything that Barbie stands for in his beautiful sunglasses designs. Thierry Lasry is passionate about combining the past with the future, and each of his designs is a bold and beautiful marriage of the two.
With his motto, “back-to-the-future”, he has designed three Barbie dolls as well as 1 Ken doll and has paired them with four stunning sunglasses designs. In the first pair, the iconic pink color associated with Barbie has been softened to a glamorous rose. They are immediately reminiscent of 1950s cat eyeglasses, bringing back the nostalgia of Barbie’s first inception. However, the design is undeniably modern, with the Thierry Lasry’s signature level front. They also feature translucent frames and ombre lenses.
Thierry Lasry has teased his fans with several videos on his social media pages that show glimpses of both the dolls, who are wearing their own sunglasses to complement their trendy outfits, and the sunglasses themselves. The videos offer a peek at the delicate pink glasses, the dual-tone Ken glasses, and another pair featuring a tortoiseshell pattern that transitions into a delicate striped design sculpted from shades of light brown and ivory acetate. All of them contain that special futuristic and glamorous spark that makes Thierry Lasry’s sunglasses the favorite of countless celebrities.
On September 25, 2019, a launch party displayed all four designs. Since then, the limited-edition sunglasses are available for pre-order. In the meantime, the prestigious designer has promised to release more information regarding this exciting collaboration. These glasses, encased in a classy black and pink box alongside their stylish doll counterparts, are a fabulous way to celebrate 60 years of looking forward, dreaming, and launching into the future.