Barbie has long been a fashion icon. Her outfits and dresses have remained stylish and followed the same trends as the fashion industry. So how does Mattel keep Barbie’s image trendy and up to date?

Collaboration. 75 influencers have worked with Barbie and over 150 designers have used Barbie as inspiration. Well known designers who have also designed for Barbie include Dior, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. With so many designers, it was hard to pair the list down, but with some effort, we’ve put together a list of the 5 most influential Barbie Fashion designers. Some worked directly for Mattel, while others were iconic Fashion designers who Collaborated with Mattel to create signature dolls. Keep scrolling to check ‘em all out. 

A list of the most influential Barbie designers has to start with the woman who designed Barbie’s first outfit. Charlotte Johnson has the honor of being that designer. The first Barbie featured Barbie wearing a black and white zebra striped swimsuit with her hair in a signature topknot ponytail. This design was co-created by Charlotte Johnson and sold more than 350,000 dolls. In celebration of Barbie’s 35^th Anniversary, the original doll was recreated in 1994. Then, in 1999, the 40^th Anniversary doll reimagined that swimsuit design as an elegant ball gown. Charlotte’s original design lives on in the collections of Barbie Collectors all over the world. 

One of the longest serving Barbie fashion designers was Carol Spencer. She started her career at Mattel in 1963 and retired in 1998. Her signature line is, “Barbie Love, Carol Spencer”. When she was a little girl, she taught herself how to sew which would eventually land here a job in the Mattel fashion department. Carol is responsible for some of the most iconic Barbie outfits such as the Golden Jubilee Barbie and the Barbie that appears in Toy Story 3. She has created wardrobe piece for Skipper, Tutti, Todd, Stacie, and Ken in addition to Barbie. 

In honor of her retirement, Mattel created created a Carol Spencer Barbie doll. It was an expression of their gratitude for her work as a Barbie Fashion designer. Over the years, Carol won numerous awards for her work with Barbie and her influence on Barbie designs will never be forgotten. 

The first fashion designer to collaborate with Barbie was Oscar de la Renta. His work with Mattel started in the mid 1980’s when he came out with stylish outfits and sparkling gowns for Barbie. These first creations were sold separately from the dolls as a part of the Barbie Fashions line. Oscar de la Renta continued to partner with Mattel throughout his career. In 1998 the first Oscar de la Renta doll was released, featuring Barbie in an elegant gold dress. While this doll is still popular among collectors, his Gold Label wedding gown doll has retained more value. Sadly, he was never able to see the release of this doll as it wasn’t released until about a year after his death. Even so the elegant ivory gown and flowing blue tulle train are truly breath taking. With three collaborations with Barbie spanning over 30 years, Oscar de la Renta was truly an influential Barbie designer.  

The most popular Barbie fashion designer has to be Robert Gordon Mackie or Bob Mackie. Outside of Barbie he’s worked with people like Cher, Tina Turner, and Dolly Parton. His collaboration with Barbie began in 1990 when the Bob Nackie Gold doll was released. This was only beginning as Bob Mackie has continued to partner with Mattel and has since created more than 20 Barbie dolls. Mackie was not one to restrain his designs and Barbie’s gowns were not exception. Most of his designs include elaborate headpieces, Swarovski Crystals, or hand-sewn sequins. Bob Mackie’s dolls continue to be popular with Barbie Collectors and many of his designs resell for hundreds of dollars. 

Billy Boy is another early Barbie designer. He was one of the first to collaborate with Mattel, releasing dolls in 1984 & 1986. Billy is an artist, fashion designer, and even produced costume jewelry. He claims that Barbie has always been an educational tool, great role model, and as helped many people with their own fashion sense. He authored the book, Barbie: Her Life and Times in 1987 and was an avid Barbie collector himself. His private collection consists of over 11,000 Barbie dolls and 3,000 Ken dolls. His own designs are the “Le Nouveau Théâtre de la mode Barbie" and the “Feelin’ Groovy Barbie.” For Billy Boy, the plastic doll was a way to show to the history of Barbie but as well as the history of fashion in a different fun way. We love Billy Boy, not just for his designs, but his true passion for Barbie. 

Thanks so much for reading up on our five favorite fashion designers for Barbie. If you’d like to learn more about the history of Barbie, be sure to check out our blog posts, 12 Times Barbie inspired Women & Girls, and 7 Barbie Collections Every Collector needs. Thanks for being here friend! 

Until next time,