London’s Design Museum has been granted special access to Mattel’s Barbie archives in California for a new exhibition scheduled to open at the institution in July 2024. The announcement follows in the wake of “Barbiemania” inspired by this summer’s blockbuster Barbie movie.

While the Barbie doll is one of the most recognizable toys in the world, the pleasure of playing with Barbie is making use of her extensive accessories collection that includes iconic outfits, hot pink convertibles and of course Dreamhouses. That’s why the this exhibition will explore the story of Barbie through a design lens that encompasses fashion, architecture, furniture and even vehicle design.

“We look forward next year to displaying a whole range of eye-catching objects, some familiar but many never seen before, to showcase the evolution of design across the decades of Barbie’s world,” said Tim Marlow, director and CEO of the Design Museum.

According to the Design Museum, the exhibition has been three years in the making and coincides with the 65^th anniversary of the creation of the Barbie brand. Curated by Danielle Thom, the show will map the Barbie legacy that started when Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler invented Barbie for her daughter, Barbara, in 1959.

The doll has long been a cultural touchstone, there has been a surge of interest in the toy in the aftermath of Greta Gerwig’s hit film, Barbie, which led to a “pink wave” in pop culture when it was released in theaters this summer.

Artists such as the duo Drift have embraced “Barbiemania” as inspiration for new work. In July, Drift melted down one of the dolls and deconstructed her into an abstract sculpture. Meanwhile, the artist Stuart Semple has released Pinkie – The Barbiest Pink, a new pigment created to protest Mattel’s trademark of “Barbie Pink.”

Additionally, the National Toy Hall of Fame announced last month that Ken, Barbie’s companion, is one of 12 finalists for induction in the hall.

“[T]his may have been the year of Barbie at the box office, but perhaps Ken will share some of the spotlight by getting inducted into the hall?”  Christopher Bensch, vice president for collections at the Strong Museum, said in a news release. “Only time will tell!”

More Trending Stories:  

An Elderly Couple Sold a ‘Worthless’ African Mask for $157. Now They Are Suing the Buyer Who Auctioned It for $4.4 Million 

A Norwegian Man Stumbled Upon a Trove of Gold Dating to the Early Middle Ages, Including a Rare Pendant Depicting the Norse God Odin 

A Top Antiquities Sleuth Has Called Out the Manhattan D.A. For Continually Passing His Work Off As Its Own 

Emerging Artist Li Hei Di Calls Her London Studio a ‘Parallel Universe,’ Where Hong Kong’s Cinematic Heroines and Mystical Abstraction Meet 

After Its Team-Up With Pokémon, Scalpers Swarm the Van Gogh Museum to Snap Up Merch and ‘Pick the Gift Shop Clean’ 

An Enigmatic Still-Life Picasso, Made During His Now-Celebrated ‘Wonder Year’ of 1932, Will Hit the Auction Block This Fall 

Get a Closer Look at Lagos-Based Artist Nengi Omuku’s Intricate Textile Paintings—Made on Traditional Nigerian Cloth 

A Mexican Journalist Went Viral After He Presented ‘Alien Bodies’ to Congress. Now He Is Accused of Plundering Them From Ancient Sites