Ken, a friend of Barbie’s doll, first appeared by her side on March 11, 1961, in a television commercial. Two years after Barbie was first introduced at the American International Toy Fair on March 9, 1959.
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It was named after the son of Elliot Handler, one of the two founders of Mattel. First Ken wore a red bathing suit, sandals, and a yellow towel slung over his shoulders. Over the years, however, he has undergone several changes and careers – from firefighter to barista.
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“The first Barbie doll was also wearing a swimsuit, so we put Ken on it. The idea was that we wanted people to buy an almost naked doll and then buy different kinds of clothes and change the style and roles, “says Robert Best, Barbie’s main designer of Barbie dolls, for AP, adding that Ken, like Barbie he adapted to the times, and therefore alternated between different visions and careers.
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He now has nine skin types, three body shapes, 10 eye colors and several hair types and hairstyles. In addition, in 2021, the company introduced Ken in a wheelchair. On the occasion of his birthday, a limited collection of the original Ken was created, which is designed especially for collectors.
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