Well they've done it. Mattel has surely out-down themselves in strange efforts to make Barbie appealing to all audiences...Yes, I myself begged and pleaded for every new Barbie, with the latest and greatest accessories and hot little Ken to compliment at one point in my life. But babysitter Barbie and School Teacher Barbie are a thing of the past as Mattel looks to bigger and better professions with their "Barbie I Can Be..." line. From veterinarian to gym coach to racecar driver, Barbie is reaching for the moon now. Art teacher and computer engineer even appear to fall on her resume!
So it should be no shock that Architecture Historian, Despina
Stratigakos joined forces with president-elect of New York state's AIA chapter, Kelly Hayes McAlonie, to campaign to bring architecture into the playrooms of little girls everywhere. In an effort to bring more attention to the opposition that is still met for females in this male-driven architecture field, even as the ladies take over undergraduate and graduate programs everywhere, the concept for Barbie I Can Be...an Architect was born.
And now she is preparing to hit the shelves Fall 2011, blueprints and all! Describing her get up as a simple dress and jacket being "symmetrically stylish with bold colors and clean lines", Mattel claims she will be ready for anything the day in a life of an Architect will throw at her with her blueprints and her hard hat. Throw in a paint fan deck and a some fabric swatches and hey, I might even buy those 11 inches of plastic. It's an interesting concept...a little wierd...and unnerving...but I'd love to know how Architecture Barbie pans out...Photos from toyXplosion.com where you can learn more about the launch as well as in this article from the Design Observer.
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