“I’m so excited about this
exhibition, because when I was nine
years old, my parents gave me my
first Barbie, which I still have to
this day”, said MAD Board Chair Michele
Cohen as
she presented Robert Best with his
award. “As a steward of the Barbie
brand, Robert is responsible for
evolving Barbie creatively and
socially, enhancing her status as a
global icon. Together they have made
the world warm and beautiful.”
Said Robert “This award is
particularly meaningful because it
represents the collective effort of
a dedicated team, which aims to
celebrate every individual, each
unique story, culture, and
experience.”
Dressed in every shade of pink,
guests explored the “Dreamhouse”
with a scavenger hunt of Barbie
through the ages. They took photos
in Barbie’s dream car - a pink
corvette - as well as with her
surfboard and inside life-sized
Barbie and Ken packaging boxes.
There were craft stations for
patrons to recreate their own
miniature outfits and design their
own Barbie wardrobe. The dinner was
held at MAD’s top-floor restaurant,
ROBERT, overlooking Central Park and
Columbus Circle.
Guests included Wes
Aderhold, Carrie Rebora Barratt,
Marty Cohen, Rebecca
Hessel Cohen and Todd
Cohen, Francine LeFrak and Rick
Friedberg,
Lavon Kellner and Tom
Roush, Daniel
Lombardi, Tinu Naija, Michael Sylvan
Robinson, as
well as MAD Board
members Mike
DePaola, Alexander Hankin, Luam
Melake, Jeffrey Manocherian and
MAD Curators Elissa
Auther, and Barbara
Paris Gifford.
About Barbie®:
A Cultural Icon
This fall, the Museum of Arts and
Design (MAD) presents Barbie®:
A Cultural Icon,
in collaboration with Illusion
Projects and Mattel, Inc., a leading
global toy and family entertainment
company and owner of one of the most
iconic brand portfolios in the
world. The major exhibition first
debuted in 2021, welcoming thousands
of visitors in both Phoenix and Las
Vegas. Barbie®:
A Cultural Icon marks
its exclusive East Coast engagement
at MAD, celebrating the 65th
Anniversary of Barbie.
On view from October 19–March 16,
2025, the exhibition charts the
65-year history of Barbie and the
doll’s global impact on fashion and
popular culture through an expansive
display of more than 250 vintage
dolls, life-size fashion designs,
advertisements and other ephemera,
exclusive video interviews with the
doll’s designers, and narrative
sections that highlight the style
trends, careers, and identities that
Barbie has embodied and popularized
over the decades.
About the Museum of Arts and Design
(MAD)