Meet Robert Best, Principal Designer for Barbie Collector

BARBIE Hosts Her 50th Birthday Party in Washington, DC

Barbie is 50 and fabulous! But don’t take our word for it. Ask Robert Best, instead. He is the Principal Designer for Barbie Collector. On Friday, June 10, 2009, Mr. Best agreed to speak with us at the Barbie doll’s 50th Anniversary Convention held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC from July 7, 2009 to July 11, 2009. WDC, we’re in the pink!




Simone Butterfly: Hello.

Robert Best: Hi.

Simone: My name is Simone, your fabulous, freelance, fashion investigator.

Robert: Fabulous, I love your outfit. Barbie pink looks very good on you.

Simone: Thank you very much. It’s a pleasure to speak with you Mr. Best, Principal Designer for Barbie Collector. So how long have you been in that position?

Robert: I have been working at Mattel for 15 years now. Who knew?

Simone: So what does a Principal Designer for Barbie Collector do?

Robert: As Principle Designer for Barbie you are responsible for everything. It’s a very head to toe kind of job. I am responsible for the look, which includes the style of hair, make up and of course all of the accessories, the shoes, the jewelry, and everything the doll is going to be wearing. I also oversee the packaging. So I am really like an Art Director in a lot of ways because I have to handle the entire look.

Simone: That is amazing because Barbie has really changed over the years. Who is the 2009 Barbie?

Robert: The 2009 Barbie is a very active, healthy girl of today. I think she's very plugged in to everything that is going on, including trends and fashions that you see on the runway. Barbie is very relevant and is always current. Barbie is very much a reflection of the popular culture that surrounds her.

Simone: We love Barbie and we love her new blog, website and her Twitter updates. She’s fabulous! http://barbiestyle.barbie.com/

Robert: Barbie is absolutely plugged in.

Simone: Please describe the beautiful gown that you designed to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Barbie!

Robert: The gown is called Generations of Dreams and it was inspired by the doll of the same name. The gown features a collage of different images of Barbie throughout the years, from her very first 1959 swimsuit up to today. Everyone has a Barbie story and everyone remembers the doll of their generation. Hence the name: “Generation of Dreams.” The [Generations of Dreams] gown is a fun couture take on a wacky idea.

Simone: How long did it take to create?

Robert: The gown itself took…it feels like years. But it probably took a few weeks. We had a team in New York sewing and creating the first pattern. We had people in LA doing the beading. It was shipped to Australia. Then it was shipped back to the US. It will be traveling all over the country. The gown is better traveled than i am actually. Lol.

Simone: WOW! It’s been a pleasure. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

Robert: It’s been a pleasure.

A few fun facts about the Generations of Dream Gown on display at the Convention:
Eight experts from New York to Los Angeles used 15 yards of pink duchesse satin and silk organza to create the life-size gown. The bodice and skirt are adorned with 50 patchwork prints representing over 50 years of Barbie artwork. Each patch is outlined in countless iridescent sequins, shimmery Swarovski crystals and beautiful delicate trim!