HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBIE!!! EXPOSITION IN NYC!

Barbie plays dress up in Giorgio Armani (left), Burberry and Benetton. (Mattel)

Start shopping for a tasteful birthday gift — 1/6th scale, please. Barbie’s 50th birthday is right around the corner, and she’s a picky one. As Jessica Michault of The International Herald Tribune points out in an article today, throughout her doll life, Barbara Millicent Roberts has always been a clotheshorse: “her tastes have grown to appreciate more designer fare. From Benetton and Burberry to Versace and Vera Wang, Barbie has been dressed by more than 70 designers, including Giorgio Armani, Christian Lacroix and Monique Lhuillier.” What’s more, at the New York fashion shows in February, Mattel is staging a full-scale fashion show featuring Barbie-inspired work from 50 fashion designers. Let’s hope Ken can score an invitation.