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Stuyvesant Alum Barbie Turns 50
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 19, 2009
Modified Feb 19, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 19, 2009
Modified Feb 19, 2009
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While you were smashing your Bernard Madoff doll, another famous figurine was busy celebrating the big 5-0. That's right, Barbie is officially a cougar! (On March 9th, to be exact.) To commemorate the occasion, 50 designers came together for a real-size Barbie showcase at Bloomingdale's and a runway show under the tents at Fashion Week.
Let's take a look back at Barbie during her formative years, shall we? This girl's got a lot of NYC roots! She first showed up at the American International Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959 (here's the first commercial that aired). Flash forward to 1974, when she was so popular that a section of Times Square was renamed Barbie Boulevard for a week. But perhaps her city-based education is the biggest shocker, allegedly Barbie attended Stuyvesant High School! At least, the fictional Manhattan International High School in New York City, which is said to be based on the real-life Stuyvesant.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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