Barbie’s status as a global fashion icon has been officially confirmed by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).
The Mattel doll, who turns 60 this year, has been announced as the recipient of the Board of Directors’ Tribute at this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards, which will take place in New York on June 3.
According to the CFDA, the honour is a nod to Barbie’s “influence on American fashion and her role as an inspiring icon around the globe.”
When Barbie receives the Board of Directors’ Tribute at the 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards on June 3rd, she will be in excellent company. Past recipients of this special award include First Lady Michelle Obama, Tom Ford, Gloria Steinem, Janelle Monáe, Cecile Richards, and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
CFDA’s Board – composed of fashion stars such as Michael Kors, Vera Wang, Tommy Hilfiger, and Prabal Gurung – is bestowing the world’s #1 fashion doll with this award to celebrate Barbie’s influence on American fashion and her role as an inspiring icon around the globe.
“Barbie has had such wide influence on American fashion and culture,” said Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA. “Her story personally resonates with so many CFDA members that the Board of Directors decided to honor her with the special tribute.”
Over the past 60 years she has inspired and been inspired by fashion and creative communities and collaborated with over 75 designers and influencers including Gigi Hadid and Jeremy Scott for Moschino.
The brand’s first designer partnership was with Oscar de la Renta in 1985 and 2019 CFDA Honoree Bob Mackie collaborated with Barbie on a collector doll in 1990.
Diane von Furstenberg, Zac Posen, Anna Sui, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, and Stephen Burrows are just some of the fashion stars who created special Barbie dolls.