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Watch: Barbie’s Designers Take Us Inside the Mattel Design Studio

1 minute read
By Julia Lull and Cubie King

The most popular doll in history has three new bodies: tall, petite and curvy versions will now be sold alongside the original model.

Mattel’s decision to re-design Barbie’s iconic body with three new body types (curvy, petite, and tall) launched a two-year-long process during which Barbie designers discussed, sketched, sculpted and built prototypes of what the new Barbies would look like.

“To allow for new variety in body type seemed like the natural progression of an evolution of a brand that is always strived to really reflect the culture and be current,” says Robert Best, one of the lead designers on the Barbie brand.

The three additional body shapes will be sold along with the original as of January 28th via Barbie.com, and will be in retail stores later this year. Check out this gallery of all the evolved Barbie looks.

Read the TIME cover story on Barbie’s new body

Behind the Scenes: Making Barbie

A designer hand paints the lips of a prototype Barbie doll.Emily Shur for TIME
The painting palette used to create Barbie's lips.Emily Shur for TIME
Barbie's forearms all together in a container at Mattel's El Segundo, Calif. headquarters.Emily Shur for TIME
Dozens of colorful containers of glitter await use in the design center at Mattel's headquarters. Emily Shur for TIME
Three stages of painting Barbie's eyes. Emily Shur for TIME
A special machine attaches curvy Barbie's hair. The process is called "rooting."Emily Shur for TIME
Curvy Barbie's head, now complete, is ready for her body. Emily Shur for TIME
Behind the scenes of how Barbie is created at Mattel
Emily Shur for TIME

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Write to Julia Lull at julia.lull@time.com