Behind the Scenes At Mattel: See How Barbie Is Created

  • A designer hand paints the lips of a prototype Barbie doll.
    Emily Shur for TIME
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  • The painting palette used to create Barbie's lips.
    Emily Shur for TIME
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  • Barbie's forearms all together in a container at Mattel's El Segundo, Calif. headquarters.
    Emily Shur for TIME
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  • Dozens of colorful containers of glitter await use in the design center at Mattel's headquarters.
    Emily Shur for TIME
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  • Three stages of painting Barbie's eyes.
    Emily Shur for TIME
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  • A special machine attaches curvy Barbie's hair. The process is called "rooting."
    Emily Shur for TIME
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  • Curvy Barbie's head, now complete, is ready for her body.
    Emily Shur for TIME
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  • Emily Shur for TIME
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By TIME Staff
January 28, 2016 7:00 AM EST

Creating three new bodies for Barbie—tall, petite and curvy—was no small task. It took her design team two years to complete the project. Photographer Emily Shur captures a glimpse of how the iconic doll is put together in these behind-the-scenes photos at Mattel’s headquarters just outside Los Angeles, CA.

Designers carefully paint lips and eyes on the dolls by hand. They sew on her hair with a sewing machine before they cut and style it by hand. They even keep archives of past experiments in their studio.

Read the TIME cover story on Barbie’s new body.

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