Ken, Barbie's long-term companion, turned 60 Thursday, March 11, marking his milestone birthday with a return to his original appearance.
Toymaker Mattel recreated a version of the first Ken doll, clad in red swimming trunks, sandals, and a yellow towel on his shoulders. The company said it was collaborating with a number of fashion designers to mark Ken's birthday and introduce him as an influencer. The designs can be seen on Instagram with the handle @BarbieStyle.
Ken, who was named after the son of Mattel's founders Elliot and Ruth Handler, first met Barbie on the set of a television commercial in 1961.
In February 2004, Mattel announced a separation for Ken and Barbie, with Russell Arons, Mattel's vice-president of marketing, stating that Barbie and Ken "feel it's time to spend some quality time apart... Like other celebrity couples, their Hollywood romance has come to an end," though Arons said the pair would "remain friends ".
However, a new version of the Ken Doll was released in February 2006, although it was reported that their relationship was still strictly platonic. In 2011, Mattel launched a huge campaign for Ken to win back Barbie's affections. The couple officially reunited on Valentine's Day 2011.
Over the years, he has had many transformations and occupations, from firefighter to barista. He now has 9 skin tones, 3 body shapes, 10 eye colors, and diverse facial textures and hairstyles. There's a Ken doll in a wheelchair, too. In addition, Ken has held more than 40 occupations since his debut.
"While he evolved in terms of style, (he) was very mod and groovy in the 60s, he had a stash in the 70s ... now it's more about ... different hair textures and hairstyles, different skin colors, as well as representing different abilities," Barbie senior design director Robert Best told Reuters.
Mattel sold 76 million dolls last year, numbers that "show that Ken is an important part of that world and contributes to Barbie's success," the company said.
