Barbie Millicent Roberts: An Original

A Barbie Spectacular on the eve of her fortieth birthday.

The early and rare Barbie--in 75 ravishing photographs. Barbie as she was meant to be seen and celebrated, clothed in Mattel's now rare ensembles inspired by the original designs of the great couturiers--Chanel, Givenchy, Dior, Balenciaga--and brilliantly photographed by David Levinthal, the foremost toy photographer at work today.

The incomparable Barbie--Barbie Millicent Roberts--was born in 1959 in the heyday of haute couture. But Barbie has always been at the center of style. No woman alive has kept up with the latest fashion of the day as Barbie has, with the perfect ensemble for every occasion: a night at the ballet, her first date, a festive barbecue, an afternoon at the beach, a day at the office, a Saturday matinee, her wedding day. And each has been perfectly accessorized: shoes, pocketbooks, long gloves, a fur stole, sunglasses, a beach bag, a single strand of pearls.

No other book about Barbie shows her as she is seen here, in breathtaking image after image--her hair, her accessories, her clothes, styled to perfection. The essential Barbie, as she was meant to look to the millions who have seen in her the embodiment of their dream of beauty and glamour, has been brilliantly captured by David Levinthal, whose photographs have been exhibited and admired around the world.

With a preface by Valerie Steele.