1 / 11The iconic Barbie doll has turned 60 today. Despite fierce competition in the toy industry, 58 million Barbies are sold each year in more than 150 countries. (Image: Reuters)
2 / 11Around the world, Barbie is as universally known as Coca-Cola or McDonald's, Nathan Baynard, director of global brand marketing for Barbie, said during a recent visit to Mattel's design studio in El Segundo, a suburb of Los Angeles. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
3 / 11Blonde or brunette, slender or curvy, black or white, princess or president, Barbie is a forever favorite for young girls, even if she has caused controversy over the years. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
4 / 11From the start, Barbie's pinup measurements didn't immediately seem all that feminist, and would spark criticism for decades to come. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
5 / 11The doll was supposed to teach girls "that they had choices, that they could be anything. In 1959, it was a radical idea!" Baynard said. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
6 / 11Barbie was invented by Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, who was inspired by her own children to create the doll. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
7 / 11In all, more than one billion Barbie dolls have been sold since she made her debut at the American Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
8 / 11The entire design process for a new Barbie can last 12 to 18 months. Then, the prototype is sent from the California workshop to factories in China and Indonesia for mass production. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
9 / 11Designers begin with a simple sketch. From there on, every bit of a prototype is made by an army of experts -- from sculpting the doll using state-of-the-art software and 3D printing to painting the face, styling the hair, choosing fabrics and crafting the clothing patterns. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
10 / 11Mattel has more than 100 people working in the El Segundo design studio, a massive hangar-like building wedged between Los Angeles International Airport and a freeway. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
11 / 11Since the blonde beauty first hit stores, and after a torrent of complaints over what was seen as unrealistic proportions, Mattel has made many changes -- introducing multiple body types and dozens of skin tones. (Image: Reuters/Caption: PTI)
