Everyone has a Barbie story to tell.
Bill Greening, principal designer for Barbie Signature at Mattel Toys and Barbie Brand Historian, always loves hearing other people’s stories. Greening, a 52-year-old Long Beach resident with roots in Orange County, began as a Barbie collector himself and the hobby led him to work at the company for 25 years.
“Some of the Barbie collectors have known me since I was 16, so I think they’re happy to see that there’s a collector that is in the Dreamhouse, somebody in their community has made it to Mattel,” Greening said. “So now, I’m a collector designing for other collectors. That feels rewarding, giving back to my doll community.”
Greening has collaborated with celebrities as well as the community and has helped create memories for the millions of kids and adults who get their hands on the infamous Barbie dolls.
As summer sizzles, “Barbie” is burning hotter than ever in the international consumer psyche. Greta Gerwig’s critically praised new comedy, starring Margot Robbie, took in a massive $93 million in North America in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday — a week after a $162 million opening. The film reaped another $122.2 million internationally over the weekend. Its global tally has topped $775 million, numbers that many experts are hailing as a post-pandemic milestone. The iconic doll, in big-screen form, is wooing folks back into theaters, in tandem with Christopher Nolan’s widely praised historical epic “Oppenheimer.”
As principal designer, Greening is responsible for getting the first prototype done before a new Barbie goes into production. He works with a large team which include sample makers, seamstresses, sculptors, hair stylists and face painters at Mattel to bring designs to fruition.
“Once we get the design figured out and management approves it, then there’s a whole other team that takes over,” he said, “and I work with them to kind of make…
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