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Pop Culture e Memorabilia

Thursday 19 February 2026, 04:00 PM • Milan

78

Ruth Handler

Ruth Handler - Creator of Barbie - Signed Barbie - Mattel - Savvy Shopper Barbie Nicole Miller Bloomingdale's - Limited Edition

Estimate

€ 250 - 450

Sold

€ 305

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Information

Barbie from the 1994 limited-edition “Savvy Shopper Nicole Miller Bloomingdale's” series, autographed twice by Ruth Handler, Barbie's mother and co-founder of Mattel: on the box and on the bag. The Savvy Shopper Barbie is a collectible doll launched in 1994, the result of a prestigious collaboration between Mattel, designer Nicole Miller, and the luxury department store chain Bloomingdale's. The doll is a much-loved piece among collectors as it represents one of the first examples of a designer Barbie, embodying the spirit of urban, chic fashion of the 1990s. Ruth Handler (née Mosko, 1916–2002) was an American entrepreneur, co-founder of the famous toy company Mattel, and, above all, the creator of the most famous doll in the world: Barbie. The inspiration came to her while watching her daughter, Barbara (hence the name Barbie), play with adult paper dolls. At the time (late 1950s), the only three-dimensional dolls available to girls were babies or children. Ruth understood that girls wanted to play and imagine their future as adults, with independent careers and lives. In 1959, inspired by a German adult doll called Bild Lilli, Ruth Handler launched Barbara Millicent Roberts, the first adult fashion doll. Along with her husband, Elliot Handler, and Harold Matson, Ruth co-founded Mattel in 1945. She led the company to global success thanks to its innovative advertising campaign aimed directly at children and, of course, Barbie, which debuted on March 9, 1959. After leaving Mattel in the 1970s following a financial scandal and undergoing a mastectomy, Ruth Handler demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit by founding Nearly Me, a company manufacturing breast implants. Her vision left an indelible mark, shaping the way girls play and dream about their future. Ruth Handler was played by actress Rhea Perlman in the film Barbie (2023).