Over the years, Barbie and Ken have worked as teachers, lifeguards and even a pilot. And now, based on the latest pop-up display in the Qantas Club at Sydney Airport, the pair can add cabin crew uniform model to an already lengthy CV.
To help celebrate the airline’s 95th anniversary Qantas has put 44 Ken and Barbie dolls on display at its Sydney Qantas Club wearing the various cabin crew uniform designs the airline has had over the years, from the bright green and blue floral Pucci dresses to the oversized shoulder pads and gold trip of the Yves Saint Laurent designs of the late 1980s and everything in between.
The dolls are part of a collection that was built up over 22 years by former Qantas cabin crew member John Willmott-Potts and donated to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences after he died in 2010.
The airline’s latest uniform, which was unveiled in April 2013, is also featured in the collection, with designer Martin Grant producing a “mini version” of the navy, ruby red and fuchsia pink creations for Ken and Barbie.
Qantas group executive of brand, marketing and corporate affairs Olivia Wirth said the collection was “truly something quite special”.
“The fact that a former Qantas crew member personally created these uniforms as a hobby shows the passion our people have for the airline,” Wirth said in a statement on Friday.
“We’re excited to share them with customers as we prepare to mark our anniversary, especially given they have never been on display as a formal exhibition before.”
The dolls will be on display for the next four weeks before returning to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.
Before heading to the Qantas Club in Sydney, Ken and Barbie also took in the signts of London on the Tube and visited the iconic Opera House in the Harbour City.
