Barbie to feature in beauty ideals exhibit

What do a Roman strigil, Egyptian cosmetics and a Barbie from 1993 have in common?

They are all items used in the cultural pursuit of beauty.

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The "Dress for Success" exhibition at the Otago Museum catalogues different cultural ideals of beauty.

Featuring a gymnast Barbie dating back to 1993, the museum hoped this contemporary inclusion would promote body positivity to coincide with the release of the Barbie movie today.

Museum humanities curator Moira White said the exhibition showcased various implements used to meet different cultural interpretations of beauty.

"We have ideas about what looks beautiful, but we need to remind ourselves that other people at other times in other places have considered quite different things beautiful and it is essentially a social construct."

There had long been debate over Barbie’s proportions and it was hoped its inclusion in the exhibition would play a part in the overall conversation, Ms White said.

"Having the movie has brought about a whole lot of discussion about Barbie and what she stands for, and whether she’s empowering or whether the role-model Barbies have really altered something.

"She fits into a much broader discourse about the things we do to ourselves to appeal or look as if we fit in."