World's biggest Flagship Barbie store in Shanghai

(Pictobank)


(Pictobank)


(Flickr/Tomo.moko)


(Flickr/Rintak)


(Travelpod/NinaVersteeg)


(Getty images)


(Newsobserver)


(Guardian)


(ShoppingBlog)


(TheSpec)


(Guardian)


(AP photo)

Just read over at Bibiliew about the world's largest Barbie store right here in our very own Shanghai, on Huaihai Road. Check it out! (the article and the store).

You know China is doing well when Mattel decide to open their flagship store in Shanghai and not New York!

The design of the store is genius and reminds me of the Apple Stores... a lot. All that glass and modern architectural styles.. love it.

However, I do have a love/hate relationship with Barbie. I loved playing with her as a young girl but I did resent the fact there was no Asian/Chinese Barbie, and the fact that all dolls were blonde and blue-eyed back then in the 80s. And let's not get started with her incredibly unrealistic body proportions! She makes Dolly Parton and Pamela Anderson look normal. I was watching some news report about her 50th anniversary and Mattel was saying they are empowering women, not de-powering them as everyone thinks and that's one of the reasons why Ken and Barbie broke up. 'Cause you know, Barbie doesn't need Ken, right? Who needs Ken when you have millions of friends and clothes, and fancy cars, houses, horses.. and money coming at you every day Paris Hilton style? (that is tongue in cheek of course). Whatever. If I had a daughter I wouldn't persuade or dissuade her from owning a Barbie though. She'll probably grow out of it eventually, like I did. I try not to take these things too seriously like all the feminists out there ;)


Official Barbie Shanghai Flagship store website

Address: 550 Central HuaiHai Road

More articles:

International Herald Tribune
The Wall Street Journal
All Roads lead to China blog
GMA News
Gold Sea
UK Telegraph blog

Shanghai toy town

A few days ago I was playing around with Photoshop and turned some of my photos into what looks like miniature toy towns. It was so much fun and the results look pretty good I think! Note if you are viewing this blog from China you need to install the Flickr add-on for Firebox to circumvent the great firewall. You can get it from here.

Overpass near Huaihai Lu


View of Xujiahui in distance


Busy roads in Xujiahui


People's Square (Renmin Guangchang)


What do you think?