Barbie is a wonderful welcome kickoff  New York's Fashion Week.

Enjoy this post by guest blogger, Tara Miller, a Mount Airy bred Tomboy Fashionista - She has a blog coming soon. I couldn't have written it better myself.

My favorite Christmas story involves my dad being stopped by a woman as he’s coming out of Discount Harry’s.  “How many kids do you have?” she asked. “One!” he said, laughing as the woman looked at the equally high piles of Star Wars toys and Barbie paraphernalia in his cart.

So I was right at home at the Fall 2009 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. This year Barbie Worldwide celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of  the doll that debuted in 1959 and has worn more than 70 designers.  Over the years, she has morphed into different women for different little girls:  She is white, black, Native American, Latina, and Asian.  She is a doctor, lawyer, rock star, big sister, and a mom.  Whatever your opinion of her body measurements, or her off and on again romance with Ken, you cannot deny her role as a cultural icon.

To prove that point, 51 of the biggest names in fashion each contributed a design to the Barbie's  anniversary show.  This was the hot ticket of the day.  Unfortunately the PR company was not ready for the crowd that arrived and check-in was hell in a tent.  Thankfully my Philly wiles and SEPTA etiquette got me past irritated press, entitled housewives of New York City with their little girls (some with infants!), and enraged security guards.  Once inside I had an enjoyable 60-second conversation with Kimora Lee Simmons.  She was more pleasant than I expected and as glamorous as I would have predicted.

But enough about that. The show opened with a video montage of Barbie through the decades; her Barbie Dream House and accessories included.  There were three acts: Decade Section, Faux Reality, and Future. Highlights included:Rachel Roy’s interpretation of the very first Barbie in a black and white zebra striped swimsuit complete with beige, ruffled trench and high blonde ponytail. Nanette Lepore dressed Barbie in a fuchsia strapless dress covered in roses reminiscent of the Valentino rose totes of last year. Black Barbie was first seen in a red floor length gown by Reem Acra. Diane von Furstenberg dressed Barbie in a beautiful pink and white patterned wrap dress. Ken was spotted once, escorting Barbie down the runway as she sported her “Everybody Needs a Ken” t-shirt by Kenneth Cole.

My favorite was an American flag flared shirt dress by Catherine Malandrino that was rocked by a Black Barbie.

House of Field’s (Patricia Field) one-legged, one-shoulder, black and silver jumpsuit shouted, “I am the Queen of Fashion”. The finale and showstopper was a Bob Mackie floor length metallic beaded gown with white feathers and crown.  I guess Barbie was channeling Cher. Christian Louboutin provided Barbie with some of her shoes.  She is a lucky woman.

Barbie was great. The designs made you forget about the winter outside, the recession inside our pockets, and the near death experience of trying to get into the show.  That’s a tall order for a woman who is only 12-inches, but it was done with the same cool, fabulousness that Barbie has had my entire life.  Happy 50^th Barbie!  You don’t look a day over 21.

Any Barbie fans out there?