Will Barbie replace the Piglet on my desk?

It could be the 50th birthday festivities or it could very well be a reaction to a changing world. Nonetheless, something is stirring within Mattel. Every new story about Barbie this year has an extra titbit of information. It's almost a tiny rumbling, as if Mattel has grand plans to break out of its regular cocoon and reveal a brand new Barbie. Who knows, maybe it will be a side to her we have never seen before?

That would be my guess. And that much is obvious from numerous stories like this one about Mattel expanding the target age group. It's quite an ambitious jump too. Other than the traditional pre-teen fans, it looks like every single woman in the working population is, for use of a better word, a prime target. Those last two words are not meant to be negative; brush it up with terminology of a regular Silhouette reader and it becomes the “You would love me if only you knew me” group.

And so, it turns out Mattel is looking for older Barbie fans. To be fair, they are also catering to all those ladies who grew up with a Barbie tucked under their arm. Think of all the signs you have seen these few months. The flagship store in Shanghai that boasts delectable delights for all ages? The Valentines Day special marked by a first-ever Barbie runway show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York? The Town Shoes event where grown-up sized Barbie shoes will be introduced?

This could go one of two ways. The planned expansion might not bloom into the ground-breaking event that Mattel wanted it to be. Of course, business will take-off and the Barbie-inspired fashion trends will delight significant amounts of women. But it might not be the revolutionary trend-setter that was the norm of Barbie the little girl's doll. On the other hand, let's say Barbie products become a raging hit. Say, your eager-to-grow-up daughter in university loves it. Imagine that Barbie paraphernalia ended up being the best present for granny, that a fun shopping day for mom involves chic Barbie shoes. Now there's a sentence I thought I would never ever say!

Don't get me wrong. I am not against it. Given Mattel's top-quality products and attention to detail, it would be a welcome addition to the stores. I was purely pondering on fashion-trend possibilities. And wondering if anyone will replace their favorite work-station toy with a Barbie!