Mattell has unveiled a new Barbie doll modeled after David Bowie, on the 50th anniversary of his song “Space Oddity”.
The doll bears the likeness of Bowie’s glam alter ego Ziggy Stardust, dressed in the character’s signature striped suit and red platform boots.
Its hair is swept back in an imitation of Bowie’s bright red locks Other details of the doll’s look include black nail polish and large dangle earrings.
“In a definitive celebration of two pop culture icons, Barbie honours the ultimate pop chameleon, English singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie, whose dramatic musical transformations continue to influence and inspire,” Mattel wrote on its website.
“With a career spanning over five decades, David Bowie was at the vanguard of contemporary culture as a musician, artist, and icon. He was, and remains to be, a unique presence in contemporary culture.”
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Bowie on a break from his current project; playing the title role in a play based on the life of John Merrick, the hideously deformed ‘ Elephant Man’
Getty
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Artist James Cochran’s rendition of Bowie as Aladdin Sane, his 1973 album
Getty
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Bowie as Halloween Jack
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David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust
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David Bowie performing in his ‘Angel of Death’ costume at The Marquee Club in London
Getty
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Davy Jones; life before David Bowie
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David Bowie performing his final concert as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon, London
Getty
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David Bowie getting ready to perform ‘Earthling’ at the Phoenix Music Festival in 1997
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David Bowie performing ‘Space Oddity’, referencing another alter ego, ‘Major Tom’
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David Bowie as the Thin White Duke
Flickr/Jean-Luc Orlin
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David Bowie’s outfit for the Aladdin Sane tour designed by Kansai Yamamoto, photo by Masayoshi Sukita, Japan,1973.
Flickr/RV1864
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David Bowie in the video for ‘Blackstar’, his latest and final album
YouTube
1/12 David Bowie
Bowie on a break from his current project; playing the title role in a play based on the life of John Merrick, the hideously deformed ‘ Elephant Man’
Getty
2/12 David Bowie
Artist James Cochran’s rendition of Bowie as Aladdin Sane, his 1973 album
Getty
3/12 David Bowie
Bowie as Halloween Jack
4/12 David Bowie
David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust
5/12 David Bowie
David Bowie performing in his ‘Angel of Death’ costume at The Marquee Club in London
Getty
6/12 David Bowie
Davy Jones; life before David Bowie
7/12 David Bowie
David Bowie performing his final concert as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon, London
Getty
8/12 David Bowie
David Bowie getting ready to perform ‘Earthling’ at the Phoenix Music Festival in 1997
9/12 David Bowie
David Bowie performing ‘Space Oddity’, referencing another alter ego, ‘Major Tom’
10/12 David Bowie
David Bowie as the Thin White Duke
Flickr/Jean-Luc Orlin
11/12 David Bowie
David Bowie’s outfit for the Aladdin Sane tour designed by Kansai Yamamoto, photo by Masayoshi Sukita, Japan,1973.
Flickr/RV1864
12/12 David Bowie
David Bowie in the video for ‘Blackstar’, his latest and final album
YouTube
The doll, which is being sold as a collectible for adults, retails for $50 (£40).
Bowie famously created Ziggy Stardust in 1971, before the 1972 release of the concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
He then retired the character in 1973.
The song “Space Oddity”, which chronicles the space launch of the fictional astronaut Major Tom, was released as a single on 11 July, 1969. It remains one of Bowie’s most famous songs.
