After 55 years, Barbie is set to pose for Sports Illustrated's 50th anniversary swimsuit issue next to some of the world's most desirable women, according to the Los Angeles Times.
On Feb. 18, Barbie will be featured in a spread with Christie Brinkley, Kathy Ireland, Heidi Klum and Kate Upton, the LA Times reported.
The spread features 22 different Barbies and was shot by Walter Iooss Jr., according to the LA Times. This will be the first time Barbie will appear in the magazine.
Barbie has been a bestseller since hitting shelves in 1959 wearing a black and white Chevron bathing suit but has encountered a slump in sales recently, the LA Times reported.
Barbie can be seen in some pictures posing with her impossibly long legs end in heels, her arms placed sassily on her tiny waist, according to the LA Times. To mark the debut, Mattel is issuing a collector doll to be sold exclusively on Target.com.
Since her inception, Barbie has explored some 150 careers and become a $3-billion brand, according to Mattel, the LA Times reported.
"This program is about underscoring who you are, being unapologetic about who you are and celebrating that alongside all these great women and legends who are more than just pretty faces," said Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni, according to the LA Times.
About eight months ago, Mattel reached out to Sports Illustrated in regards to a collaboration shoot, the LA Times reported.
"While we are first and foremost a brand that talks to girls, Barbie's an icon," Chidoni said, according to the LA Times.
"She very much has a place in societal conversation as well -- we're always talking to multiple audiences," Chidoni said in regards to the publication which reaches about 17 million women, the LA Times reported.
