<p>Ken is turning 60, two years after his best friend Barbie did.</p>
<p>Mattel launched a reproduction of the original Ken doll on Thursday to commemorate his 1961 debut. That slender doll with blond felt hair wears a red bathing suit and comes with red sandals and a yellow towel. Over the years, Ken’s body type, hair textures and fashion choices have become more diverse.</p>
<p>The company said it is working with several fashion designers to celebrate Ken’s birthday and showcase him as an influencer. The designs will be viewable on Instagram with the handle <a href="https://www.instagram.com/barbiestyle/">@BarbieStyle</a>.</p>
<p>“Ken, much like Barbie, has always been a reflector of the times that he lives in,” said Robert Best, Barbie senior director of design at Mattel. The original, clean-cut ’60s version of Ken became much groovier over that first decade.</p>
<p>“I would say Ken is a good friend and a best friend, a supportive best friend to the Barbie doll,” Best said.</p>
<p>The original Barbie, launched in 1959, also came in a bathing suit, a minimalist strategy to encourage consumers to buy outfits and accessories. </p>
<p>“That was really what the play pattern was, that you bought a single doll and then you would add the different fashions to play out the different careers and roles the dolls would play,” Best said.</p>
<p>Best said Mattel sold 76 million dolls last year, numbers that “show that Ken is an important part of that world and contributes to Barbie’s success.”</p>
<p>Barbie and Ken were named after the children of Mattel founders Elliot and Ruth Handler.</p>
