Late actress Farrah Fawcett’s 1976 photo in a striking red swimsuit is already a pop culture icon, but now it will be immortalized in doll form. Taking the favourite Charlie’s Angel star’s famed poster pose as inspiration, the Farrah Fawcett Barbie Doll wears a red swimsuit and sits against a backdrop of a striped Mexican rug.
Famous poster has sold 12 million copies since its 1976 debut. The iconic image features Farrah wearing a red swimsuit (which is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution), dazzling smile, and her famous flowing, feathered hair. Fresh and stunningly beautiful, this image catapulted her to superstardom and made her an International cultural icon.
Mattel’s Barbie Collector Farrah Fawcett doll, a three-dimensional rendition of the poster, right down to the one-piece red bathing suit, gold necklace and striped beach blanket, went on sale in mid-July, retailing from $34,95, and are already sold out on a number of websites. Part of the proceeds from the sales will go to the Farrah Fawcett Foundation. Alana Stewart, who was Fawcett’s close friend for more than 30 years and is the president of the Farrah Fawcett Foundation said, We’re all very excited about it, it’s a great tribute to her and part of the proceeds go to the foundation to benefit cancer research and help people.
The Charlie’s Angels icon set up her own charity organisation, the Farrah Fawcett Foundation, in 2006 after she was diagnosed with anal cancer. After chemotherapy failed to arrest the spread of the disease, Fawcett eschewed further mainstream medical treatment, seeking alternative treatments in Germany, some of which were illegal in the US. The star lost her battle with cancer in 2009 at the age of 62 but left a legacy in the form of the foundation, which provides funding for unconventional cancer treatments, trials and prevention.