50 years ago today, David Bowie released his career-defining single, ‘Space Oddity.’ A track that catapulted Bowie into the highest echelons of superstardom. To celebrate the momentous milestone, Mattel has released a special edition Barbie doll.
The doll pays homage to Bowie’s eternally-iconic Ziggy Stardust character — sporting the signature sparkly space suit, platform boots and painted nails. The doll is also detailed with the golden circle makeup Bowie wore throughout 1972-1973. The doll retails at $50; check it out here.
“Barbie honors the ultimate pop chameleon, English singer, songwriter and actor, David Bowie, whose dramatic musical transformations continue to influence and inspire,” Mattel shared in a statement. “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.”
‘Space Oddity’ was originally released in 1969. In March, legendary skate-shoe brand Vans dropped a sneaker capsule collection honouring the late musician.
The line featured four of Vans’ most popular shoe styles, with each silhouette featuring a colourway that paying homage to a different Bowie record, including The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Blackstar, Aladdin Sane, Hunky Dory and Space Oddity.
Watch: David Bowie – ‘Space Oddity’
In January, it was revealed that footage of the first-ever David Bowie performance as Ziggy Stardust had been discovered. The footage was thought to be lost forever, after it was accidentally wiped by a technician attempting to convert to performance to digital.
However, one fan captured the performance on a home video recorder. Over the years the tape has degraded, but restorations are in place to attempt to recover the footage.