2009 marked Barbie’s 50th anniversary, with Mattel releasing special-edition dolls like Then and Now Barbie, Generations of Dreams Barbie and perhaps the most surprising… Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken.
The doll, which was priced at $82, “exemplifies fantastic Palm Beach fashion,” according to Mattel. Channeling the tropical flair of designers like Trina Turk and Lilly Pulitzer, Sugar Daddy Ken’s get-up included a green damask print blazer, a pink button-up and white pleated slacks. His golden blond hair has started fading gray, and unlike many Ken dolls, he comes with an accessory: a toy dog on a hot pink leash.
The Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken was reportedly part of the adult Barbie Collector Line. However, the name had a different meaning than one could think.
His posh puppy is where Sugar Daddy Ken actually gets his name from. Ken’s West Highland Terrier is named Sugar. “He’s Sugar’s daddy, as a reference to the dog,” said the same Mattel spokeswoman to the New York Post in 2009.
Ken’s flamboyant ensemble seemingly references Slim Aaron’s “Palm Springs Party.” Many of the photographer’s subjects were socialites and celebrities, as reflected in his 1970 shoot at the Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs, California.
On the right, you’ll notice a man whose green and white suit is strikingly similar to Sugar Daddy Ken’s.
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A younger version of Ken will be featured in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming “Barbie” movie, which will premiere on July 21. Ryan Gosling plays the real-life version of the doll alongside Margot Robbie as the iconic Barbie.