ION Orchard Brings Childhood Dreams to Life At House of Dream

House of Dreams, a first-of-its-kind exhibition, will be a fun, glamorous and star-studded showcase featuring over 600 Barbie dolls set against the landscape inspired by the Barbie Dreamhouse.

THURSDAY, SEP 29, 2022

LIFESTYLE

Singapore, 29th September 2022 – ION Orchard has partnered with Mattel and Jian Yang, an entrepreneur and avid Barbie doll collector, to create the House of Dreams, a month-long multi-concept exhibition from 19 September to 21 October 2022. Showcasing over 600 unique Barbie dolls — each with its own unique story and purpose - this will be the largest ever public showcase of Barbie dolls in one location in Singapore.


The first-of-its-kind exhibition here, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, will feature a stunning collection of Barbie dolls, set against the landscape of the Barbie Dreamhouse. Visitors can also take turns being real-life Barbies in the Barbie box photo booth.


Ms Yeo Mui Hong, Chief Executive Officer of Orchard Turn Developments, said, “We are honoured to be able to curate an exhibition of this scale, bringing together the best in fashion and lifestyle – two elements that have long been associated with ION Orchard. It is also our biggest event since COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed, with many different showcases, themes, and fun activities for shoppers to take part in. As part of our continuous effort to promote sustainability, the exhibition will also feature Barbie dolls dressed in outfits created by Jian Yang using our past years’ Christmas gift wrappers and Chinese New Year red packets. We are excited to bring the childhood dreams of our shoppers to life through the House of Dreams, and we look forward to a series of year-end celebrations including Black Friday and Christmas.”

“With more than 200 careers, Barbie aims to take on aspirational and culturally relevant roles. The collaboration with ION Orchard’s ‘House of Dreams’ provides an avenue to show girls they can be anything they want to be and to inspire the limitless potential in the younger generation in Singapore,” said Murat Ariksoy, General Manager of Mattel South Asia.


All the dolls in this unique showcase are from the collection of Singaporean Barbie collector, Jian Yang, who owns one of Asia's largest collections of over 12,000 dolls. His book, #FlushableFashion, features dolls dressed in couture creations made of sustainable materials. He uses his 12,000-strong collection as a base for his proprietary craft of #FlushableFashion, where he makes doll couture out of sustainable materials.


Jian Yang said, “I have been collecting Barbie for over 30 years and it’s a privilege to be able to share a curated selection of dolls in the dream location of ION Art. Barbie has always been close to my heart because she embodies a strong empowerment message – that you can be anything you want to be. It’s through this lens that I’ve now achieved things beyond my wildest dreams – from publishing a book, to speaking on global platforms about mental wellness, to becoming an international media personality. These are some of the things Barbie encouraged me to pursue, and I hope that everyone that visits this House of Dreams will dare to dream.”

The House of Dreams will be open to the public from Tuesday, 20 September 2022 to Friday, 21 October 2022 at ION Art gallery, L4, ION Orchard, from 10am to 10pm.
Pink is the New Black - An Eco-friendly Workshop

Join an exclusive session with Singaporean Barbie collector Jian Yang, on a paper couture workshop to design and create your own unique Barbie outfit from upcycled materials, for you to take home.
The workshops will be held on 24 September 2022 and 8 October 2022 at two time slots - 2pm or 3pm at ION Art gallery. Limited to the first 20 ION+ Rewards Members per session with a minimum of $100 same-day spend. Participants may register their slot at L4 Concierge Counter from 19 September 2022 onwards.


A Calendar of Play for AllDuring the month-long exhibition, there will also be different workshops held by various brands within ION Orchard. Ranging from beauty and skincare to food and more, these workshops invite participants to different multisensory experiences. Visit ionorchard.com for more details.

Ms Guo Teyi, Director of Retail and Dining at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We look forward to bringing the childlike wonder of play and imagination to Orchard Road through the House of Dreams, just in time for the year-end festivities. We are heartened to see Mattel partnering with ION Orchard and homegrown lifestyle brands and local personalities to put together this exhibition, developing fresh experiences for both local and international consumers. We will continue to support such partnerships and explore differentiated collaborations to profile our local brands and showcase the vibrancy of our retail scene.”
There will be a section dedicated to red-carpet fashion with dresses from international renowned design houses such as Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Christian Louboutin, as well as a collection of dresses created in collaboration with some of Singapore’s favourite local brands, such as Bynd Artisan, In Good Company, Klarra, and Love, Bonito. A special showcase will also feature dolls in upcycled eco-friendly creations specially crafted for ION Orchard. As a nod to inclusivity, the exhibition will also feature Barbies that come from all walks of life, with different skin tones, hairstyles, body types and careers.


Music and movie-lovers will enjoy the star-studded pop culture line-up, including music icons – from all-time favourites like Elvis and Barbra Streisand to current favourites like Shakira and Jennifer Lopez – and superheroes such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Barbies of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra will have visitors reminiscing about old Hollywood glamour. In addition, visitors can expect to see beautiful race-themed Barbies, a timely display with the Singapore Grand Prix season.