The Plastic Girls / Mannequins Archive (1976–2025) brings together one of the most extensive photographic studies ever devoted to the visual culture of shop-window mannequins. Begun in 1976 and continued over almost five decades, this body of work documents not only the changing forms, materials, and manufacturing styles of mannequins, but also the evolving urban landscapes, retail environments, and cultural attitudes reflected in their design.

Unlike traditional fashion or street photography, this archive approaches mannequins as cultural artifacts — objects that embody the aesthetics, aspirations, and anxieties of their time. Their poses, expressions, gestures, and surface treatments mirror shifts in beauty ideals, gender representation, fabrication technologies, and retail psychology. From the fibreglass figures of the late 1970s to the hyper-realistic silicone models of the 21st century, these images reveal how visual mannequins became silent storytellers of modern consumer culture.

Because this archive spans multiple decades, it records transitions that would otherwise be invisible:

• the disappearance of hand-sculpted features;

• the rise of digital prototyping and 3D modeling;

• the shift from stylized forms to hyperrealism and back;

• the global homogenization of window display aesthetics;

• and the gradual blending of mannequins with digital signage and LED installations.

All photographs were taken by Roberto Bigano, whose meticulous and consistent documentary approach also defines other collections within Ikonographia — including the Bugatti Automobili Archive and the NYC Art Deco Interiors Archive . This continuity creates a coherent visual language across subjects: clarity, precision, material awareness, and a deep respect for the object as a cultural document.

In addition to serving as a record of mannequin design, the archive also captures the urban context in which these figures appear. Reflections, street scenes, passing silhouettes, seasons, and changes in commercial districts all contribute to a layered environmental history encoded within the photographs. The result is not only a study of mannequins, but a parallel portrait of cities, economies, and visual habits across nearly fifty years.

This archive continues to grow. With each new addition, it offers scholars, designers, photographers, and cultural historians a deeper understanding of how the human figure — even when represented artificially — reflects the values and visual identities of its time.