August 17, 2023

The Barbie's power on fashion in this Summer 2023

Home INDIGO BLOG The Barbie's power on fashion in this Summer 2023

Source : Roman Vsugon on Unsplash.com

The Barbie's power on fashion in this Summer 2023

Have you heard of "Barbiecore" ? This term refers to the aesthetic inspired by Barbie. The Barbiecore is mainly conspicuous by the abundance of pink, as a way to reclaim this stigmatized shade. This phenomenon has been massive since the announcement of the release of the film with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

The origin of Barbie and her popularity in the whole world

Barbie, in full Barbara Millicent Roberts, an 11 inch (29 cm) tall plastic doll with the figure of an adult woman that was introduced on March 9, 1959, by Mattel, Inc., a southern California toy company. Ruth Handler, who cofounded Mattel with her husband, Elliot, spearheaded the introduction of the doll. Barbie’s physical appearance was modeled on the German Bild Lilli doll. Since the doll’s inception its body has incited controversy. In response to consumer demand, in 1961 Mattel brought out Barbie’s ultimate “accessory”, her boyfriend, Ken.

Now, Barbie is the most famous doll in the whole world. Since her birth, Barbie has won the hearts of little girls from generation to generation, with more than 58 million Barbie dolls sold each year in more than 150 countries around the world.

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Barbies under display at the 'Barbie a Cultural Icon' exhibit in Las Vegas, Nevada.(Gabe Ginsberg/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/Getty Images via AFP)

The universe of Mattel's most famous figurine is invading the fashion and beauty industries, as well as Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram, more than ever. This is particularly evident in the Valentino fall-winter 2022-2023 show, which took place in March 2022 in Paris, in an entirely candy pink scenography, to serve as a backdrop for the 81 passages, 3/4 of which were in the same color (the few others were entirely black).

We can also mention Balmain, which launched a line of ready-to-wear and accessories in January 2022, playing with the brand's iconic pink and a monogrammed labyrinth pattern. This is also accompanied by three NFTs, sold at auction. A first for Barbie in the digital world. This ready-to-wear line is made up of 70 pieces that skilfully mix the universe of the mythical doll with that of Olivier Rousteing, artistic director of the brand. A pop-up store in Dallas has even been set up for the occasion. “Together Barbie and Balmain write a new chapter in the history of fashion and toys”. It is with these words that Richard Dickson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mattel, describes the collection with the fashion house Balmain.

Since the release of the Barbie movie on July 21, you may have noticed the abundance of pink in stores, it's a massive phenomenon, especially in the fashion industry. So, simple doll or real fashion icon?

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