For generations of style-minded individuals, Barbie has facilitated a certain kind of imaginative play, allowing us – from early childhood – to explore our sense of self-expression. Through her embodiment of 250 careers (and counting) since her launch in 1959, this iconic doll has instilled the notion that children can aspire to be anything – including leading fashion figures.
For Chet Lo, a graduate of London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins and now one of London Fashion Week’s shining stars, it was Mermaid Barbie that had the greatest impact. ‘I remember the way that she would sparkle underwater,’ Lo tells ELLE. ‘These particular memories have heavily inspired me within my career.’ This influence is visible in Lo’s collection palettes, where the familiar Barbie pink intersects with the turquoise and lilacs of Mermaid Barbie’s twinkling tail. ‘Everything I do now has accidentally always gone back to her and the sea somehow,’ he adds.
While the impact of Barbie on Lo might unintentionally seep into his work, plenty of other designers have taken things a step further to pointedly reference the incomparable influence. Consider Jeremy Scott’s viral SS15 collection for Moschino, which took on all of the most identifiable signatures surrounding Barbie and reimagined them as ready-to-wear, life-sized outfits. Natty skirt-suits, pop-out accessories and even a roller-skating model traversed the catwalk to celebrate her numerous abilities and pursuits.
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Fashion’s obsession with Barbie has snowballed since that moment; the world’s most beloved mononym has become a frequent collaborator with bright young things such as Matty Bovan and Michael Halpern. At the latter’s SS23 show, the more glamorous side of Barbie was celebrated with a collection of cocktail dresses made as much for the runway as for the DreamHouse.
These fresh forays might allow this new generation of designers an excuse to play again, but Barbie has long looked to fashion’s biggest names to contribute to her unrivalled wardrobe, which boasts pieces by everyone from Ralph Lauren (a navy double-breasted suit in 1996) to Juicy Couture (capturing a very Noughties moment in time). There have been collaborations with Versace (a lace-up corseted gown in 2004), Rodarte (four layered dresses in 2018) and even wedding gowns by Carolina Herrera and Vera Wang.
In 2022, Balmain released a 50-piece Barbie-inspired collection for adult devotees of the brand, modelled by avatars representing the diversity of its audience. The capsule included three NFTs of one-off looks that were auctioned online, extending the reach of Barbie into the digital collectibles space.
While these looks from the world’s leading purveyors of fashion are vital in maintaining the reputation of Barbie as the best-dressed doll (or doctor, pilot, chef, tennis player, etc), it’s ultimately those that dress her day to day that are the most significant. Would the fashion designers of the moment be so keen to collaborate if they didn’t already know and admire her stylish aesthetic?
Other cultural touch points, like last year’s award-winning Barbie movie or the exhibition currently on at London’s Design Museum, also prove how captivating this dream universe remains.
‘The Barbie team draws inspiration from a range of resources, including high fashion, street style, social media, entertainment, celebrity and pop culture,’ Robert Best, vice president of Barbie Design, tells ELLE, explaining that designing at a smaller scale provides more possibilities: ‘The practical applications and limits of clothing worn by people do not apply,’ he says. ‘While it is important that there are elements that relate to real clothes, we have a lot more freedom and ability to explore a wider range of themes – for example, astronauts – when it comes to dolls.’ It’s a fantasy that no doubt countless real-life fashion designers would relish playing with from time to time.
As with a catwalk collection, Barbie designers begin by sketching her head-to-toe look. ‘We then build a 3D prototype that encompasses all aspects of the doll: the hairstyle and face paint, the clothing, and even the teeny-tiny accessories,’ says Best.
‘Designing for Barbie is a dream come true,’ says Mattel’s Dena Miller. ‘Every day brings you back to a simpler time of being a kid, imagining and playing. We designers feel
a responsibility to make sure the next generation falls in love with the magic of Barbie just as we did when we were little.’
The designers do have favourite Barbies, of course. For some, it’s those they’ve worked on, for others, it’s those recalled from happy memories. Sarah Cioffi, designer of the first Curvy Body Barbie, which was featured on the cover of TIME magazine, admits her favourite era is the late 1990s, and her favourite Barbie is Nichelle from the Generation Girl range. ‘The dolls were iconic. I loved the way each girl had a personality and details to match,’ she says.
Carlyle Nuera, designer of Mutya Barbie, which channels the glamour of traditional Filipino beauty pageants, adds that when it comes to Barbie, the best is yet to come. ‘My favourite Barbie is in the future,’ he shares.
This forward-looking approach is innate to Barbie and is the reason for her decades-long relevancy. ‘Fashion is an ever-changing art that is most exciting when it reflects the new voices and ideas in culture,’ says Best. ‘Barbie will always be evolving alongside, embracing the latest technologies and trends.’
Since 1959, Barbie has helped girls raise their voices, tell their stories and realise that they can be anything they want to be
