It seems like everyone just can’t get enough of Barbie these days! The upcoming Barbie movie starring Birds of Prey actress Margot Robbie as Barbie and The Gray Man actor Ryan Gosling has gained a lot of attention since the film’s announcement by Warner Bros. Pictures. With new details about the Barbie movie coming out, from cast members to pictures of on-set filming, the hype for one of the most beloved doll lines is growing by the minute online. And the upcoming movie even has managed to cultivate a new trending fashion style: Barbiecore.
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This hasn’t been the first time Barbie has affected the fashion world. Many celebrities have dressed like the popular Mattel doll before, such as Anya Taylor-Joy with her all-pink ensemble for the 2021 Venice Film Festival and self-proclaimed “Black Barbie” Nicki Minja with her many past stage costumes. But what exactly is Barbiecore, and how has Barbie, as the doll, influenced the new fashion style?
What Is Barbiecore Exactly?
In short, the style behind Barbiecore is inspired by the doll itself. However, there’s more to the story. Some fans of Barbiecore see the fashion aesthetic as empowering since they are essentially embracing seemingly feminine aspects associated with the doll, such as the color pink or one’s interest in fashion, which society sometimes mocks or looks down upon. As such, the biggest styling cue Barbiecore takes from the popular Mattel doll is, of course, her iconic pink color. Though, Barbiecore also tends to incorporate other bright colors like blue, yellow, and purple.
Clothing with frizzles, glitter, and plush is also commonly found within Barbiecore. Since Barbiecore also has its roots in nostalgia, many of the clothing, make-up, and hairstyles are similar to the fashion of the late 90s and early 2000s — a particular decade in fashion that is on the resurgence at the moment. Graphic crop tops, miniskirts, teeny tiny purses, plastic hair clips, and giant platform heels are only just a few of the things commonly worn within the Barbiecore fashion.
Celebrity stylist Britt Theodora explained to CNN that Barbiecore’s popularity started on the runway with Valentino’s Pink PP Collection for the 2022 to 2023 fall and winter season.
“From a fashion perspective, the trend certainly skyrocketed after Valentino showed their fall 2022 collection,” Theodora told the outlet. She further said that the collection was all made up of “shades of hot pink that creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli developed directly with Pantone.”
It was then only a matter of time before other designers and brands followed suit by making their own pink Barbie-inspired clothing and accessories. French luxury fashion house Balmain, for example, partnered with Barbie to create an exclusive set of NFTs and a fashion collection. Several fashion pieces from the partnership can be found at various retailers, including the Balmain website which sells the pink Jolie sunglasses. And Forever21 has a whole dedicated collection filled with Barbie-themed clothing and accessories.
It also can’t be ignored that Barbiecore has flourished online since the announcement of the Barbie movie, with celebrities and influencers dressing in the trendy fashion style. Even Mattel itself caught on to the Barbiecore trend, calling out the aesthetic on their official TikTok page.
What’s The History Behind Barbie As A Fashion Doll?
Considering how fashion has always been a part of the Mattel doll’s history, the rise of Barbiecore fashion makes total sense. Barbie, also known by her full name: Barbara Millicent Roberts, was first introduced to the public in 1959 at the American Toy Fair in New York City by the co-founder of Mattel, Ruth Handler. According to History, Handler was inspired to create the doll after watching her daughter play with paper dolls of adult women. From that, she saw how there was a gap in the toy market for little girls to imagine endless possibilities for their future.
When Barbie made her debut, she wore a striped black and white bathing suit with white sunglasses, gold hoop earrings, and a high ponytail. The main inspiration behind Barbie’s initial appearance came from the German comic script character-inspired fashion doll Bild Lilli. Similar to the Barbiecore aesthetic, Barbie’s fashion style took inspiration from popular stars of her era like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor.
When fashion designer and illustrator Carol Spencer became the woman behind arguably some of Barbie’s greatest looks for Mattel in 1963, she got fashion inspiration from the world around her. According to an interview with Insider, Spencer explained how many of Barbie’s fashion looks were influenced by the clothing people wore in Rodeo Drive, California—which was a few blocks from Beverly Hills—and early European fashion houses.
As Barbie went through the years, gaining more professions and changes to her looks, she would get her first celeb makeover in 1967. According to the official Barbie website, the first celebrity Barbie doll was modeled off the British fashion model Dame Lesley Lawson DBE, aka Twiggy. The Twiggy Barbie doll wore the iconic make-up and blond short-cut hair of the fashion model along with a yellow, blue, and green color-blocked dress and yellow gogo boots. And this won’t be the last time Barbie got direct fashion and make-up looks modeled after a celebrity.
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In 1984, Barbie collaborated with Dominican fashion designer Oscar de la Renta for her first fashion partnership. The designer clothing line adored Barbie in pink, blue, and yellow glittery and metallic clothes. Interestingly, the same clothing style can be seen in the Barbiecore fashion aesthetic as well. Barbie would get various fashion collaborations in the following years, with 2009 marking Barbie’s first time on the runway in New York at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The show featured models in Mattel doll’s looks throughout the decades, including her debut 1959 outfit, as well as many styles influenced by Barbie from various designers still popular within the Barbiecore aesthetic such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein.
As time went on, Barbie’s fashion style evolved along with the inclusivity of the brand as shown with the 2016 Fashionista line introducing dolls of all different skin tones, sizes, and heights. An Instagram page, @barbiestyle, is dedicated to showcasing Barbie as a fashion vlogger and public figure.
Will There Be Any References To Barbie’s Iconic Looks In The Upcoming Movie?
Fans already have pointed out several outfits Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling have worn during the movie’s shooting which reference looks the Barbie doll has worn in the past. Robbie’s and Gosling’s western getup, with Robbie’s being the classic Barbie pink color and Gosling’s being in white and black, seem to reference the Western Cowgirl Barbie and Western Cowboy Ken dolls from the 80s.
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Fans online have also noted how Robbie’s and Gosling’s retro skating outfits look similar to the ones worn by the Hot Skatin’ Barbie and Ken dolls from the mid-90s. When Warner Bros. Pictures announced the movie release date with a picture of Robbie in a pink Corvette on Twitter, the star’s outfit seemed to share some resemblance to the 1971 Malibu Barbie doll.
When Will The 'Barbie' Movie Come Out?
The Barbie movie is planning to make its debut on the big screen on July 23, 2023, so mark your calendars! It’ll be directed by Greta Gerwig, who also worked on Ladybird, and will feature some familiar seen stars like Kate McKinnon, Simu-Liu, and Will Ferrell.
Next: Everything We Know So Far About The Long-Awaited Barbie Movie
