Why Barbie fashion is the exciting trend we need now

But, while Ms. Stein’s position is ringing in their ears, many women are embracing her barbicorn aesthetic, reminiscent of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s clad and neon-clad dolls, with their blonde hair, tiny waists and perma-pointed, stiletto-ready legs.

Only in June, we saw the trend on Kim Kardashian, who went platinum blond and posted a snapshot of herself in the form of rose Balenciaga on Instagram; And on Megan Fox, in a bright Nessie Dojaka dress with a pink coif, Fiance Machine Gun Kelly. Lizo loves her. Ditto Katie Sturino, founder of beauty company Megababe, comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, Glenn Close and many other women whose shapes, ages and backgrounds are not represented in iterations of Barbie.

Among those women is Chrissa “Sparkles” Villanueva, 32, a Los Angeles Pilates instructor, clothing designer and content creator who modeled Barbie as a teenager. “As a first-generation Filipino-American, I struggled with my identity,” she says. “And despite the stigma, Barbie was someone I looked up to because she could be whatever she wanted to be,” she said, referring to Barbie’s countless roles and incarnations. After a recent divorce, Ms. Villanueva transformed her living and working space into a complete Barbie Dreamhouse. She is dressed in long pink from head to toe and her rescued three-legged toy poodle with Foo-Foo’s tail and ears is professionally colored with cotton candy.

Undoubtedly, the trending hit is “Barbie” for the upcoming summer movie. Pictures of the stars, the normally stunning Margot Robbie and a six-pack-clad Ryan Gosling, have been released in recent months. Those actors aren’t the most critical choices to play Barbie and Ken, but the signing of Greta Gerwig, who has made female-centric films including 2017’s “Lady Bird” and 2019’s “Little Women,” is less expected. Associate Secretary. “Margot Robbie is inextricably linked. [with Barbie] It’s based on her physicality,” said Mattel President and COO Richard Dixon. “Greta Gerwig’s combination, however, adds passion and intelligence.

While the trend isn’t called Barbiecore — a hashtag that currently has more than 26.5 million views on TikTok — the ultrafeminine, fuchsia-fueled fashion would have emerged with or without the film, argues Saisangeet Daswani of trends-intelligence firm Stylus. She appears as part of the Dopamine outfit: sportswear in electric colors that inspire and bloom with joy. Marina Laroude, New York founder of the famous shoe brand, says, “The world is very serious now… more than ever, women are using fashion to please them.” She incorporates Barbie-ish wear (including her pink-platform collaboration with Mattel) into work and play outfits.

Perhaps this kind of fun style has been brewing for months since Versace debuted pink satin platforms at its Fall 2021 show in March of last year. But Beth Buccini, owner of Kierna Zabet, a New York-based fashion shopping barbicore, insists, “It started off really well at the Valentino Fall 2022 show we saw in March.” With a hot-pink backdrop and every magenta hue imaginable, that runway romp was a sophisticated take on Barbiecore before it was even a trend.

Los Angeles stylist Erin Walsh, who dressed actress Anne Hathaway in sparkling pink Valentino for the brand’s Rome couture show in July, has doubts about the narrow-minded Barbies of her youth. Still, she can get behind today’s Barbiecore trend. “Turning his mind to himself, he used power in a [Barbie-like] Exaggerated femininity,” she said. “And how exciting is that at a time when some of our basic rights are being taken away?”

Kayo Gamber, a professor at George Washington University who focuses on gender and sexuality, also sees the trend as disruptive. “When I started teaching women’s classes…I felt like we were getting excited about a lot of fashion trends,” she says, referring to sky-high heels and miniskirts. In her youth, heels and pantyhose appeared as her “uniform. It was how young women should dress. She now sees fashion as a “practical space. You can put on that Barbie fashion today, but tomorrow you can wear overalls. It’s a wonderful place of restoration where you can see yourself in different ways instead of being defined in one way.”

Sarah Hoover, 36, a New Yorker writer, has been coveting Barbie-esque items for 20 years and today mentioned her love for soft marabou jackets, 32-inch mini skirts and platform heels. In a sense, she said, “throw your hands in the air” is annoying. The rock and hard place she believes women are caught between: “Either I play with the tropes you gave me and get in trouble, or I don’t play with them, and then I’m not hot,” she said. . For Ms. Hoover, a dress that reflects a heightened sense of femininity is “a small act of resistance.”

Whatever your inspiration, Danish brand Gani creative director Diet Refstrup advises Barbiecore beginners to start with a simple, classic outfit, like a sweater jacket in pink, and counter with something “rough” like jeans. Jodi Khan, VP of luxury fashion at Neiman Marcus, who launched the hot-selling Barbie x Balmain collection earlier this year, suggests accessories (think shoes or bags) for a low-commitment base. And New York designer Sally Lapointe offers an unexpected way to wear the color Lapointe as a bestseller “Pink Power Dress” (pictured). Like Ms. Refstrup, Ms. Lapointe, who once shaved Barbie’s head, amps up the pink piece with bold accessories like black combat boots.

As our Ken story proves, Barbie—core and otherwise—doesn’t just speak to women. “I’ve been a Barbie girl my whole life,” says Jeremy Scott, who designed Barbie’s spring 2015 collection for Moschino. “I love her as a body, as an icon, as a toy, as a means of change,” he says, referring to the ever-increasing range of dolls Mattel has released recently. “I love when you pluck her feathers. Maybe people feel a little rude because they like it, like, ‘I have to be serious. But I can’t help it. It’s very interesting.

3 levels of Barbiecore, from Laid-Back to All-In

1. Cold corals

No need to channel the ’90s board game “Barbie Queen of the Prom” to master the Barbiecore look. According to Kirna Zabet House Buccini, these flares and other relaxed pink pieces are top sellers.

2. Power packs

New York designer Sally Lapointe is selling this bright magenta dress as part of her Fall 2022 collection. The brand’s designer, Piotrek Panzczyk, says he consciously walks the line between good and bad taste, which Barbicor represents with playful accessories like these crystal earrings.

3. Next level neons

If you’re looking for a Barbiecore piece, believer Sarah Hoover suggests the Valentino platforms worn by Anne Hathaway. The sweater’s fuchsia mini and neon accents also incorporate tongue-in-cheek Barbie style.

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