Come On Barbie, Let’s Go Party
The time of Barbiecore is now
When it comes to fashion, Margot Robbie is no stranger to stealing the spotlight… but not always in the way you might imagine. At the mercy of the Chanel hands that be, her looks have been a lesson in how not to dress a star of her calibre. So her press tour wardrobe for the highly anticipated Barbie film has been a welcome reminder that Robbie can serve looks when given the chance.
Along with her stylist Andrew Mukamal, Robbie has taken thematic dressing to a whole new level by paying tribute to the iconic Mattel doll's wardrobe of yesteryear. The result? A Barbie-licious parade of outfits that are turning the world pink through nostalgia and a new world appeal.
From a pink leather Balmain minidress inspired by the '90s "Earring Magic" doll worn to the Mexico City premiere to two custom Versace looks reminiscent of Barbie's "Day to Night" 1985 ensembles as seen in Seoul, to a pink Valentino polka dot mini dress in LA and her Australian premiere outfit paying tribute to the first doll released in 1959, Robbies Barbiecore streak is cosplaying as an IRL version of Millennials favourite childhood doll.
But Robbie's dedication to the Barbiecore trend doesn't stop at her outfits. Her custom-designed press tour heels by Manolo Blahnik add a little something extra, solidifying her status as Barbie's real-life counterpart brought to life for the big screen. With Robbie's current roster of fashion choices, pink has become firmly imprinted in the greater collective consciousness.
The rise of Barbiecore goes a little deeper than Robbies press tour wardrobe. Barbiecore, as a trend, reached its peak in June 2022 according to Lyst's "Year in Fashion" report. It’s gone viral on TikTok with the Barbiecore hashtag having over 462 million related videos. And Barbie's firm hold in pop culture led Mattel, the brand behind the doll, to copyright a Pantone shade called Barbie pink (219 C) that’s everything you’d imagine it would be.
Barbiecore is more than just a trend though; it can be viewed as a celebration of female self-expression. Celebs like Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Britney Spears have been known to embrace all things Barbie-esque through hyper-feminine glittery outfits, and films like Mean Girls and Legally Blonde popularised the aesthetic before it was even a thing.
And we can't talk about the rise of all things Barbie without talking about Nicki Minaj, aka The Harajuku Barbie, donning Barbie vibes through her alter ego, on-stage outfits and lyrics, which has led to fandom pages and her cult following nicknaming themselves “the Barbz” - iconic right? FYI for the upcoming movie release, Minaj and Ice Spice collaborated on a “Barbie Girl” remix. It’s the anthem of the summer, or mine at least.
As the world awaits the release of Greta Gerwig's Barbie utopia, Barbiecore has captured the sartorial zeitgeist. It has monopolised fashion with its pink-centric aesthetic infiltrating every space you can think of. Ever since Valentino's 2022 runway show which was very, very pink, monochromatic pink outfits have commandeered the red carpet and taken over street style.
It’s also inspired new collaborations and collections as Donatella Versace teamed up with Dua Lipa on a Barbie-influenced line of clothing, coinciding with Lipa's upcoming role in the new Barbie movie. This fusion of fashion and the doll's iconic style has let the world know it's time to think pink. And apparently, the bolder the hue, the better.
Maybe we are living in a real-life Barbie world, maybe were not. But Barbiecore is happening even if it’s not most people's cup of tea. I don’t think this is a passing fad, instead, it’s more of a mood boost. This is millennial pink on acid. It’s high fantasy, high drama, and the devil is in the ultra-pink details.
Barbiecore and the doll itself comes with its fair share of criticism, however, as it’s often portrayed a very specific idea of femininity. But a modern makeover as part of Mattel’s 2016 #TheDollEvolves campaign sought to change that. The doll has been reimagined now coming in a range of skin tones, shapes and hairstyles, as well as a doll with a prosthetic leg and another with a hearing aid. This is the Barbie of today.
So whether its Hailey Bieber’s 2016 Barbie Halloween costume, Glenn Close in an electric pink suit at the 2022 Met Gala or Khloe Kardashian throwing a Barbiecore birthday party in a latex pink dress, the Barbiecore vibe is here, there and everywhere. It’s permeated culture and has saturated our world in a pink-tinged hue. Barbiecore’s moment is now. So come on Barbie, let’s go party.
Share this post, feel free to comment, and subscribe to Fashion Tingz to keep the conversation going.