Robbie’s costumes pack the same playful punch as Kim Kardashian on social media in skintight Balenciaga tights and a cropped pink bomber jacket,actor Lana Condor at the MTV Awards in Valentino tights with platform heels that would challenge Barbie’s bent feet,and Megan Fox at an LA documentary premiere in a Nensi Dojaka minidress. Gosling has surprisingly stiff Kencore competition from Fox’s partner Machine Gun Kelly,in a cropped pink and blue top from Asian American designer Chet Lo.
BritishVogue has declared it aBarbiecore summer in the northern hemisphere and Australian designers are ready to bring living doll energy to their collections in the coming months. AtAustralian Fashion Week designer Mariam Seddiq heavily peppered her extensive show with Barbie pink suits and dresses.
“I am a tomboy,so Barbie doesn’t resonate with me personally,but I have certainly dressed some Barbies in my time,” Seddiq says. Along with Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Jessica Mauboy atthe Logies,Seddiq has worked withThe Voice’s Rita Ora and Delta Goodrem. “When Rita Ora wore my candy pink two-piece that was definitely a Barbie vibe.”
“When people ask me for the Barbie treatment,it’s about helping them look like they have a magically snatched-in waist. It’s a move away from the androgynous look to something feminine,with prettier silhouettes,blazers with nipped waists and the celebration of that hourglass silhouette.”
While it’s impossible to avoid using the term “pretty” when talking about pink,Seddiq says there are ways to celebrate Barbie’s strength and intelligence while embracing the trend. After all,Mattel recently released Barbie versions of tennis champion Naomi Osaka,formerpolitician Julie Bishop and the Queen,who wear pink sparingly.
“For me,it’s about making sure that there’s an edge to pink looks so that they’re not sickly sweet,” Seddiq says. “I would love to dress Barbie in one of my suits with the sharp padded shoulders. I’d probably add a cravat and pocket chain to really push things along.”