When the Barbie doll first debuted in 1959, she wasn’t wearing pink. Decked out in a chevron swimsuit, her color scheme was more paired-down black and white– with pops of color thanks to her cherry-red lipstick and gold hoops, obviously– than in-your-face hot pink. It wasn’t till years later that the doll’s signature color began to take hold.
” Barbie embraced the full-on pink with the 1977 Superstar Barbie,” states Kim Culmone, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Design for Barbie and Fashion Dolls at Mattel. She cites the 1977 doll’s pink satin dress and matching sparkly boa as the start of what would end up being Barbie’s visual calling card. “The brand then further strengthened Barbie’s pink personality as Barbie began to be offered in packaging,” she includes. It wasn’t until 2008 that Mattel officially focused on Barbie’s signature color, partnering with Pantone to call and declare her exact shade, Pantone 21C.
This year is shaping up to be another huge turning point for Barbie. Thanks to the Greta Gerwig-helmed movie, she’s not simply a doll but a brand name, style icon, and an inevitable cultural force in 2023. You can see Barbie in theaters, dress like Barbie in your brightest magenta, and even live like Barbie in a perfect pink palace if you’re so inclined. We all have Barbie fever this summertime, and the only prescription is more pink.
On the style front, pink has actually been trending for a couple of seasons. “I give a great deal of credit to the FW 2022 Valentino show when Pierpaolo Piccioli debuted an all-pink collection on the runway,” states Rickie De Sole, Women’s Fashion Director at Nordstrom. “On the heels of Y2K fond memories and, of course, Barbiecore, the color has actually had sustaining appeal over the in 2015.”
Valentino Pink, the Y2K revival, and the first viral photos of Margot Robbie from Barbie (rollerblading in Santa Monica, no less) completely set the scene for Barbiecore to capture the fashion world’s imagination. By the summer of 2022, countless celebs had actually appeared in Piccioli’s genius collection on red carpets, and brands started to think of how they could cash in on the Barbie film buzz. Together with TikTok discourse around recovering hyper-femininity, bimbo culture, and “coquette” design, Barbie (together with her pink fixation) was ripe for a return.
We were treated to Barbie collab after Barbie collab, with shoes, handbags, and clothing debuting in every pink on the planet. The Barbie motion picture’s legendary press tour featured a cascade of viral Barbie-inspired looks from Margot Robbie, including archival pieces used by ’90s supermodels, recommendations to some of the doll’s most popular iterations, and even a Kenning moment or two from Ryan Gosling.
” Pink is a classic hue, however we will see an advancement of the color,” explains De Sole about how fashion patterns evolve. Undoubtedly, the Barbie pink infatuation will fade, as does every fashion fixation, and another shade will take its place. Considering Margot Robbie recently used a ruby red bodice gown to the Barbie premiere after-party, this forecast feels particularly prescient.
Laurie Pressman, VP at the Pantone Color Institute, agrees that color trends will undoubtedly proceed. However she’s not so fast to mark down the shade’s withstanding power. “Barbie holds a special location in our culture. There are generations of females who had fun with Barbie as a kid, and while today they may be moms and dads or grandparents, it is a color that takes them back to their youth, creating that feeling of convenience we obtain from fond memories,” she explains. “This type of psychological accessory typically implies the popularity of a color will not vanish quickly, and while it may not be as popular as it is today, it will still stay in the hearts of numerous ladies as it calls a bell.” What’s more, the past couple of months are evidence that Barbiecore is more than simply a color pattern. One might argue it’s a whole motion. It’s part of a bigger cultural push to accept femininity– and, for that reason, not likely to dissipate any time soon.
It’s Barbiecore,” says Culmone. To her, Barbiecore is more about channeling the cheerful nostalgia and daring spirit of Barbie (whether or not your fashion options follow fit).
So the answer to the question is, yes, pink might loosen its grip on the style world in the months ahead. The womanly desire to dress up like Barbie is very genuine. Whether pink becomes part of your closet come fall, this summertime proves our cumulative fascination with Barbie, hot pink, and Greta Gerwig’s imaginary Barbie world will survive on.
