From Moschino's fabulously girly styles to Louboutin's iconic heels, Barbie has served as muse time and time again
Aqua’s Barbie Girl is the cultural anthem of the moment, but their lyrics have never been off the mark. I am indeed a Barbie girl, and I would like to live in a Barbie world – because who wouldn’t? Barbie has been an inspiration to millions of people around the globe since she was introduced in 1959, including fashion designers. For many of them, it was playing with the dolls, changing their clothes and accessories, and styling them to their fancy that first kindled their passion for fashion.
Tommy Hilfiger said it best: “Barbie is the quintessential American icon. She represents a woman’s first experience with style, transcending generations, and cultures; she holds a special place in the fashion world and is an inspiration to many designers.”
So in the spirit of the new Barbie movie, and all the crazy collaborations leading up to it (thanks marketing team. No seriously, what was the budget?), let’s dive into some of the most iconic Barbie x fashion collabs.
MOSCHINO
Okay, this had to be number one. Moschino x Barbie’s 2015 runway collection was every girl's dream come true, whether that girl was 8 or 38. Consisting of almost 55 looks, Moschino’s Spring Summer 2015 runway was a celebration of all things girly – from the iconic pink to polka dots, ruffles, big hair, bows, and of course, a little edginess (like the top that was a giant black belt). The Moschino-isms were alive and well, dipped in pink, of course. As Jeremy Scott himself said, “I loved Barbie. Her and I share the same things: We just want to bring joy to people."
The collection was such a success that later that year Moschino collaborated with Barbie once again to release a capsule collection on Net-a-Porter and a set of exclusive Barbie dolls dressed in miniature Moschino clothes.
BALMAIN
In 2022 Balmain partnered with Barbie to release a ready-to-wear collection completely inspired by the doll. "Barbie and Balmain are embarking upon a distinctly multicultural, inclusive, and always joy-filled adventure,” as Olivier Rousteing remarked. Building upon the recent New Parisian Look from Balmain’s previous collections, Olivier Rousteing included almost every shade of pink under the sun, from bubblegum to blush to rouge. Barbie’s signature graphic design elements also contributed to the collection, making it instantly recognisable.
Additionally, Balmain also released an accessories line inspired by classic Barbie packaging and three NFTs that were auctioned off online. The NFTs featured Barbie dolls in miniature Balmain couture.
RODARTE
In 2018 Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mullevey partnered with Mattel to design miniature couture for Barbie, thus joining ranks with the many designers who came before (including the likes of Vera Wang, Yves Saint Laurent, Oscar de la Renta, and more). “We thought it would be fun to pick styles from our Paris Spring 2018 couture show,” said Kate, and that’s exactly what they did. Inspired by their 2018 show, the sisters picked four looks and worked with Mattel to scale them down to doll size. The collection debuted on the BarbieStyle Instagram as one-of-a-kind dolls. It was perhaps a full circle moment for the sisters, as Laura said, “We created runway shows with our Barbie dolls.” And now they’re creating runway shows for real, and even officially designing for Barbie – and if that’s not proof that dreams do come true then idk what is.
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN
Out of all of Barbie’s accessories as a kid, I loved the moldable plastic heels the most. I’d imagine being able to fit into them and flit about the room with an imaginary pair on my feet, so when in 2009 Christian Louboutin collaborated with Barbie it was undeniably a moment. Louboutin worked with Mattel to release a number of Barbie-sized Louboutin heels, complete with authentic Louboutin packaging and everything! The shoes came with the three dolls that Louboutin customised, and each doll got four pairs (oh, what a dream). Upon buying the dolls you’d also get a custom calendar featuring the exploits of Barbie and Christian Louboutin around Paris.
Oh and speaking of dreams, Louboutin also designed a life-sized version of high heels inspired by Barbie. Hot pink and open-toed, you best believe they were an instant success.
JUICY COUTURE
No one can deny that it was Juicy Couture that really ruled the noughties. In honour of the hugely impactful brand, Barbie released two dolls modelled after the founders Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor. The dolls are depicted wearing the uber-popular Juicy Couture velour tracksuits in bright green and hot pink, complete with miniature versions of their pet Chihuahuas and a multitude of shopping bags. “We have so much stuff. Ours really should be obsessive-compulsive Barbie and come with a closet just spilling out with Juicy and Hermès and accessories,” Skaist-Levy said.
KITH
Another interesting collaboration, the worlds of KITH and Barbie don’t often collide – however, in 2019 the streetwear brand joined hands with Barbie to release a double doozy. The KITH Women for Barbie apparel collection featured varsity jackets, hoodies, sweatshirts, accessories, and more in their signature dark palette, but with pink accents and alternatives. They also released their own Barbie dolls! Dressed in a matching tracksuit, the doll comes with a literal rack of athleisure and streetwear – with life-sized versions of each so you go matchy-matchy with your doll.
In the interest of brevity, these were our top picks. However, it is impossible to really choose. Barbie has an insane number of collaborations with some of the biggest names in fashion, and almost all of them are legendary.
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