By Allen Voivod
Barbie doll may have debuted in a black-and-white swimsuit in 1959, but there's one color with which she'll forever be associated: Pink! And a very specific shade of pink - PANTONE 219 C, to be precise.
But why would a fashion icon and trendsetter like Barbie ever limit herself to just one shade of her signature color? That's part of what's driving Senior Director of Barbie Design Robert Best to play with the palette in his latest series for Barbie, The Pink Collection! It's a bold celebration of classic Barbie glamour, notably influenced by on-trend fashions, and continues this season with Barbie Pink Collection Doll 2.
She picks up the narrative that began with Barbie Pink Collection Doll - Pink Premiere earlier this year, and challenges that previous convention by adding a certain sparkle to the style. Together, the two make a fierce statement – that the hottest haute couture looks are born from daring decisions.
When we asked Robert about his design choices and inspirations, what we discovered is that he takes a very holistic approach to his work. "The color of the dress will go a long way in determining things like the color of the makeup," he explains by way of example. "Similarly, the jewelry design works as a compliment to the total look. A successful design combines all these elements together harmoniously."
As for exploring the possibilities that pink has to offer, Robert says, "I opted for a darker pink color to distinguish [this doll] from the first doll. The silhouette is also more restrained, with a body-hugging bodice and dramatic ruffled flourishes." But it wasn't all about the pink this time around. "I wanted to mix up the idea of just head-to-toe pink," he adds, "so I incorporated a sparkly element by way of the silvery micro sequins on the bodice and a very glam suite of silver and rhinestone jewelry."
Featuring a Silkstone doll body, Barbie Pink Collection Doll 2 wears a stunning asymmetrical look featuring a double-tiered, ruffle satin gown. The gown’s ruched bodice is cinched with a brooch and sparkles with silvery micro sequin details. Dazzling drop earrings complement her side-swept hairstyle, and silver glitter stiletto heels and opera-length gloves are elegant finishing touches.
To present her in her best light, we turned to two experts in their fields: set designer Lars Auvinen and photographer Paul Jordan. "We really wanted to celebrate the color 'Pink' with these fashion dolls," Paul says. "Early on, Robert, Lars, and I met to discussed the direction for this line. We all agreed that the [photo set] space didn't need to be literal. Instead, we gravitated towards it celebrating the color pink. We wanted an elevated and modern feeling of couture . Lars, who designed the set, came up with the idea of layers of pink on pink with a high gloss feel. Out of that design concept, and with the use of reflective materials and colored plexiglass he delivered a set that embodies a lux feeling of pink couture!"
But they're not just thinking about this doll as their designing these photos shoots! Lars adds, "We kept the set design similar to the first doll. Our intention is to have a cohesive group of shots over the duration of the doll line. Our initial discussions and directions were to keep a clean, modern, transparent, reflective nature to all the shoots. The dolls have very vibrant colors, and the sets need to complement those colors."
And when she arrives in your collection, it will be in the same kind of doll box as with the previous doll in the collection. It's a modern design, simple yet elevated, from Key Lead Packaging Designer Vicky Gevorkyan. "It’s really about designing around the doll to make her look her best, and approaching the project as a luxury item," she says, which is exactly the treatment a high fashion doll like this one deserves. "The initial concepts for the packaging design were driven by the packaging team – both design and engineering – and then shared for feedback among the entire [Barbie Signature] team."
The result is a premium window box with a high-gloss finish, also in pink (of course!), with rose gold foil accents. A silk bow and a magnetic closure complete the elegant presentation.
Barbie Pink Collection Doll 2 is a Gold Label doll, available now for $125 in our online shop. There's a limit of three (3) per person while supplies last. If you missed out on the early years of Robert's previous collection – the historic and epic Barbie Fashion Model Collection – then you owe it to yourself to start fresh and add this pink prize to your collection today!
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.