By Allen Voivod
Facilitated by Asian Couture Federation. 2021 saw the dawn of a new series at Barbie Signature, with the release of the first-ever Barbie Lunar New Year Doll. For 2022, something utterly wonderful has happened: Guo Pei, one of China’s most renowned couturiers, partnered with Barbie to design the dress and accessories for the second doll in the series!
Barbie Lunar New Year Doll Designed by Guo Pei has arrived ahead of the beloved holiday, and this year, she's a Mattel Creations exclusive! She's available on 1/24/22 for $75, with a three-doll purchase limit so you can add one to your collection and gift the others to Barbie fans who celebrate this festive tradition.
If this is your first experience with a Guo Pei design, we're so excited for you! And if you're already a fan, you'll appreciate immediately how her creation for Barbie doll uses the dress as a canvas for expressing her breathtaking artistic vision. Our global fashion icon wears a traditional Chinese dress in riveting red, symbolizing good fortune and happiness. Featuring Guo Pei’s signature embroidery detailing, the dress comes to life with golden phoenixes representing femininity and grace. Water and wave motifs, traditionally seen on the attire of royalty, symbolize wealth, nourishment, and resilience. Striking phoenix-themed accessories complement her elegant look.
For our first-ever collaboration with Guo Pei, Mattel tapped Senior Product Designer Joyce Chen to realize her vision – and Guo Pei was a very active partner in the process. "Guo Pei personally sent the Barbie team a few different sketch designs, and together we narrowed down on the one we both felt reflected and honored the Lunar New Year holiday the best," Joyce reveals. "Along with the fashion, Guo Pei and her team sent us detailed sketches of the hair accessory, shoes, and the embroidery which we referenced to make her vision of the doll come to life."
The vision for the doll revolved around the phoenix, a mythological bird said to be immortal, rising to life again from its own ashes. In addition to representing femininity and grace, it also symbolizes the passage of time and the cycle of life and renewal – the kinds of things considered a little more deeply during a meaningful annual holiday such as the Lunar New Year. Guo Pei carried the phoenix motif all the way through the design. "For accessories, the most prominent piece is the gold hairpiece sculpted in the shape of a phoenix," Joyce notes. "The phoenix is the main design theme for this doll, and is seen throughout the design of the dress."
Rounding out the design is the choice of face sculpt, which also inspired a new makeup palatte. Joyce explains: "Guo Pei picked the beloved Mari sculpt as her favorite sculpt to use, and the new face paint was also created in reference to the sketches that Guo Pei’s team sent."
With the doll design complete, our team set out to do something new for her photo shoot. Photographer Jason Tidwell also shot the first Lunar New Year doll, on a set that "highlighted the atmosphere and ambiance of the Lunar New Year celebration," he recalls. "This year we’re featuring the work of one of China’s most renowned couturiers. So, our team decided to bring her in-studio for an editorial fashion shoot. We really wanted to highlight the beautiful silhouette and signature embroidery style and motifs, which are inspired by the rich cultural history of China."
Senior Creative Manager Zlatan Kusnoor, who's a frequent collaborator with Jason on these photo shoots, served as the art director for the project. "When I saw the Guo Pei Lunar New Year doll for the first time, the rich red color and golden embroidery took my breath away! I instantly knew I wanted to infuse reds and golds into the color palette of the set design," he says. "The couture yet traditional silhouette of the ensemble also inspired me to take the set creative in more of an editorial direction, versus a real-world environment like we did with the first doll. My favorite thing about what I do is playing with colors and color tonality. The red on red, pops of yellow and gold, and Jason’s fabulous lighting, give her a radiant glow that make her come alive."
Ready to bring Barbie Lunar New Year Doll Designed by Guo Pei home and take her out of the doll box immediately? We wouldn't blame you! But take a moment to enjoy the presentation of the doll you'll receive, created by Senior Packaging Designer Laydiana Chiv. Uniquely matched to the doll's style, the package features an extruded window that stands out from the doll box, to let more light in and really highlight the doll. As for the rest of the box, "Guo Pei is known for her beautiful pattern design, and we wanted to celebrate this by using it all over the packaging," Laydiana says. "And to give it a touch of luxe, we added some golden accent foil."
The Lunar New Year is celebrated by more than a billion people around the world! You can create your own tradition within this amazing celebration by adding the Barbie Lunar New Year Doll Designed by Guo Pei to your collection, and by gifting one to a special Barbie fan in your life. The first doll in the series sold out, so don't miss this new opportunity!
Designed by: Guo Pei
Facilitated by: Asian Couture Federation
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