BARBIECORE

Written By Kaitlyn Rutledge

Barbie is knocking down our door this fall—fashionably speaking. Sparkles, hyper-femineity, and that signature pink all found their way into our summer wardrobes and are only gaining traction as the weather cools off. After presentations at New York, London, and Milan fashion weeks this month, it is clear “Barbiecore” is here to stay.

HARPER BRAND STYLED BY HARPER BRAND / IMAGE BY KAITLYN RUTLEDGE/ THE KR PROJECT

In recent celebrity appearances, there have been a number of iconic looks with nods to Barbie. The first of note: Kacey Musgraves in Moschino for the 2019 Met Gala celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion. Erica Cloud, Kacey’s stylist, and Jeremy Scott, Creative Director of Moschino, created this look pulling from Barbie’s over the top and glamourous nature—the essence of the Camp-themed Met Gala.

KACEY MUSGRAVES ATTENDS THE 2019 MET GALA / IMAGE COURTESY DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/ GETTY IMAGES

Valentino has become the brand to beat when it comes to Barbiecore. Not only did the house’s Fall 2022 couture show feature the jaw-dropping work of its creative director Pierpaolo Picciolo, but multiple show attendees’ Barbie-pink looks also turned heads. Of particular note were Florence Pugh, Charles Melton, and Anne Hathaway, all of which dressed head-to-toe in Valentino’s newest magenta pink.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: FLORENCE PUGH, ANNE HATHAWAY, AND CHARLES MELTON ATTEND VALENTINO’S FALL 2022 COUTURE SHOW / IMAGES COURTESY DANIELE VENTURELLI/ GETTY IMAGES

Further, Valentino has recently released it’s Fall 2022 campaign, for the Valentino Pink PP Collection, featuring another beloved A-lister, Zendaya. Picciolo told WWD he chose the Gen Z icon “for the same reason [he] created this [pink] color, [a] beautiful soul that use[s] [her] voice and talent to unify, integrate, build.”

ZENDAYA FOR VALENTINO FALL 2022 / IMAGE COURTESY VALENTINO.COM

Even this week, real-life Barbie Paris Hilton closed the Versace Spring 2023 Ready-to-Wear show at Milan Fashion Week dressed in a fully bedazzeled, pink, cowl neck cocktail dress. The look was completed with a pink veiled headpiece, finger gloves, and pointed toe heels. If this closing “bridal” look isn’t a direct reference to our leading pink lady, I don’t know if anything else could be.

PARIS HILTON’S LOOK IN VERSACE S23 READY-TO-WEAR SHOW / IMAGE COURTESY ARMANDO GRILLO/ GORUNWAY.COM

So, why this Barbie-esque resurgence? After lengthy quarantine times filled with casual trends and dress, many fashion coinsurers are left with an itch for maximalism. Barbie, a historically celebrated and simultaneously criticized figure, represents dressing in whatever makes you your most confident and leaving the boring behind. In today’s climate, we find a new way to define her: the queen of femininity and glamour.

 

Designers, stylists, celebrities, and everyone in between are finding inspiration in Barbie’s aesthetic as they push to discover the new and vibrant. This new-Barbie look is tailored to the individual, no longer reserved for the skinny, blonde woman.

 

For any shameless-lover of pink and individuality, this is the best news: Barbiecore has officially found its niche in the fall fashion space.


xo,

KR



HARPER BRAND STYLED BY HARPER BRAND / IMAGE BY KAITLYN RUTLEDGE/ THE KR PROJECT


 

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Kaitlyn Rutledge
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