The Barbie movie premieres in exactly 10 days and it’s safe to say the movie’s marketing department hasn’t had a day’s rest in the past few months.
From partnerships in the Metaverse to building a literal life-size Barbie dollhouse in Malibu, the movie has gone all out in marketing the movie – so much so that even an empty pink billboard is enough to remind you of the upcoming film.
But if the Barbie marketing team works hard, Margot Robbie’s stylist, Andrew Mukamal works harder. The titular Barbie herself has killed every single red carpet look in promotion of the film packed with subtle references to the Mattel doll to outright recreating some of its most iconic looks.
Straight from the silver screen
Margot kicked off the press tour for Barbie in this iconic pink gingham Prada outfit, reminiscent of a prominent look she dons in the film – which Mattel recently turned into a doll. Although this doll was technically inspired by the film, this is one of the first looks from the promotional events that started the Barbie-core momentum, so it deserves a special mention. Margot and Ryan Gosling, took the internet by storm at Cinemacon in Las Vegas wearing these complementary pink outfits, channelling their on-screen characters.
Pink & Fabulous
Margot continued her pink streak on red carpets with this iconic recreation of the Pink & Fabulous doll that Mattel dropped in 2015. Margot wore a custom-designed Valentino mini dress which featured a cross-front detail with a midriff cutout and a halter neckline. White polka dots over the bright pink base of the dress really added to the retro charm of the outfit. She carried a yellow sling bag with the dress and paired it with a pearl bracelet and white pointed pumps, looking every bit the part she was playing. The look took obvious inspiration from one of the dolls from the Pink and Fabulous line by Mattel which included a very ‘pretty in pink’ Barbie doll.
This throwback to the first-ever Barbie
The cast of Barbie took over the iconic Bondi beach, and it was the perfect opportunity for Margot to bring back the first-ever Barbie doll, one that changed the toy industry forever. The first Barbie doll made her debut on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair in New York. In this first model, Barbie was marketed as a “Teen-age Fashion Model” with a zebra-striped swimsuit, signature topknot ponytail, non-removable heels, and detachable sunglasses that could be placed on top of her head, eyes or held in the doll’s hand. Margot’s look at Bondi was the absolute perfect tribute to the doll.
Slaying day & night
Her look(s) at the Seoul, Korea premiere of the film takes the cake for most people – Margot started the evening in a hot pink blazer, white hat, and a rhinestone phone. Halfway through the night, she switched her look to a part-Versace pink dress. Mukamal took inspiration from none other than the 1985 Day to Night Barbie, perfecting the ultimate wardrobe transformation from girl boss to party animal. The original doll was sold in a two-piece suit, but her jacket could be removed and her skirt reversed so she was in a party dress. Mattel also separately sold a Day-to-Night Ken. They originally created the doll to celebrate the women’s workplace revolution of the 80s.
Sparkling in Pink
On her second day in Seoul, Margot attended a press conference in a Moschino take on the 1964 “Sparkling Pink” Barbie. The actress paired her look with a matching pillbox hat and heart-shaped purse. She also wore a pair of open-toe mules by Manolo Blahnik, completing her ensemble with jewellery by Tiffany & Co. The 1964 vintage Barbie came dressed in a pink jersey swimsuit and included an evening coat, wrap skirt, bolero, blouse, hat, shoes and faux pearl earrings. Today, this gift set is highly coveted and extremely hard to find.
90s Earring Magic
For the Mexico City premiere, Margot channelled the 1992 “Earring Magic” Barbie in this Balmain dress and these stellar earrings. wore a pink leather minidress with sheer sleeves and a sheer neckline and a corset bodice, coordinating the dress with pink Manolo Blahnik pumps and accessorized with a chainlink belt with a star charm attached to it. As for the original doll, her companion Ken received more attention than her. The Earring Magic Ken (aka “Gay Ken”) is special because he was inadvertently designed off of queer rave fashion of the early 1990s. When the dolls first hit the stores in 1993, the Ken dolls sold out almost immediately. This was also around the time of the AIDs crisis in the USA, and Ken accidentally ended up becoming a gay icon for the community.
“Totally Cool”
And for the second day in Mexico, Margot served “Totally Hair” in an Emilio Pucci dress and crimped hair. Mattel first launched the Totally Hair Barbie – also known as the Ultra Hair Barbie in Europe – in 1992. The doll’s extra-long hair reached all the way to her toes and at the time, she had the longest hair ever for a Barbie doll at 11.5 inches in length. She is notable for being the highest-selling Barbie doll in history, with more than 10 million sold worldwide.
Solo in the spotlight
And last but definitely not least, Margot rocked the Los Angeles premiere in a black custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture dress a direct inspiration from Barbie’s Solo in the Spotlight dress from 1960. Much of the cast of the film graced the red carpet in pink outfits, so Margot’s black ensemble was the perfect choice to make the titular Barbie stand out. Her blonde hair was styled in a high-ponytail updo with finger curls along the side, and she mimicked Barbie’s glam with a bold red lip and subtle eye makeup. The original 1960s doll exuded pure glamour in a skin-tight glitter knit black formal that moved into a frill of tulle at the hem with a single red satin rose accent. Although not a pink outfit, this ironically might be the most “Barbie” outfit yet.
