As a kid, I rarely ever played with Barbie dolls. Sure, I went through my stage where I had a couple of Barbies and even a cutesy Dream House, but my older brother (who had nothing better to do than taunt and torture his kid sister) would often decapitate my dolls and throw the heads out the window or something equally mean and ridiculous. Besides, even back then, I was pretty demanding about my dolls' sense of style, and there just weren't enough Barbie outfits to fit my finicky fashion tastes (not to mention that their "ethnic" dolls just looked like tanned versions of the original). Over the years, however, Barbie has become quite the trendsetter, inspiring A-list designers and makeup artists. And thankfully, the dolls available reflect the multicultural nature of our society — just looking at the dolls pictured above, I marvel at the array of skin tones, hair colors, and hair types. If Barbies had looked like this when I was a little girl, it would've been an altogether different story.
To reflect the brand's new modern flavor, Mattel just released the Barbie Basics collection, which features twelve dolls, with each model wearing a different interpretation of the little black dress (LBD). Check out the Iman look-alike (pictured at top, second from left), with her knee-length, one-shoulder dress or peep the retro-loving diva to her right with her funky beehive. If you look closely, you'll notice even the Barbie dolls' makeup is risky and sultry — some dolls have dramatic cat eyes or blood red lips, while others are rockin' a smokey eye or nude lipstick. Heck, I may have to really stare at these Barbies for some hairstyling inspiration! Bottom line: these LBD-loving gals are ready to take on the town!
In celebration of the new Barbie Basics collection's launch, twelve CFDA fashion and accessories designers were asked to create a couture ensemble for a Barbie doll and to ensure that the final look was consistent with his/her aesthetic and point-of-view. Among the designers involved, you'll find Rachel Roy (whose doll is outfitted with a one-shoulder teal blouse and a flirty yellow skirt), Tory Burch, Isaac Mizrahi, Monica Botkier, Kate Spade's Deborah Lloyd. These one-of-a-kind, custom-made Barbies will be auctioned off on Ebay starting today, December 28th, at 10 pm EST. The auction runs through February 7th, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting CFDA education and internship programs and initiatives.
Bids start at $100. Visit Ebay.com to check out the dolls and vie for your own runway-ready doll!
