Pretty In Pink – Barbie Returns

After several years of being rejected, the color pink appears to be back at the top of the fashion world. What does the doll have to do with it?

Not so long ago, the Barbie doll was criticized for the image of the woman it promotes. The pink she promoted was also considered antique, as it encouraged too much gender stereotypes. It’s even gone so far that some Bobo parents have tried talking to their daughters out of pink, and some still do. But fans are ready for the return of color, which was last seen in the heyday of hotel heiresses Paris and Nicky Hilton. Even mid-priced (and trend-oriented) stores like Weekday, a subsidiary of Swedish H&M group, rely on slippery pink swimwear, tops and dresses, of course, including the cowl neckline, much in the spirit of the late ’90s.

The fact that this is the case is because of the luxury brands and celebrities who wear their looks. Simon Porte Jacquemus started it all back in December 2020. At that time, to everyone’s surprise, he launched an all-flower capsule collection. Fashion gurus and fans of the brand were enthusiastic, but there was no effect on the mundane wardrobe of that time. The second part follows a year later. Now Valentino Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli has done the same and trimmed his entire Fall/Winter 2023 collection down to one shade – hot pink! Nuance specially developed for the collection in collaboration with Pantone. It was not uncommon to see looks from the group “Valentino Pink PP” on the red carpets of several awards ceremonies and festivals last season, for example in Cannes.

Pop queen Lizzo also wore a Piccioli look at the start of the talent show ‘Watch out for Big Grrrls’ (where she was looking for background dancers for her world tour) – Pink satin gloves included. One of her dancers commented, “Looks like you just came out of a Mattel box!” As a reminder, Mattel is the company behind Barbies, the world’s second largest toy manufacturer after Lego.