This week, the fashion world’s going batty for Barbie, the plastic princess who, despite having turned a half a century old, is still celebrated worldwide for her fabulous looks and life.Designers had fun on the catwalk with their interpretations of Barbie fashion, and for most it didn’t seem to be a stroll down memory lane.
Fashionista has posted an array of photos that represent a nice pu pu platter of shows.
Frankly I expected to see a lot more flowing blond hair, courtesy of wigs or extensions and a bazillion shades of pink. There was a little of that here and there, but for the most part, it seemed as though the designers were afraid that kind of look would be too predictable, so they went the opposite route: Barbie with pinned back hair, Barbie with understated clothing, Barbie not smiling.
What a pity! I mean honestly, the theme is living doll and you come up with this?
I swear sometimes even brilliant designers forget the most important rule of fashion. Which is — have fun!
Otherwise… what is the point?
Moving on, I should probably point out that as a five foot two brunette, I am not nor have I ever been a Barbie looking girl, but having played with the dolls as a kid, naturally she was one of my first standards of what beauty is. As she was for many others, leading to much bleaching and many eating disorders around the globe.
There are many schools of thought as to how dangerous Barbie as beauty icon is—feminists hate her despite the fact that she was a doctor in the seventies and embraced the single life a few years back, with Mattel sending out press releases to announce her split from Ken.
As for me, I think her look is adorable, but I think it’s dangerous when women who are too different from the way she looks try too hard to emulate her. Bottle blond hair is fine. Bottle blond hair, blue contact lenses, breast implants and a face permanently stretched into a smile? Not so much.
Without further ado, here are Pretty in Pink Leopard’s picks for best Barbie Impersonators. Some fabulous, some frightening — none boring.
1. Best Natural Resemblance: Pamela Anderson
First and foremost, credit must be given to Pam, whose Barbie-like looks and locks have landed her on the cover of Playboy many times. She also gets points for capturing the spirit of the Mattel muse by always vamping it up with sexy Barbie outfits and makeup.
2. Trying Too Hard to be Barbie: Lil’ Kim
We’ll give this gal an E for effort, but by trying too hard to not be a black woman, she misses the point of the Barbie fantasy. Being a Barbie girl is about using your imagination, not about literally transforming yourself until you’re a mass-produced piece of plastic. Over the past couple of years, Lil’ Kim’s style has evolved to the point that she now just incorporates just one or two of her old Barbie emulations, whether that’s blonde hair or colored contacts or California girl in a Cadillac clothing, as opposed to doing it all at once. Which is kind of a relief. After all, they make black Barbies for a reason—black is beautiful.
3. Best Black Barbie: RuPaul
Now here’s a bish who knows how to embrace what she’s got in order to properly project Barbie. RuPaul. Pop singer, Mac makeup model and drag diva, managed to make audiences appreciate his male, six-foot and beyond body as he channeled a Barbie look through wigs and makeup and encouraged others to strut similarly and “work the runway, sweetie.”
4. Barbie Re-Interpreted: Dita Von Teese
With skin untouched by the sun and Revlon black hair, Dita Von Teese is hardly trying to look like Barbie. And yet at the same time, she gets what it’s all about. With her elaborate burlesque shows and costumes inspired by the glam looks of Old Hollywood, Dita is the embodiment of a living doll. While she freely admits to being a manufactured beauty as opposed to a natural one (she has breast implants and wears quite a bit of makeup) she captures Barbie by working a fantasy look, but not trying to be anyone but herself.
5. Bringing Barbie Fashion to Life: Lady GaGa
At 22 years old, this pop starlet admits getting inspiration for her often crazy outfits from drag queens she used to share the stages with at nightclubs. The looks don’t often make sense, and frequently border on tacky, but they also bring a sense of fun to a music industry that’s become increasingly dominated by pretty little clones whose sexy looks are made less so due to their complete lack of whimsy and humor.
6. Best Barbie Spirit: Angelyne
Here’s another living doll content to be just that. Ask what Angelyne, known mainly for the billboards with her scantily clad likeness on them seen throughout L.A., does and the response is, “I don’t do. I am.” Another way of saying there’s no taking this girl (age 51, according to her Wikipedia page) out of the pretty plastic packaging she lives her life in. Bonus Barbie points for the Miss Piggy-esque pink clothes and matching Corvette.
7. Barbie Lifestyle: Paris Hilton
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who lives a Barbie life better than Paris Hilton, with her closet full of wacky and tacky designer clothes, menagerie of designer pets, schedule of parties and model-esque body. She’s another one who gets what it means to be Barbie. Love her or hate her for her bimbo persona or penchant for colored fur, it should be noted that she, unlike other Hollywood types, chose to forgo having any surgery that might help her look more like a traditional California beauty. And yet, she’s still a poster girl for fun and fashion without rules.
8. Transformed into Barbie: Amanda Lepore
Now here’s an individual who chose to go the opposite route, transforming himself into a she, and a very mannequin-looking she at that. No attempts to pass as natural, just a desire to be out there, a sort of caricature of the kind of beauty the world expects to see in women. The resulting product is definitely a bit scary, but makes an interesting statement. Namely, "God dayum!"
9. Ageless Like Barbie: Madonna
Another diva who looks great at 50, Madonna maintains a firm Barbie body thanks to a strict, but healthy diet and plenty of exercise and yoga. She now, as she has for the past quarter century, has also managed to keep a fan base of 20-somethings interested, thanks to her ever-changing but always youthful takes on style.
10. Accessible Barbie: Gwen Stefani
Unlike most others who actively try to look like Barbie, Gwen’s got the goods naturally, so when he dresses up in one of her signature funky looks, she’s praised by fans and fashion critics alike. Okay, so the hair comes courtesy of bleach and the body from exercise, but the good news is, anyone else can do that, too. Plus, her outfits, frequently inspired by spa, reggae and punk music as well as what’s hot in high fashion, aren’t overtly sexy, save for her trademark red lips and nails, so they’re appealing to both men and women.
Did PIPpy L miss any contemporary real-life Barbies? Who are your favorites?
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