Versace
Margot Robbie and celebrity stylist Andrew Mukamal showcase Barbie like you’ve never seen her before in the brand new Barbie World Tour book. During the film’s press run, Margot sported several archival Barbie looks created by fashion houses like Schiaparelli and Versace. Since the press run was cut short due to the writer’s and actor’s strike, Margot and Andrew found a fun, playful way to display the rest of her stunning looks. Famous British Fashion Photographer, Craig McDean photographed all the outfits for the Barbie book. His work has been featured in Vogue, W, and Haper’s Bazaar magazine.
The Press Looks
Fabien Baron, who has led editorial direction for top fashion brands and publications, did much of the creative direction for the Barbie World Tour book. On the first page Former British Vogue Editor, Edward Enninful penned a touching foreword on just how impactful the film was and how the costumes express the spirit of Barbie. Edward stated how “Margot is Barbie, and Barbie is Margot. Her iconic looks epitomize the “Superstar Barbie”.
Over the next few pages, we see this conversation between Margot, Andrew, and Former Vogue China Editorial Director Margaret Zhang. Margaret speaks on how Barbie touches pop culture and transcends generations of women. Margot echoed a similar sentiment when talking about how she and Andrew identified what some fashion brands were known for and incorporated it in different Barbie-era’s for the film and press tour.
Andrew spoke about the behind-the-scenes process of selecting designers and marrying the looks well to Margot’s style. He specifically chats about the outfit Margot wore for the Barbie press tour stop in LA that went viral online. Andrew says “The “Solo in the Spotlight” look was one of the first ones, and we decided to pair it with Schiaparelli. Daniel Roseberry has done incredible things in the couture collections, and he obviously loves black, he loves proportion, and he loves drama”. You can see this look and the original sketches from Daniel himself on page 61.
The Designers For Barbie’s World Tour
In the book, Margot chats about her partnership with Chanel and wearing the iconic baby pink Chanel tweed suit that supermodel Claudia Schiffer wore in the 1995 Spring/Summer collection. Plus, several of the classic quilted Chanel bags are featured in the movie and on the book’s cover. The costume jewelry that the Chanel team provided for Margot’s last look in the film was absolutely stunning. The large jeweled stones, with the pearl accents and interlocking C’s make it a well-known Chanel piece.
Barbie and Fashion
Fashion Houses like Chanel, Balmain, Valentino, and many more created some amazing costumes for the press tour. One of my favorite looks is from Versace (pictured above) of the “Day To Night” Barbie. It epitomizes 80’s fashion trends with the knee-length pencil skirt, double-breasted suit, and high-heel pumps to match. Accessorized with the Versace La Medusa handbag and a white fedora, this just completes the look. During this time, more women were working in corporate America and taking on higher positions of power, and from that shift, the “Power Suit” was born.
My second favorite look would be the Givenchy piece Margot would have worn at the Paris press tour. Margot gives off so much grace and class in this look. She wears these beautiful long-sleeve white opera gloves, matching faux fur wrap-around, with a ballon-shaped hem dress unique to the Givenchy house.
Hubert de Givenchy made the balloon hem famous in the 1950s. So re-creating that moment was the best way to pay homage to such a powerful couture house. I enjoyed how the book takes you through the design process showcasing all the sketches, fabrications, and notes many of the designers left. Several of them talked about how Barbies showed the evolution of fashion through the eras. Plus, Barbie inspired Creative Directors like Christian Louboutin in his early years to get into fashion and accessories.
Barbie’s Impact
Thanks to the original costume designer for Mattel and Barbie, Carol Spencer, we have some of the iconic fashions that can be replicated today. She first started working for the toy brand in the 1950s and created countless collections of clothes for Barbie. Carol would pull inspiration from music, pop culture, and street fashion to update Barbie’s personal style. In many ways, Andrew uses a similar process when dressing Margot as the modern-day Barbie.
This 165-page coffee table book is a great gift for a loved one who enjoys fashion and Barbie. Pages filled with amazing costume looks. This is the perfect addition to your book collection. The Barbie World Tour book has received top reviews on Amazon and Target. Many collectors praise how well the fashion represents Barbie.
You can purchase this book at your local retailers like Walmart, Target, and Barnes & Noble. Esteemed publisher Rizzoli, brilliantly collaborated with the creative minds of Andrew and Margot to bring a book that will be cherished for years to come. Overall, this is one of my top picks for a fashion table book and is truly a delight to read.
Want to read more about the Barbie partnerships? You can check out my Aldo x Barbie series and why that collaboration was so successful.