New York Fashion Week celebrates Barbie
Razorback Runway
Natalie Johnson
Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: Lifestyles
The fantastical world of Barbie was brought to life in a fashion show to celebrate its 50th anniversary last Saturday.
Models strutted the runway in outfits from designers as diverse as the 50 years that Barbie has been around. The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City always brings the latest, most dramatic fashion to the runway, but this show encompassed current artists' unique interpretation of decades of fashion.
Debuting on Valentine's Day, the second day of the weeklong fashion party, the show was the main event of the day.
Barbie herself has given America one of its most steady fashion icons over the years. Since the doll's introduction as the "Teenage Fashion Model" in 1959, girls of all ages have seen Barbie as the symbol for beauty. Although plastic, the diva has sported the most symbolic fashion of her times every year.
When ball gowns were popular, Barbie was the grandest princess. When miniskirts hit the fashion market, Barbie wore it with a midriff shirt. When people just started wearing one-strap, Barbie went strapless. In a fashion dream world of its own kind, this Barbie runway challenge calls designers to combine what Barbie represented as fashion to them while growing up and how they dare to represent it with their fashion now.
To uphold the integrity of the perfect image Barbie has enjoyed for 50 years, the world-renowned designers had to create a image that is, like Barbie, timeless but fresh. Fifty of the best designers in the world were to come up with one outfit for a Barbie model. The style of the show changed with the designers, but big hair, big bangs and big ponytails of the 1950s Barbie were strongly represented throughout.
One of my favorite designs was by Nanette Lepore. She designed a hot pink sweetheart dress decked out in roses and tulle with a brooched black, cropped jacket. Lepore's look instantly gave life to what I would depict as a timeless Barbie. With all the different lively interpretations of fashion in this show, the guests surely shared the magic of Barbie. Fashion Week will continue until Friday. Photos and videos are available at Mbfashionweek.com.
Models strutted the runway in outfits from designers as diverse as the 50 years that Barbie has been around. The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City always brings the latest, most dramatic fashion to the runway, but this show encompassed current artists' unique interpretation of decades of fashion.
Debuting on Valentine's Day, the second day of the weeklong fashion party, the show was the main event of the day.
Barbie herself has given America one of its most steady fashion icons over the years. Since the doll's introduction as the "Teenage Fashion Model" in 1959, girls of all ages have seen Barbie as the symbol for beauty. Although plastic, the diva has sported the most symbolic fashion of her times every year.
When ball gowns were popular, Barbie was the grandest princess. When miniskirts hit the fashion market, Barbie wore it with a midriff shirt. When people just started wearing one-strap, Barbie went strapless. In a fashion dream world of its own kind, this Barbie runway challenge calls designers to combine what Barbie represented as fashion to them while growing up and how they dare to represent it with their fashion now.
To uphold the integrity of the perfect image Barbie has enjoyed for 50 years, the world-renowned designers had to create a image that is, like Barbie, timeless but fresh. Fifty of the best designers in the world were to come up with one outfit for a Barbie model. The style of the show changed with the designers, but big hair, big bangs and big ponytails of the 1950s Barbie were strongly represented throughout.
One of my favorite designs was by Nanette Lepore. She designed a hot pink sweetheart dress decked out in roses and tulle with a brooched black, cropped jacket. Lepore's look instantly gave life to what I would depict as a timeless Barbie. With all the different lively interpretations of fashion in this show, the guests surely shared the magic of Barbie. Fashion Week will continue until Friday. Photos and videos are available at Mbfashionweek.com.
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