See It: 13 Fashion Designers Give Barbie a Haute Makeover

The woman who does it all, that’s Barbie, Mattel’s iconic doll. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed doll made her debut back in 1959 and has since evolved tremendously throughout the years. Today’s Barbie represents more than 50 different nationalities and has successfully navigated from a career in architecture to veterinarian, journalist, astronaut, and even fashion designer in just a few years.

On September 26 and 27, Barbie will be the center of attention at an exhibit taking place in a private mansion, Le Molière, in Paris. It is at this exhibit that 13 dolls will be flaunting their haute makeovers by fashion designers. 10 other dolls immortalized by Studio Harcourt Paris will also be presented at Le Molière. It should come as no surprise that this dedicated exposition will be run under the banner of cultural diversity.

“My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be. Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.” – Ruth Handler (creator of the Barbie doll)

2015 has been the year of fashion for Barbie. Now, fashion is nothing new to Barbie, it’s a story that’s already more than five decades old, but this year, the doll has taken another significant step with the “Barbie Fashionista” line. The “Barbie Fashionista” line dolls come in 8 skin colors, 14 face shapes, 18 eye colors, 22 hair styles, and 23 hair colors. And yet another fashion development and something that we’re sure Barbie is absolutely loving, are her new jointed ankles. This allows her to change shoes as she pleases.

The second half of 2015 marks an additional momentous fashion event for the esteemed doll, the unveiling of 13 Barbie dolls who have received makeovers by famed fashion designers. Albertine, AmishBoyish, Balzac Paris, Ba&Sh, Carolina Ritz, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Heimstone, Maison Kitsuné, Laure de Sagazan, Modetrotter, Roseanna, Sakina M’sa, and Stouls have all designed unique outfits for the doll. Ten examples from the “Barbie Fashionistas” collection have also been photographed by the renowned Studio Harcourt Paris. The photos will also be presented at the highly anticipated exhibit at Le Molière, in Paris.