ISLAMABAD
\nMargot Robbie and Ryan Gosling\u2019s Barbie releases on Friday. But for the past few weeks, it\u2019s been Barbie\u2019s world: from Barbie clothes to Barbie-themed mansions.
\nIt\u2019s all about Barbiecore
\nBarbiecore is back and stronger than ever. Pink everywhere last year, following Valentino designer Pierpaolo Picciolisending the hot hue down the catwalk in March 2022. It captured the zeitgeist, as consumers were freed from pandemic restrictions and tossed offtheirloungewear. \u201cDopamine dressing\u201d \u2014getting outfitted to feel as well as look good \u2014took hold.
\nThe economy darkened since, and the mood has shifted. Prints have become quieter and the silhouette has morphed from midi-dresses to more figure-hugging styles. Well-cut classics, quality basics and muted colors are in demand for men and women. Think cashmere rather than Barbie\u2019s beau Ken.
\nAll pink everything
\nBut with the frenzy around the movie, consumers are rediscovering their love of bright colours, as well as the prints that costume designer Jacqueline Durran has chosen to dress Barbie in. Add in the fact that many of Barbie and Ken\u2019s outfits hark back to the \u201880s and \u201890s, the latter era refusing to enter the fashion graveyard, and the Barbiecore hashtag has racked up over 500 million views on TikTok.
\nBarbie trend on social media
\nSearches including the term Barbie are up 271 percent in the past two months compared with the preceding period on the Lyst fashion platform. Searches for \u201cgingham pieces\u201d have increased 72 percent.
\nIt helps that the movie\u2019s release and the pre-launch marketing blitz have coincided with the onset of summer, when many people are thinking about their vacation wardrobes. A bout of warm weather on both sides of the Atlantic has encouraged consumers to shopfor summer staples.And what better to hit the beach in than a retro pink two-piece?
\nBarbie tops to mansion
\nFor Barbie-maker Mattel Inc., there is much riding on the movie \u2014primarily reviving sales of Barbie dolls and accessories.Demand for all toysboomed during the pandemic, but the industry cooled as lockdown rules were lifted and inflation and economic malaise set in.But how well the movie does matters more broadly to the consumer sector.Mattel has struck partnership deals with more than 100 companies.
\nYou can buy Barbie clothing and accessories at retailers including Gap Inc. and Associated British Foods Plc\u2019s Primark, the discount retailer that is expanding across the US, and you can find Barbie cosmetics at L\u2019Oreal SA\u2019s mass market NYX. There are Barbie dog coats, rugs and roller skates. In a special promotion, you can book a stay in Barbie\u2019s Malibu DreamHouse, a multi-colored mansion, on Airbnb Inc. And Birkenstock gets in on the act too, with a cameo in the movie.
\nAldo Group Inc.\u2019s shoe collection is the most wanted Barbie collaboration right now, according to Lyst. Given that the Barbie bandwagon \u2014or rather, the pink Chevrolet convertible \u2014has been rolling into town since photos of Robbie and Gosling rollerblading on Venice Beach were leaked a year ago, it\u2019s not surprising that companies want to get on board.
\nQuirky collaborations, such as with Crocs, whose own aesthetic blends well with Barbie\u2019s, create a buzz. But there is a multiplier effect from Mattel and Warner Bros Discovery Inc.\u2019s huge marketing effort. That means more bang for your Barbie buck.
\nAs companies try to navigate the culture wars, the movie has struck a sweet spot too.
\nBarbie embraces diversity
\nThere is something wholesome and nostalgic to Barbie, yet the feminist retelling makes her more relevant to today\u2019s audiences. In her world, Barbie characters are presidents, doctors and lawyers. Ryan Gosling\u2019s Ken, who still clings to dated gender norms, is relegated to the supporting role, flipping the usual Hollywood dynamic on its head.
\nThe movie embraces diversity too, with Barbies of different skin colours and body shapes, as well as a transgender Barbie, reflecting the doll\u2019s own evolution.
\nYet Barbie and Ken are still archetypal male and female characters. So the movie is pushing boundaries but not too much to make brands uncomfortable, particularly in the wake of backlashes against Anheuser Busch InBev SA\u2019s Bud Light over its collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and Target Corp. over its Pride Collection.
\nThe products themselves bring excitement to retailers\u2019 ranges. They\u2019re a way to draw fans wanting a gingham pajama set or logoed bucket hat to stores or websites. While they are caught up in the movie-mania, they just might put a regular item in their basket too.
\nSpecial ranges are usually limited edition. And that\u2019s a good thing, because while the aesthetic reigns supreme right now, this might be Barbiecore\u2019s last hurrah.
\nHot or \u201chyper\u201d pinkhas already peaked, according to trend forecaster WGSN. Retailers have increased bright pink products this summer by 1 percentage point, compared with last year, it says. But more of these are being, with only 9% going out-of-stock at full price, below the clothing average of 13 percent.
\nWhile US inflation cooled sharply last month, offering fresh hope that the Federal Reserve can wrap up interest-rate hikes andavoida recession, borrowing costs are set to remain elevated in Europe. The UK faces a mortgage time bomb.
\nThat\u2019s hardly the environment to see shoppers splashing out on exuberant fashions. Sober styles still look more in line with the consumer mood.
\nBut for the next few weeks, it will be Barbie\u2019s world and we will all be living in it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling\u2019s Barbie releases on Friday. But for the past few weeks, it\u2019s been Barbie\u2019s world: from Barbie clothes to Barbie-themed mansions. It\u2019s all about Barbiecore Barbiecore is back and stronger than ever. Pink everywhere last year, following Valentino designer Pierpaolo Picciolisending the hot hue down the catwalk in March 2022. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":343798,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82,4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-343786","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n