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#barbiecore back with a bang from the ’80s
Barbie — the fashion icon has been inspiring us since the ’50s with her pink style aesthetics
Barbie — the fashion icon has been inspiring us since the ’50s with her pink style aesthetics. This year, Barbie has yet again infiltrated pop culture with the latest trend #barbiecore that has got 6.9 million views on social media. Of late, many celebs, including actor Megan Fox, reality TV star Kim Kardashian, model Hailey Bieber, rapper Machine Gun Kelly and singer Lizzo have been rocking pink outfits effortlessly. Director-actor Greta Gerwig’s upcoming film, Barbie, featuring actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, can be credited as one of the purveyors of the trend, too. “With the new film, Barbie, this trend is going to get bigger. It is reminiscent of the ’60s, frosty pastel colours, big hair, footwear, pretty pink outfits,” says fashion designer Rina Dhaka.
As the name suggests, Barbiecore is inspired by Barbie dolls, especially from late ’90s and early 2000s. “In a way, it’s very Y2K fashion with the dominance of pink. When I style celebs, I think of Reese Witherspoon (actor) from Legally Blonde (2001) or the Barbie song by Aqua (Danish-Norwegian music group). It could be metallic pink like Megan Fox or bubblegum pink like Kim Kardashian,” says stylist Pranita Shetty.
Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, in collaboration with Pantone, dedicated his entire A/W 2022 collection to pink. Designer Nachiket Barve says that pink has been a very prominent colour this year: “A pair of funky accessories is enough to mix and match. You can experiment with hot pink, peachy pink, florals and bodycon dresses in pink.”
Fashion influencer Kritika Khurana adds, “Since people couldn’t experiment with different styles and trends during the pandemic, they go all out with whatever floats their boat, and some people love feeling fancy and extra.”
“Being a 90’s kid, Barbie was a huge part of my childhood. It’s so nostalgic to see it making a comeback. I loved the transition of barbie from something that’s just for children to an aesthetic that’s so elevated that it has taken Instagram and the red carpet by a storm. I’m glad to see some of my favourite celebrities rocking the Barbiecore aesthetic. It’s been something I’ve wanted to do since I was a child just dressed up in all pink looking pretty. In-fact I’ve already tried it for my Instagram content and I’m so happy that my audience loved it as much as I did. Truthfully, I can’t wait to wear it out too,” says Digital Content Creator, Aashi Adani. For GenZ Fashion Content Creator, Aryaki Joon, Barbiecore is very nostalgic. Instead of a new aesthetic or style, it’s more of a sub-section as barbies were really popular in the media in the early 2000s. “We will be seeing a lot of styles from Y2k being repeated with more focus on pink, glitter and blonde hair. I think this particular shade of pink that’s been promoted with barbie-core looks great on Indian skin tones and is the perfect pop of colour for any outfit. Right now would be the perfect timing to jump on the bandwagon and surrender your wardrobe to barbiecore,” she explains.
How to ace the look
Pink - Opt for bodycon dresses, mini skirts, halter neck tops, flared pants, babydoll dresses, etc. in bright pink shades.
Lycra and spandex - Go bold with a pair of pink lycra pants and a matching top and heels. Athleisure Opt for sportswear in bright colours.
Makeup - Keep it minimal with nude makeup.
Hair - Go for a killer blow dry. Accessorise your hair with pearl headbands.
Inputs by stylist Akshay Tyagi
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