Finally, an Actually Cool Barbie Collab
Barbie just got a stylish new makeover and — surprise — there’s not much pink involved. In celebration of Barbie’s 65th birthday, Mattel’s famed doll is showcasing a new style in collaboration with “cool girl” brand the Frankie Shop. The limited-edition collection honors decades of Barbie’s legendary style, but reimagined with a modern, Frankie Shop twist.
Frankie Shop founder Gaëlle Drevet jumped at the chance to present Barbie with a new look of today with Frankie Shop’s best-selling signature pieces, including the brand’s renowned oversized blazer. “To be honest with you … thinking about Barbie in an oversized blazer was like a pinch-me moment,” Drevet told the Cut from Paris over a Zoom call. “Oh my God, I’m not gonna see her waist anymore. She’s just going to be like that cool chick wearing oversized clothes. I’m in for that! I also wanted her to look a little bit more mature without looking like her grandma.”
Talking about collaborating with Mattel on the Barbie-themed looks, Drevet explained how she wanted this to be something completely different from what you would normally expect from Barbie, however, still timeless looks that reflect Barbie’s growth as a woman in today’s world.
“Barbie is a toy for kids, but I wanted to create a doll that was a little bit different and that can be different as well. She owns her clothes, she owns her size, she owns her behavior or irreverence or that type of stuff. So I think this was really the goal,” Drevet said. “[Mattel] also came to us because they appreciated the clothes that we sell the style we had. It wasn’t about just doing a pink blazer … I do not have pink on my mood board.” But “anti-pink” she is not. Clarifying, Drevet said, “I actually love touches of pink.” (Some pieces have a touch of pink on the cuffs. The collection’s main color is burgundy, which Drevet calls “Frankie’s version of pink.”)
Other pieces in the collection include the sleeveless Eva T-shirt, with its sharp shoulder-pad silhouette, the effortlessly chic slouchy Hayla jeans, as well as a bold suit style for all the Kens out there, an oversize, gender-fluid bomber, and several “One of a Kind” logo tees, some with chevron designs — a nod to the classic Barbie pattern.
Making its debut during Paris Fashion Week, the collection will be available to purchase online at thefrankieshop.com or at the collab’s specially curated pop-up in Paris starting Wednesday, September 25th. The immersive retail experience will feature larger-than-life activations like an illustrator that can draw your Barbie self, a life-size Barbie box for photos, and a “One of a Kind” selfie mirror. Visitors will also be able to see the collection modeled on the three, one of a kind dolls, featuring two Barbies, one with salt-and-pepper hair, and a curly brunette Ken, designed to showcase the uniqueness of the Frankie customer. Let’s go, Barbie!