A “dream come true” for creative director Olivier Rousteing

French luxury fashion house Balmain has teamed up with Barbie to unveil their new partnership which celebrates both fashion and culture. In a genderless collection for adults inspired by Barbie and Ken, creative director Olivier Rousteing of Balmain has forever altered his childhood memories. In Rousteing’s words, it is a “dream come true.”

The very first thing you’ll notice is all the pink. But in place of Barbie’s signature bubblegum shade, Rousteing’s palette ranges from the softest pastels to the strongest hues. The collection  features a 90s-era Barbie logo set against Balmain’s most recent marinière and mesmerizing Labyrinth patterns, showcasing diverse the beauty found on today’s Parisian boulevards. Most importantly, it rejects any arbitrary gender limitations, emphasizing that the toys aren’t exclusively meant for any gender. With pink being the dominant color in this collection, the house points out that anyone can wear pink.

The ready-to-wear collection with accessories encompasses over 50 pieces in a multicultural and inclusive campaign.  In addition, Balmain and Barbie include three NFTs starring a cast of CGI dolls showcasing the unisex collections. The NFTs will be auctioned off on January 11th via the Mattel Creations website. The partnership embodies two firsts: The first surprise fashion collaboration of the year, and the iconic doll’s first venture into the NFT world.

Rousteing has shared that it’s a lot more than just a commercial project, it’s emotional for him. He revealed to the New York Times that he felt shame for playing with Barbie dolls as a child. “Having Barbie in my Balmain army, making a collection inspired by her where there are no boy clothes or girl clothes, is my small revenge. I think Barbie represents a joyful dream world. There’s nothing wrong with a dream. But let’s push the dream—not the dream of the 1950s or 1960s, but 2022.” He also admitted the fact that he’s able to create a collection with Barbie today shows how the world has changed, and how good it feels to create without judgement.

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The physical collection launched on January 13 via the Balmain website, Mattel Creations and offline retail stores, while the NFTs will be auctioned from January 11 to 14 in a mintNFT format.