How Golden Globe-Nominated ‘Barbie’ Took Over Fashion This Year
Awards season is almost upon us and “Barbie” is leading the charge. On Monday morning, the Blockbuster film earned nine Golden Globe nominations, including best picture for comedy or musical, as well as best actress for its star and producer Margot Robbie.
The Greta Gerwig-directed film has earned more than $1.4 billion worldwide to become the highest grossing film in Warner Bros.’ 100-year history. It’s the highest-grossing film ever from a female filmmaker at the domestic box office, and is the largest worldwide film release of 2023.
But the movie hasn’t only made waves in entertainment. The “Barbie” effect has seeped its pink into the fashion industry, too. This summer, a number of brands have capitalized on the film’s popularity among consumers — with Birkenstock seeing an direct impact, for instance.
In the film, there’s a critical scene where Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) presents two options to Barbie (Robbie). Choose between staying in the perfect world of Barbieland, represented by a pair of sparkly high-heeled pink pumps, or, pick Birkenstock sandals, representing the real world to remedy Barbie’s existential crisis. “You can know the truth about the universe,” says Weird Barbie with the Birkenstocks in her hand.
While Birkenstock is one of the few brands that didn’t formally collaborate with Mattel on an official “Barbie” collection, the rise in demand for Birkenstock sandals as seen in the scene from the movie was evident. So much so, in a prospectus document filed in September for Birkenstock’s initial public offering, the sandal maker said the “breakthrough of modern feminism” has been a benefit to the brand. At the time of “Barbie’s” release, searches for Birkenstock Arizonas sparked a 110% increase, according to Lyst.
And that was just one brand. From Crocs to Vans, “Barbie” collaborations have been raking in the dollars this year as many others took advantage of the rising “Barbiecore” trend and consumer’s gravitation towards the color pink.
Aldo launched the ultimate Barbie shoe collection in June, marking the footwear brand’s first-ever collaboration with the iconic character, having teamed up with Mattel, Inc. for a limited-edition line. The capsule was filled with footwear, handbags and accessories as seen in ranges of pink: Malibu Fuchsia, Malibu Pink and Soft BB Pink.
Luxury fashion capitalized on the moment, too.
During the “Barbie” press tour, Robbie leaned into the iconic character. Throughout her appearances and red carpet arrivals, the actress recreated the Mattel doll’s original outfits through the decades. To mimic Barbie’s iconic heels, Robbie and stylist Andrew Mukamal worked with Manolo Blahink to create custom pairs for each look.
And this is just the start. As awards season begins and “Barbie” looks to garner an Oscar nod for Best Picture, this won’t be the last we see of pink on the carpet or in our closets.
