The gothic bob
Posh Spice, eat your heart out. Melissa’s two-tone bob is an avant-garde take on a 90s classic, the perfect juxtaposition to this Rick Owens-inspired, custom-draped silk-georgette mullet gown with pointy white ankle boots. Like a swirling pool of black lava, this Barbie means business. Tennis bracelet (worn as harness) and sleeper worn as choker from Walker & Hall.

The crimped ’do
Heeled Timberland boots and an irreverent SpongeBob SquarePants print dress give this playfully crimped hairdo on Mandy plenty of whimsy. Layers of Barbie pink and teal make a convincing case for the return of multicoloured hair, currently finding plenty of popularity among Gen Z. Outfit from Barbie’s own collection.

The wet look
A seductive wet hair look will always evoke balmy summer days and a low-maintenance approach to hair that works in contrast to an otherwise glamorous ensemble — like this decadent Ruby gown, ruched at the side with a cascading bow at the nape. Toto complements the gown with a cascading mother-of-pearl necklace and pearl earrings. “Naturally, we started with drawing inspiration from our latest collection, looking to pieces that we could execute well at a miniature scale,” explain the Ruby design team.

“After some brainstorming, we settled on our Ariel Dress, the vibrant pink and dynamic ruching felt very ‘Barbie’. Settling on the Ariel felt right but for this project, we wanted to lean into the whimsy of Barbie’s world, so we finished the piece off with a larger-than-life bow!” Reimagining this Ruby gown at a miniature scale also proved to be a joyful lesson in restraint. “We had to implement the same design techniques we would use for human clothes, on a micro-scale, and it took a few toiles to achieve the best techniques for construction. In the end, Toto was hand-sewn into her forever piece with great love and care.” Pearl studs from Partridge Jewellers and crystal starfish by Swarovski.

Marie Antoinette redux
For his recent collection, designer Simon Porte Jacquemus showcased a collection apparently inspired by the late Princess Diana. Presenting on the grounds of Versailles, the collection’s accompanying campaign for ‘Le Chouchou’ also had other royal allusions — specifically, the towering pompadour hairdos popularised by the court of Marie Antoinette from the 17th century. Here, our model Emily takes on the cheugy appeal of this Eiffel Tower print top and a floral patterned bubble skirt with an unapologetically sunny disposition, supported by this pastel confection of a hairdo, created by Lauren with a fine tooth comb and plenty of hairspray. Pearl studs from Partridge Jewellers. Outfit from Barbie’s own collection.

The punkish spirit
When tasked with creating a look for our model NOM*bb, Margi Robertson and her design team at NOM*d created a look built from iconic separates — a graphic mesh dress, a deconstructed blazer, a bold piece of knitwear.

“We invited NOM*bb to our Dunedin Plume store for a styling session with the Plumettes, she chose her own look,” says Margi. The result is an outfit formula the iconic New Zealand fashion house does particularly well, and we’re inspired by NOM*bb’s slicked-back homage to David Bowie with multicoloured finesse in homage to the brand’s punk roots — right down to her custom earrings, and a chain from Gucci. “We’re inspired by winter layering up for crisp Dunedin mornings — just like NOM*bb.”

The textured afro
Teasing and sculpting Nadine’s hair came easily to Lauren, who found pure joy in creating this head-turning hairdo. Taking inspiration from iconic style figures like Diana Ross, naturally, we opted for a custom metallic gown from Wynn Hamlyn’s latest collection. Designer Wynn Crawshaw’s textural Nadine dress offers plenty of inspiration for mid-winter occasions.

“Our Barbie is wearing a look from our upcoming collection, pre-fall 2023. She’s wearing the Nadine Dress in Dusty Pink, a fun party dress we can’t wait to see hit the streets. We resized the digital pattern of the dress (made it miniature), printed it out and our talented sample machinist worked her magic and the dress came to life.”