Ace designer, Anita Dongre collaborated with Mattel to create a contemporary look for Barbie for festival of Diwali.
The most happening month of the season is around the corner, and everyone has turned themselves into festive mode. But for the ace designer, Anita Dongre, this festive season came with a surprise when she was assigned the task of turning the famous doll Barbie into a desi avatar. Anita has collaborated with the makers of Barbie, Mattel, for the first-ever limited edition of the Indian Barbie.
In an interview with Vogue India, Anita spoke about the collaboration and said it was the first time that she had designed something for a doll. According to her, designing an attire for a doll is a meticulous task, as every detail has to be precise and thoughtful. The scale is smaller, so the measurements have to be accurate.
Anita thought about many attires for the doll, from sari to sharara. But the designer zeroed down to a contemporary look, which consisted of a bloom lehenga with intricate jasmine and lotus motifs. The lehenga was paired with a blue-coloured tube top and sleeveless coatee. Anita has used Rajasthani print with elements of pichwai. Revealing why she used a contemporary look, Anita said:
“It had to be about what young girls are wearing today,” she says, “I wanted it to be very now, very global.”
Unlike the usual pink, which is iconic to Barbie’s look, Anita opted for navy blue for the doll. Apart from the attire, the doll sports middle-partitioning hair, which is again symbolic to India as many Indian women opt for middle-parted hair. With kajal, darkened eyebrows, tainted lips, and bindi, Anita created a wholesome look.
Not to forget the accessories, which also stood out. Though Anita has chosen minimalistic accessorise to symbolise modern Indian woman, but her pick perfectly blends with Barbie’s attire. Talking about the same, the designer said:
“I wanted the accessories to be minimal, modern and Indian. Hence the simple gold bangles, and classic chandbali earrings, with the idea of representing the fashion-forward Indian woman of today.”
While prepping for the designing and sketching Barbie’s look, Anita was confident that the look would focus on young, confident, contemporary woman who is proud of her roots. Elaborating on her thoughts behind the creation, Anita shared:
“It is the young India,” she says, “She is a symbol of empowerment to young girls reminding them that they can be both. Look at how much change is happening in our country – she represents the India of today. I wanted every South Asian child to look at this Indian Barbie with pride – that was very important to me.”
What do you think about the Indian Barbie? Let us know.
Also Read: AND India's Founder, Anita Dongre's Journey From Two Sewing Machines To Rs. 1400 Crore Fashion Brand