It's a breath of fresh air to see hues of pink and purple make a comeback globally since the Barbie film came out and we all agreed that watching it sounds better in pink. Very few movies have enjoyed this kind of fashion influence and hopefully, these outfits will not end up in the back of the closet for nostalgic moments.
I'm a Barbie girl: Spice Diana, Gashumba, and Pia Pounds rock Barbiecore
Barbie sneezed and we caught the barbiecore fashion cold. But unlike the past two years, we won't be needing a vaccine because "Barbiecore is all about embracing vibrant hues particularly the doll's signature hot pink in everyday life. A much-welcomed mood-booster after the last few years," said trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson.
I'm a Barbie girl: Spice Diana, Gashumba, and Pia Pounds rock Barbiecore/Instagram
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Coldplay would change their lyrics from "It was all yellow" to "It was all pink" if they could because all over the world this much pink has not been seen outside Nicki Minaj's music videos.
The trend has been embraced locally by fan favourites singers Spice Diana and Pia Pounds, and socialite Sheilah Gashumba.
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However, there's much more to this trend than meets the eye. Although the pink solidarity has been fueled by the movie, Barbie has been a vehicle of inclusivity, solidarity and empowerment through time.
I'm a Barbie girl: Spice Diana rocks Barbiecore/Instagram
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First created in 1959, Barbie has become more and more inclusive through the decades. In 1969, the first black Barbie doll, Christie, was introduced but Mattel gave Barbie her 21st-century makeover as part of its 2016 #TheDollEvolves campaign.
As part of this makeover, she now comes in curvy, petite, and tall frames and in a variety of skin tones and hairstyles.
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"And with many nostalgic for simpler, sunnier, and more carefree times, it only makes sense that this '80s-inspired, unapologetically pink aesthetic is taking centre stage as the 'it' style of this season," Johnson added.
I'm a Barbie girl: Sheilah Gashumba rocks Barbiecore/Instagram
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As of 2020, the Barbie Fashionistas line features 176 dolls, both male and female, with nine different body types, 35 skin tones, and 94 hairstyles. In 2022, the toy company expanded its diverse Fashionistas line and added a doll with behind-the-ear hearing aids, a doll with a prosthetic leg, as well as a Ken doll with vitiligo.
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Barbiecore breaks down stereotypes and is a statement on feminism according to Los Angeles-based fashion blogger Chazlyn Yvonne Stunson.
I'm a Barbie girl: Pia Pounds rocks Barbiecore/Instagram
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"I think we have changed the way we think about the stereotypical Barbie girl with blonde hair and the perfect body. Nowadays, we are seeing all kinds of individuals, such as myself, partake in the aesthetic," she said.
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