By Emma Di Salvo
When the official Barbie trailer dropped in June 2023, the world became pinkified. We were reminded of our favourite and iconic Mattel doll and couldn’t get enough. This would be the first time fans could see Barbie in a live-action movie, and it’s fair to say the level of excitement was high!
When it was released, viewers turned up to watch the movie wearing pink, starting a new viral trend, and Barbiecore was unleashed upon us.
But where did it all start? Why is pink associated so strongly with Barbie, and why has this trend taken over in such a massive way?
Why Pink?
Since Barbie first hit our shelves in 1959, she has endured and overcome a lot of criticism. A year before her release in 1958, Mattel tested the idea of Barbie in a market study that consisted primarily of women. There was immediate controversy, predominantly from mothers within the group, claiming that the doll was too sexy. Mattel got past the mothers by advertising Barbie directly to children via television, becoming the first toy company to broadcast adverts designed explicitly for children.
Interestingly, the first Barbie was not wearing pink. She had a very chic black and white number instead. It wasn’t until the 70s that Mattel started putting her in the “Barbie pink” that we know (and love) today. So why the change?
The ’70s was, in many ways, a wonderful time in history, but politically speaking, it was a time of social unrest. The Vietnam War and increasing concern surrounding The Cold War meant people were anxious and desperately needed a distraction. Pink is a bright and happy colour, not to mention popular amongst girls, so it was a logical choice.
Before the 1900s, pink was not associated with femininity; it was a cultural creation. Barbie has most certainly been a driving force behind pushing this ideology even further.
Clever Marketing
It’s not surprising that Barbiecore has become so popular considering the brand’s longevity. Barbie has been around for a long time and therefore appeals to people of all ages, colours and creeds. The signature shade, also known as “Barbie Pink”, is a very specific vibrant magenta, which Mattel is very protective of. While they don’t own the colour, they claim it as a trademark and go after others who use this shade of pink, wanting to keep it unique to Barbie and highly marketable.
With the release of the Barbie movie and some very clever marketing, Barbiecore was a hop, skip and jump away from becoming the viral trend we see today. And it looks like it’s going nowhere soon.
Another reason it has become a popular trend is because it is incredibly easy to emulate. Just wear pink. It really is that simple. The brighter the pink, the better!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been going through all my clothes and have been incredibly happy to find a few pink outfits, including an extremely bright—almost radioactive—pink dress, which I wore proudly to go and see the movie. I was delighted (and relieved) to see that I wasn’t alone. Almost everyone was wearing pink!
I had never seen so many people wearing pink before, but being part of the trend was exciting and fun.
Celebs And Barbiecore
Not that I’m not fabulous, but unfortunately, no one really cares what the average Joe (or Jane) wears. However, when celebrities latch onto a trend, it suddenly becomes even more relevant, and everyone gets incredibly excited.
Here are some of the celebrities rocking Barbiecore:
Paris Hilton: The intriguing Ms Hilton has always been synonymous with pink (not Barbie pink, of course, that’s taken!) She has often been compared to the doll and has even taken credit for the latest trend by stating, quite rightly, that she’s been rocking Barbiecore for years!
Nicki Minaj: Nicki has been calling her fans “Barbz” for a while now. She has also been seen donning the Barbie look on more than one occasion, harnessing her alter ego – Harajuku Barbie! She also features on Barbie’s new soundtrack in a remix of Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” with “Ice Spice.”
Margot Robbie: Naturally, we cannot complete this list without discussing Barbie herself—the wonderfully talented Margot Robbie. In many ways, she is the perfect Barbie; intelligent, beautiful and independent. Not to mention she owns a myriad of rather fabulous outfits!
Barbiecore may be the newest viral trend to take over, but in lots of ways, it’s been here all along; we just didn’t know it! Since the ’70s, Barbie declared pink as her trademark colour, and fast forward to 2023, Barbiecore is an extension of this already-loved product.
Hop on board this colour train, go through your closet, and discover your inner Barbie. Come on, join the party. Minus the plastic, this trend really is fantastic (ah, ah, ah, yeah!)