life in plastic, it's fantastic

A few weeks ago, Barbie, our favorite anatomically incorrect doll, turned 50. To celebrate, New York Fashion Week had a show celebrating 50 years of Barbie style.

Designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Marchesa, and Peter Som contributed looks to the collection, and styles ranged from faithful recreations of signature Barbie looks to avante garde interpretations of Barbie's many different incarnations over the years.

My favorite would have to be the very first look, of Barbie's iconic debut outfit, the black and white striped swimsuit:

This is a simple and sexy update that stays true to the original. It evokes memories of playing with my mom's old Barbie, which was one of the originals and outfitted in the same suit (and, consequently, the same sluttly eye makeup).

Giant hair, bright lipstick, and cat-eye sunglasses dominated the details front, and added a touch of whimsy to the proceedings.

There were definitely a few missteps among the bunch, but one that stood out for its sheer ridiculousness would have to be this example of Retro Gone Wrong:

Among her stints as a doctor and astronaut, I don't recall Barbie becoming a Vegas showgirl. Or a drag queen.

The Revolution is Now

This past Friday I helped document the Newhouse/VPA joint fashion show, The Revolution is Now!, the theme of which was the changing media landscape, and how fashion has become an integral part of it.

All the models had newspapers incorporated into their style, either through strips in their hair or letters stuck to their faces. Another aspect of the show that proved details are everything was the incorporation of vintage accessories:



Small touches like this can make any outfit come to life, and proved that these student designers are inventive enough to have long careers in their futures.

Thanks to my colleauge Danya Shaikh for the photos.