Despite not winning the 2024 Oscar for Best Costume Design, we have ranked some of our favourite looks – all winners in our eyes. And once you know everything there is to know about the costume design – take our quiz to find out Which Barbie are you? Let’s start the costume countdown…
Sailor Barbie
It’s almost impossible to choose the best outfit from the scene when Barbie & Ken travel to the Real World, but this nautical look is a strong contender, giving classic sailor stripes a Barbie Pink treatment. Ahoy Captain!
Dance the Night Away Barbie
Right before she starts having those ‘irrepressible thoughts of death’, the big dance number sees Margot Robbie as Barbie in an incredible white gold sequinned jumpsuit. This outfit was a nod to the Golden Dream Barbie dolls of the 1970s, which had a range of disco diva jumpsuits and accessories.
Chanel Barbie
This super simple shift style dress is actually a haute couture Chanel dress completely accessorised with necklace, shoes and a custom-made hot pink version of the Chanel heart bag.
Virginie Viard, Chanel’s artistic director, collaborated on five key outfits in the film. Although Chanel don’t do menswear, they made a one-off ski suit for Ryan Gosling to wear to match Barbie’s Coco Neige ensemble on the skidoo.
The fashion house also lent archival pieces including a baby pink tweed two piece suit, designed by Karl Lagerfeld as part of his Chanel Barbie collection in 1995 (Mattel even made a Barbie doll of him).
Rollerblading Barbie (and Ken)
This incredible neon rollerblading outfit is based directly on a 1994 Barbie called Hot Skatin’ Barbie. Neon and clashing prints were huge trends in the late 1980s and early 1990s – if only they’d travelled to the Real World of 1994, maybe they wouldn’t have looked so out of place!
Swimsuit Barbie
This has to be our number one.
This look from the beginning of the film is based on the very first Barbie ever produced in 1959.
The designers and stylists made every little detail match from the chevron knitted swimsuit, the slip-on mules, the perfect sunglasses right to the curly-fringed hairdo.
This incredibly glamorous 1950s beach look was really looking to the fashion and style of the time.
As costume designer for the Barbie film, Jacqueline Durran, said in fashion magazine British Vogue.
“Barbie really is interlinked with fashion, because how you play with her is by dressing her… Clothes are her form of expression.”
