Barbie is more than just a doll. She is an icon, a story, and a mission that has continued for 65 years. She is also an inexhaustible source of inspiration, which is the foundation of the latest capsule collection by Reserved. Created to celebrate Barbie’s anniversary, this collection is designed with the modern girl in mind, who likes to play with her style, look good, and feel good for herself, not for others.
The Barbie x Reserved collection includes about 20 items, with many elements that can be mixed and matched to create new outfits. Reserved’s designers were inspired by current trends, including Vintage Americana aesthetics. The collection is dominated by timeless denim, whether it’s high-waisted overalls, straight jeans, skirts in two lengths, jackets, and blazers, from which complete looks can be created, but also a base for style experiments. There are also a series of knits in the form of T-shirts or casual hoodies, a ribbed knit athleisure set, and a maxi mesh dress with ruffles. The collection is complemented by swimsuits, which can be worn as bodysuits in combination with skirts or pants.
“Designing this collection was an interesting and creative challenge for us. Considering that over the years many brands and numerous designers have created Barbie-inspired collections, especially last year following the movie premiere when literally the whole world was obsessed with this theme, we wanted to have a fresh and unique approach,” says Anna Sołtys, Director of the Reserved Design Office in Warsaw, responsible for the collection.
The color palette of the collection is mainly in subtle pastels. Contrary to the colors automatically associated with Barbie, pink here is accompanied by lilac, blue, and gray. The softened grunge look is amplified by worn effects, shading, decorative embroidery, and shiny applications, in contrast with the matte and rough background.
The designers paid special attention to details, focusing particularly on the Barbie logo. It appears in various forms: 3D embroidery on T-shirts, jewelry, or the leather tag at the back of the pants, or with a butterfly effect through the mirrored two Bs, created especially for this collection. It stands out as a transparent insert on the mini skirt or is engraved on buttons, or as a decorative element on the dress: a brooch that can be worn with all pieces of the collection.
Of course, this collection also includes other accessories. A pair of super trendy leather cowboy boots. It was a deliberate decision by the design team to emphasize that the modern Barbie wears more than just high heels. The collection is completed by a tie-dye effect baguette bag, a scarf, and chokers with the logo from the two connected Bs.
The Barbie x Reserved collection is available in stores and on reserved.com.
