A Look At The Barbie Shoot For The 2014 SI Swimsuit Edition.

News has broken that this year's cover model for the annually anticipated Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is none other than the disproportionately endowed blonde we know and love as Barbie.



For the 50th Anniversary issue Mattel teamed up with SI for the cover shoot and 4 page interior article which features a 1959 vintage Barbie doll in her classic black and white chevron suit, a new limited edition Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Barbie Doll in a contemporary version of the black and white bathing suit and a spread of 17 dolls from Mattel's Barbie Basics collection.



The partnership between the two brands includes the four-page advertising feature in the magazine, video clips; a cover wrap that will appear on 1,000 copies of the issue, declaring Barbie to be “The Doll That Started It All”; a limited-edition Sports Illustrated Barbie, to be sold exclusively on Target.com; and a beach-themed party on Monday night in Lower Manhattan.

Feelings are mixed about the doll gracing the cover, but that's no surprise given that both Barbie and SI have long been criticized about their unrealistic portrayals of women.

The dolls were shot by photographer Walter Iooss, who has shot many of the scantily clad SI Swimsuit models of the past.


The set:


Prepping the new doll:


Shooting the dolls:







Selecting the images for the feature:



The final Cover:


One of the four interior pages:


Here's a video look at the actual shoot, with lots of tongue-in-cheek references as to how well Barbie takes direction:



Information courtesy of SI and Mattel.

Sports Illustrated
Mattel

Limited Edition Haunted Beauty Vampire Barbie Is Goth and Gorgeous.

Designed by Bill Greening, this frightfully chic creature brings a new level of gothic glamour and haute couture horror to the vampire lore. “We’ve had vampires in the BC line before,” Bill says. “But I wanted to do a version a little more spooky and gothic, something the collectors have been asking for.”

Last year, Bill Greening created the Haunted Beauty Ghost Barbie shown below, which is now sold out, but can be found on ebay for upwards of $500+:


Haunted Beauty Vampire™ Barbie® comes alive with so much bold color and intoxicating drama she practically grabs you by the throat! Drink in her gorgeous nocturnal glory as she swathes herself in a delicious fashion drenched in deep, rich, bloody red.



This is one vampire who does show up in photographs. She dazzles from every angle, dressed in a red charmeuse and black chiffon gown, with elaborate jeweled accents at the neck and red-and-gold trim on the empire waist. Her opulent, floor-length coat of red shantung features full sleeves and a spellbinding, face-framing collar. It’s an “essential fashion element,” according to Bill. “Her long red coat is perfect for those chilly nights in the crypt.”



Lustrous raven locks provide a striking contrast to the unearthly pale complexion on her Glimmer (Louboutin) head sculpt. Crimson lips and painted white “fangs” emphasize her fierce vampiric look, while black eyeliner and smoky shadow highlight her hypnotic golden eyes.



Haunted Beauty Vampire™ Barbie® doll’s sensational ensemble would earn raves on runways around the world. But this mysterious stunner prefers the darkness of moonless skies to the glaring lights of fame, as she searches for romance that will stand the test of time. “It’s a story of a long-lost love, tortured soul, and timeless beauty,” Bill says. “A creature who has looked centuries to find true love.”



Price: $100 (limit of 5), buy her here

Doll Details
Body Type: ModelMuse™
Skin Tone: Peace
Facial Sculpt: Glimmer/Louboutin
Fashion Sewn On?: No
Eyelashes: Painted
Customizations: Necklace attached to dress
Included with doll: Shoes, ring, doll stand.
For the adult collector.

Why Do I Blog About Barbie Dolls?
I think some of my readers may wonder why I blog about some of these Barbie Collectibles, but dolls, like most anything else, can be artfully designed. The Barbie Collectibles, which are made for adults, include fashion design, sculpting, make-up and in some cases, interesting marketing and packaging.

Just to give you an idea of the difference between the mass-produced $13.99 Mattel Barbie Halloween 2013 Doll and this $100 one, take a look:


So, as long as they keep designing beautiful Barbies, I will keep blogging about them.

images and info courtesy of Barbie Collector

Barbie In Bandages and Bondage? Hervé Léger Dresses The Doll In Two Sexy Signature Outfits.

above: The Herve Leger by Max Azria Barbie may be wearing a tight dress and strappy leather, but has muted makeup and no jewelry

Theses darn designer Barbies keep dressing better than I do. And the newest is wearing a designer whose dresses I've always wished to own.



The Hervé Léger by Max Azria Barbie® Doll (released today) is designed by Linda Kew. The new limited edition Barbie doll is wrapped in chic couture fashions constructed out of authentic Hervé Léger by Max Azria bandages and yarns,  manufactured at the very same factory that produces the full size designer collection.



The first look is a red haute bandage dress (the body-hugging design most associated with the name Herve Leger) with a removable miniature version of his leather black harness belt, black gladiator boots and a signature black and gold clutch. 



The dress is a sort of a mash up of three of his well-known red bandage dresses:


Below, the model wears Halona boots (the same boots that seem to be made for Barbie) on the runway at Herve Leger by Max Azria during Mercedes-Benz NY Fashion Weekon September 13, 2011 in NYC (image courtesy of Anton Oparin / Shutterstock.com ):


The second outfit is a miniature variation of the Danisa Jagged-Pike Jacquard Black and White Dress (which in its full size sells for $1590) black complete with open-toe booties and a black-studded clutch.






"Working with Barbie Collector on this exclusive collaboration has been an incredible experience," said BCBG Max Azria group chief executive Lubov Azria, "The Hervé Léger Barbie doll is a milestone project that I am excited to share with collectors of both brands."

A compilation of the actual Herve Leger fashions and the new Herve Leger Barbie Doll:


Price: $150.00
Release date: 09/17/2013 (today)
Gold Label®
Designed by: Linda Kyaw

Doll Details
Body Type: ModelMuse™ Arm: Right Bent, Straight Left
Skin Tone: LA Tan
Facial Sculpt: C.L. sculpt
Fashion Sewn On?: No
Eyelashes: No
Included with doll:
Stand, Shoes (2 sets), Purses (2), Harness.
There is a limit of 5 dolls per order.

© Hervé Léger, 2013

BUY THE HERVE LEGER BARBIE HERE
Production doll may vary from the photo shown above. Mattel reserves the right to modify the fashion/fabrics, sculpt, hair color/style, and accessories. Doll cannot stand alone as shown.

all images courtesy of Barbie Collector and Herve Leger

UPDATED: A First Detailed Look At The Coach Branded Barbie (and Pre-order link)

Coach and Mattel have teamed up to introduce Coach Barbie which will be unveiled to the US public on August 7th.






The 12" tall co-branded doll is wearing a long version of Coach's short plaid tattersall trench , a black and green striped top, a suede red fringed skirt with gold buttons, and is accessorized with a mini Coach red bucket real leather handbag (comes in its own draw-string pouch), tiny round red framed eyeglasses and a miniature pair of Coach's high-heeled red, camel and navy leather shoes with tassle.





Similar to the Burberry Barbie launched a few years back (I have to admit, I've always thought of Coach as the poor man's Burberry), the plastic Fashionista will be a limited edition and coveted by stylish barbie lovers everywhere.



She's being promoted through the Coach facebook page with a giveaway in which you guess the handbag she'll be sporting (I kind of gave that away, didn't I?) and you're entered into a sweepstakes with a chance to win the doll.



Like the limited edition co-branded Barbies of the past, she will sell out quickly. You can pre-order the Coach Barbie here for $119 and free shipping.

images courtesy of Barbie Collector, Barbie Store Malaysia, Coach, The White Board Beauty and Fashion Blog and Barbie List Holland.

African Queen. The New Limited Edition Tribal Beauty Barbie.

The first doll in the Global Glamour™ Collection shows her exotic side wearing an intricate ensemble featuring a feathered midriff top, golden breastplate adornment, waist-attached bead fringe, earrings, bangles, long split skirt and elaborate headpiece. Her zebra scepter pays tribute to the royal splendor of Africa and her status as a reigning queen of fashion.





Doll Details
Body Type: ModelMuse™
Skin Tone: Light Brown
Facial Sculpt: Pazette
Fashion Sewn On?: No
Eyelashes: Applied

Stand is Included with doll

For the adult collector.

There is a limit of 5 dolls per order.

$125 USD, buy it here

images and information courtesy of Barbie Collector