And by the way ladies...if you are OLD, don't think you can get away with wearing high school girls' clothing. You are just embarassing yourself. You do realize that people laugh at you, don't you?
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Toy maker Mattel Inc (NYSE:MAT - news), known for Barbie fashion dolls, is expanding the plastic icon's domain to include high-end designer clothing and accessories for adult women.
The merchandise, which includes jeans, shirts, handbags and jewelry, is designed by well-known fashion designers and will sell under the name Barbie Luxe.
Using Barbie as their "muse," designers like Anna Sui, Anya Hindmarch, Citizens of Humanity, Judith Leiber, Nickel, Not Rational, Paper Denim & Cloth, Stila and Tarina Tarantino have added Barbie-esque touches to their designs, such as pink stitching on jeans or a retro silhouette on a cameo pendant.
"Our target market is the fashionista," said Richard Dickson, senior vice president of global consumer marketing and entertainment for Mattel Brands. "From teens through adults in their 20's and 30's. It's not Mattel's usual target audience."
Weak sales of Barbie dolls, a lackluster retail environment, and strong competition have hurt Mattel recently. The company is working to raise Barbie's non-toy profile as well as tap a grown-up fan base as part of a long term plan to reinvigorate the toy brand.
There will be a series of promotions to publicize the Barbie Luxe brand, including underground campaigns, launch parties and Fashion Week interviews.
The El Segundo, California-based toy maker is launching the line exclusively at Fred Segal Flair in Santa Monica next week, and some designers will carry the merchandise in their own boutiques.
Mattel is hoping that the clothing and accessories will catch on with trendsetting teens and women and that popularity will trickle down to Barbie the doll.
"When a teen or 20-something is carrying an Anya Hindmarch, Barbie bag it'll reinforce Barbie as relevant, cool brand for little girls," said Dickson. "Little girls are growing up faster than ever and looking to adults and teens for inspiration, and Barbie is their aspiration."
The items aren't cheap, with jeans priced at $176 and a 3/4 sleeve hooded sweatshirt at $140, and this helps add to the cachet of the brand, which is designed to be "aspirational."
Mattel has a similar clothing line in Japan, where it has Barbie boutiques, and earlier this year it announced a girls' clothing collection called Barbie loves Benetton. The toy maker also has a high-end line of collectible dolls -- geared for adults -- many decked out in outfits created by designers like Lilly Pulitzer, Cynthia Rowley, Versace and Kate Spade.
5 comments:
"It takes them back to being a little girl and fantasizing about what they're going to be in the future."???? What - like IU college students whose life ambition is to pose nude for Playboy?!?!? I'm going to LOVE to hear what the psychos who lobbied for Barbie to have smaller boobs and a bigger butt are going to say about this...
Does this mean that song "I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world. Made of plastic, it's fantastic. You can brush my hair, undress me anywhere..." is going to be the new theme song of women everywhere?? Gloria Steinham, where are you when we need you?!?
I can hear the glass ceilings around the world shattering at the sight of women showing up at work in the latest Barbie fashions... "Bless my stilletos and hot pants, I just can't seem to figure out this paper jam... Ken, will you help me?" Thank you so much Mattel for setting those of us who work so hard to be taken seriously back a millenia.
OK, so I gotta know... are Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie behind this???
If Nicole and Paris smell money, they'll do ANYTHING. You know the American way...anything for a buck.
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