Barbie Takes the Catwalk: A Style Icon's History in Fashion

For more than 60 years, Barbie has reflected fashion trends and set them. Now, her iconic outfits are paired with the legendary looks from iconic designers for a fascinating celebration of the relationship between the runway and the toy aisle.

Barbie has always been a fashion icon, with a wardrobe of looks inspired by the world's great fashion designers, and inspiring them as well with her signature style.

From decade-defining designs by formidable fashion royalty such as Dior, Balenciaga, Yves St. Laurent, Pucci, and Chanel, to skateboard culture and rave fashion, Barbie doll's outfits have reflected the fashion and the time.

In Barbie Takes the Catwalk, hundreds of images from designer runways, magazine editorials, and fashion archives are paired with detailed photographs of vintage Barbie outfits to offer an unprecedented examination of the Barbie brand's sartorial impact.

Author and costume historian Karan Feder thoughtfully explores Barbie doll's first 40 years to highlight the vast artistry and cultural significance of the doll's fashion canon, and looks at contemporary fashion designers influenced by the Barbie legacy. This meticulously researched and gorgeous book is a must for any fan of fashion, pop culture, and Barbie.

MORE THAN 100 FASHION PHOTOS: Hundreds of photos from the runways of designers that have influenced Barbie, including André Courrèges, Bill Gibb, Christian Lacroix, Emanuel Ungaro, Karl Lagerfeld, and Thierry Mugler.

125 ICONIC BARBIE LOOKS: From "Enchanted Evening" to the totally-80s looks of Barbie and the Rockers, Barbie Takes the Catwalk offers a stunning retrospective of the doll's fashion canon.

INFLUENCE AND IMPACT: Explores the relationship between the world's great fashion houses and the world's best-selling and most-loved fashion doll.

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR: Karan Feder is an award-winning costume designer, historian, and the curator of the traveling exhibition of Barbie's fashion history, called Barbie(R), A Cultural Icon: 60 Years of Fashion and Inspiration.

THE PERFECT GIFT for fans of art, fashion, design, or Barbie, Barbie Takes the Catwalk is a fascinating historical record of the fashionable trends and popular-cultural themes inherent within Barbie's vast clothes closet.

Author: Karan Feder
Publisher: Weldon Owen
Published: 10/03/2023
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 4lbs
Size: 13.10h x 9.50w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9798886740493


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 10/02/2023