With Diwali just around the corner, festivities can be felt in the air. The celebration is incomplete without dressing up in our ethnic best. Ace fashion designer Anita Dongre has now come up with something new for the Festival of Lights. She has collaborated with American toy company Mattel, designing the first-ever Diwali-themed outfit for their limited-edition signature Barbie doll. Anita Dongre dropped a picture on Instagram featuring the Barbie Diwali doll. The iconic figurine was made to wear a traditional lehenga set with a contemporary twist, known as the Moonlight Bloom. The ensemble came in a rich navy blue colour palette. Anita Dongre's Barbie wore a sleeveless Rajasthan-inspired coatee and pichwai embroidered blouse. The intricately decorated skirt was adorned with lotus, dahlia and jasmine motifs at the hem in multi-hued shades, symbolic of nature elements. Geometric patterns at the bottom offered a unique twist.
The Diwali Barbie's look was sealed with golden jhumkas and matching stacked bangles. As per Anita Dongre, the outfit was “a contemporary take on the traditional lehenga.” The Barbie doll, which is considered “an aspirational global fashion icon across the decades, represents the fashion-forward modern Indian woman of today” through the Diwali-appropriate silhouette.
Sharing her experience on designing a Barbie doll, Anita Dongre said, “Designing for a doll is quite different from designing for a real person. The process feels more intimate. The most exciting part was seeing the design come to life in doll form,” in a conversation with Vogue.
While the colour pink has always represented Barbie dolls, Anita Dongre wished to try something new. She said, “I wanted to bring something meaningful to the collaboration. The deep rich hues of midnight blue along with our signature Indian floral motifs felt like a natural choice.”
On an ending note, Anita Dongre shared that the Barbie Diwali doll “carries the modern sensibilities of Gen Z with her individuality. But she also has the grace and elegance that all generations appreciate. She is a timeless beauty that transcends age.”
The Barbie fever is not ending anytime soon now that we've got a desi version in store.
Also Read: Everybody Owned That One Weird Barbie. Now She's A Symbol Of Embracing One's Physical Imperfections
