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Fashion
Balmain and Barbie partners up in new NFT fashion drop
The exclusive collaboration ventures into the blockchain space with fashionable non-fungible tokens, based on the pop icon doll and the Balmain signature look.
By MARTINA TEDEBRING
12 Jan 2022

The French fashion house has teamed up with Barbie for a collection of unisex ready-to-wear apparel, accessories and toys. But this partnership does not end with the physical collection, scheduled to drop on the 13th of January, but also exclusive NFTs which are being auctioned until the 14th of January through Mattel Creations and mintNFT websites.

According to Mattel’s COO Richard Dickson, “Together Barbie and Balmain are creating a new chapter in the legacy of the toy and fashion industries”. The collection is filled with 1990s Barbie playful nostalgia and echoes the identity of Balmain through silhouette and signature items. Pink is also a crucial element presented in a wide tonal range, mixed with Balmain iconic labyrinth pattern, graphic prints and badges. The campaign images (styled by Charlotte Stockdale and Katie Lyall and photographed by Norbert Schoerner) are clear on the stance of the brands regarding multicultural representation and inclusivity, but also by the items, which defy gender limitations by being almost totally unisex.

But how does fashion, toys and NFTs relate here? This collaboration is pioneering in terms of a doll brand dwelling in the digital art space. The NFT auction features three avatars wearing pieces from the collection. The highest bidders will get both the avatar and a physical, one-of-a-kind Barbie-scaled version of the outfit their avatar is wearing.