Barbie And Balmain Unveil Unisex Clothing Collection, Special Barbie & Ken NFTs

Barbie has partnered with Balmain on a new collaboration comprising of clothing as well as non-fungible tokens, marking the first time the famed doll brand is taking on the digital art scene.

According to Complex, the collection will consist of over 50 pieces of ready-to-wear clothing and accessories, and will hit the shelves on January 13 both in person and online.

“As our campaign images make very clear, Barbie and Balmain are embarking upon a distinctly multicultural, inclusive, and always joy-filled adventure,” said Olivier Rousteing, Creative Director of Balmain.

As for the NFTs, they will feature three one-of-a-kind assets with Barbie and Ken avatars, wearing Balmain, of course. These special pieces will only be available via an auction on mintNFT, each coming with its own set of Barbie-sized Balmain items.

Mattel CEO Richard Dickson said the partnership could kick off new ventures for both the fashion and toy industries. He described: “As a fashion house committed to innovation in unexpected and joyous ways, Balmain, under Olivier Rousteing creative direction, is the perfect partner to translate the iconography that is unique to Barbie into a modern iteration of digital art and physical fashion.”

The Street noted that the aesthetic concept for the NFTs was inspired by the luxury fashion house’s French sensibilities, incorporating Barbie’s iconic pink looks. Charlotte Stockade and Katie Lyall styled the avatars, which were then photographed by Norbert Schooner for the NFTs.

Overall, the collection aims to reject “arbitrary gender limitations,” with Rousteing explaining: “This is an almost 100% unisex collection. For, just as today’s Barbie makes clear, there's nothing holding us back anymore!”

[via Complex and The Street, images via Mattel Creations / Business Wire]