I recently visited the new exhibition “Pink” at the museum of FIT. Pink garments and accessories were displayed from different eras (from 1850s to 2000s). The color pink has been viewed as feminine and soft. It was largely used in barbie dolls and little girl things. The exhibition dives deeper into the history of pink– a powerful punk color.
The most memorable outfit from the exhibition to me was Moschino’s Barbie outfit. The outfit was from Moschino’s Spring Summer 2015 which was one of the most well-known design from the house by its celebrity designer Jeremy Scott. In this case, one can only interpret the color of this outfit as “Barbie Pink.” This shade of pink is extremely identifiable, to the Barbie doll, hence the name.
It is obvious that there are not many other items that are considered more feminine than the Barbie doll. Which has been loved by girls since they were little, this manufactured, unrealistic shape of the Barbie’s body is a projected image of what a perfect female should look like, dress like, and act like. Given pink is the most occurring color in Barbie’s branding, such as the doll’s clothes, cars, and even houses, the connection between women and pink is also imbedded in children’s mind and carried as society grows. Interestingly, Moschino the brand gave their Barbies a biker jacket skirt set which can also be seen as punk culture inspired. They also manufactured an actual Barbie doll paired with the outfit.
