There’s been much chatter about the colour pink, but the fashion takeaway that I noted from the Barbie film? Earrings, and big ones: pink shells, blue anchors, orange starfish, diamante star drops and more.
Each Barbie (minus Kate McKinnon’s ‘weird’ one) has their own toyish take on the accessory, a finishing touch to their fully considered looks. By the end of the film, Barbie has lost her earrings (and heels), instead opting for a small heart pendant and Birkenstock sandals – a sartorial symbol of the practicality of real life dress, and maybe a loss of naivety.
The earrings were surely intentional; a comment on childhood dress ups. The film’s costume designer Jacqueline Durran told Vogue the defining characteristic of what the doll wears is “where she’s going and what she’s doing. It’s about being completely dressed for your job or task”. Her fashion packs feature coordinated looks: the dress, the bag, the hat, the shoes and yep, the earrings.
Durran told the UK jewellery brand Tatty Devine that she likes a playful juxtaposition – “a lobster accessory on the beach” – that connects to the doll’s dressing literally for the occasion. The “bold and scaled-up jewellery” also relates to the “small hands” playing with and managing them.
Statement earrings are nothing new, whether it be the flashy look of the 80s to the maximalism of 2012 (Consuelo Castiglioni, the founder and former designer of Marni, has always been one of my big funky earring icons). These new versions, like Barbies’ are like the ones from your childhood dress up box… but for adults. Big, fun, slightly kitschy.
But this is not about a visit to Lovisa for a throwaway statement pair; we’ve moved on from that, dolls. Instead, opt for memorable pieces to treasure from local designers like Meadowlark or Caitlin Snell, or explore artistic options from contemporary jewellers – Aotearoa has many; discovering them is part of the fun.
Meadowlark big star earrings, $749
Taonga Puawai Mānuka earrings, $40
Caitlin Snell glass bow earrings, $62
Jasmin Sparrow earrings, $350
Kate Mitchell glass fruit single earring, $75
Penny Foggo daisy earrings, $35
Marni earrings, $469
