Fashion Historian Calls the 'Barbie' Wardrobe a 'Sophisticated Interpretation' of the Doll's Style (Exclusive)

Karan Feder tells PEOPLE that the movie "embraced the love of the doll and the fashion history"

Karan Feder is a pro when it comes to Barbie fashion.

The historian has studied the doll's style for years, digging into the Mattel toy's fashion partnerships and influences from pop culture over the decades. She poured her knowledge into her upcoming book, Barbie Takes the Catwalk: A Style Icon's History in Fashion (out Oct. 3).

Comprised of side-by-side snapshots of high-fashion runways and Barbie doll outfits, the book takes a closer look at just how style savvy your favorite doll has always been. Feder's knowledge of Barbie's wardrobe also made her an expert on the authenticity of the costumes in this summer's blockbuster film, and she spoke with PEOPLE all about it.

Ahead, find out Feder's thoughts about Margot Robbie's looks in Barbie, how she researched for her book, what her favorite Barbie fashion moments are and more.

PEOPLE: You’ve spent a lot of time studying Barbie fashion through the years. As a fashion historian, how did you think Barbie portrayed Barbie’s fashion?

Karan Feder: I thought it was really a sophisticated interpretation of Barbie fashion, and embraced the love of the doll and the fashion history.

Did anything stand out to you in particular?

[Costume designer Jacqueline Durran] didn't make things comically oversized, even though she could have because she was dealing with dolls. She didn’t make the buttons huge. You didn't see huge zippers out of scale. They were oversized, but they weren't comically large. I appreciated that little decision because I know that was a decision. You could have taken everything to scale and it would've been comical. And that I'm sure would've distracted from the narrative as a result.

What were some of your favorite wardrobe moments that felt authentic to Barbie in the movie?

I thought that the Chanel statement was super great. The Barbie fashion designers’ mission was always to reflect culture. Their charge was, "Let's look at the catwalk. Let's look at what people are wearing on the streets. Let's look at what celebrities are wearing. Let's look at what's going on in culture." All these things merged to define what Barbie actually wore. Barbie got her first Chanel skirt suit in the late ‘80s, and it was a mid-calf version of that Chanel skirt suit. The replica Barbie outfit [in the movie] is pretty close. It's not hard to say, "Oh yeah, that's a Chanel look."

I love that Chanel raised their hands and said, "Okay, we're with Margot anyway. We want to give you guys whatever you need." I just think that combination and that collaboration between the brands — Barbie and Chanel — and then also that Margot was already on the Chanel team, I think that just really works. There's a lot of chemistry there, but it also makes perfect sense for the heritage of the brand too.

Related: 'Barbie' Costume Designer Jacqueline Durran Says She Wanted the Wardrobe to Feel 'Timeless' (Exclusive)

Related: Margot Robbie Wears an Archival Chanel Look in ‘Barbie’ That Was First Worn by Claudia Schiffer

Let’s dig into your book, all about Barbie’s fashion over the years. I don’t think many people realize how often Barbie’s wardrobe was influenced by the runway or by streetwear. Tell us more about finding these links in fashion over the years.

When I started thinking about this concept, I didn't realize how many photographic examples would really reference these designers’ work. I was very careful in the book to make sure that the catwalk look or the streetwear look happened before the Barbie outfit came out, so you really can show a direct link. The other thing I was really interested in doing is sort of adding more awareness and life to these artisans behind the scenes whose job it was to create these little miniature things. It's its own little genre to be able to create fashion in this scale that looks to our eye like a little influenced catwalk look, right? There's nothing easy about that, and those really weird skills are unique. There is a huge team of folks behind the scenes who make all this happen.

Many of the looks you reference are designer pieces — which a lot of Barbie fans may not have been aware of. Barbie is so fashion-forward!

This book is all about those designers that really didn't get box credit. Eventually in the early ‘80s. the first designer to get a byline on the box is Oscar de la Renta, and that starts this whole other tangent for the Mattel marketing team. Now there are a ton of designers involved with bylines and credits on the box. But this book looks at those inspirational moments from years past where no one overtly gets credit but are embraced as influencers of the moment. And that was just so fascinating to take that walk through history with Barbie.

It’s wild to see runway photos side by side with Barbie photos and see the direct relation with the fashions.

It's absolutely fascinating. I remember when I ran across that YSL photograph where the house shows two skirt suits on the runway in the ‘90s of irises and sunflowers that were Van Gogh inspirations. Then you look at the Barbie outfit that comes out a year later and you're like, "Oh my God, this is so great."

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Related: The Major Detail About Ryan Gosling's Ski Suit in 'Barbie' That You Might Have Missed (Exclusive)

Did you work with any of the Barbie fashion designers on this?

There are a number of times where I was actually able to work with Carol Spencer, one of Barbie's early fashion designers from the 1960s. She talks in her book about how she saw this particular look out in the world, and then that inspired this particular Barbie look. So I do have those moments documented in the book.

Do you have any favorite Barbie fashion moments from over the years?

I love every single outfit that was made in 1969. Up until that point, her designers had sort of modestly dipped a toe into the Mod fashions, and they had created this other doll, Francie, that totally embraced Mod because they felt that Barbie wasn't quite ready for Mod. It was a little too edgy. But Francie, her cousin, was able to totally go Mod. So Mod had been happening all throughout the ‘60s, but in '69, the designers of Barbie said, "Okay, Barbie is all in for the Mod scene." And everything they gave her was this fantastic Mod, bright, colorful, happy, space-aging Mattel. Everything is fantastic from that year.

Barbie Takes the Catwalk: A Style Icon’s History in Fashion is available for preorder now and will be published on Oct. 3.

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