Gap and Forever 21 Bank on Barbie
Barbie is fashion’s ‘It’ girl again this summer.
Gap on Tuesday released the Gap x Barbie collection of adult and children’s apparel and accessories. The Barbiecore line applies the doll’s iconic pink hues and loopy logo to Gap signatures like logo T-shirts and hoodies.
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The adult collection includes a puff sleeve pink jean jacket, a tank top, a color-blocked hoodie, a pink striped button-down shirt with “Barbie” embroidery on the back and a white T-shirt emblazoned with “Ken” in Gap’s iconic block lettering. Accessories for adults include socks, a tote, a baseball hat, a recycled satin scarf and pink sunglasses.
Kids’ styles include a hoodie, tank top, tank dress and a denim skirt with lasered Gap and Barbie logos as well as a metallic pink lunchbox and backpack made with recycled polyester. A pink tank, bike shorts, puff sleeve T-shirt, hoodie and pink denim jacket are available in toddler sizes.
A logo hoodie is also available for dogs. Later this summer doll-sized logo hoodie will be added to the collection.
Gap and Mattel bring the collection to life with an interactive experience powered by Geospatial Creator in Adobe Aero Pre-release at Gap’s Times Square store. There, consumers will see the “store come to life with colors and shapes and be able to interact and shop with Barbie and her friends modeling the new limited edition Gap x Barbie collection of clothing,” Gap stated.
The collection is also supported by Gap’s “I Am Barbie” film showcasing items from the collab and a cast of Barbies “embracing their individuality and personal style.”
The drop marks Gap’s fourth time aligning with Barbie. In 1995, the duo produced a red Gap logo outfit for Barbie, followed by “Barbie in Khakis” debuting in 1996, and the “Barbie and Kelly in Denim” collection a year later.
The latest collection is unique, however, in that it’s timed around the hotly anticipated “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie which lands in theaters on July 21.
Last week, Forever 21 released its Barbie collection co-designed by Mattel. The 76-piece women’s and children’s collection spans logo tees, sweatshirts, swimwear, sleepwear, sequin-embellished denim, vests and jackets. Barbie’s signature bubble-gum pink hue is complemented by accents of light pink, white and gray across the range.
The new collection follows Forever 21’s ’90s-inspired Barbie drop last June. It arrived last summer just as the term “Barbiecore” exploded into the popular lexicon, describing everything from Valentino’s PP Pink collection to jelly shoes and platform heels.
Forever 21 teamed with Virtual Brand Group to create an AI-designed virtual Forever 21 x Barbie fashion collection available exclusively on Roblox. The brand’s unique metaverse experience Shop City on Roblox allows visitors to build and operate their own fashion store. The virtual collection mirrors the in-store assortment and offer metaverse-exclusive Forever 21 x Barbie designs that include formal and streetwear lines.
A portion of the virtual collection is limited edition. However, everyone who visits the Roblox experience will have the “opportunity to claim free Forever 21 x Barbie fashion surprises,” the retailer stated.
“Virtual fashion is an important part of meeting consumers everywhere they are,” said Jacob Hawkins, Forever 21 chief marketing, omni and digital officer. “This one-of-a-kind Metaverse Barbie collaboration between Forever 21, Mattel and Virtual Brand Group is at the forefront of bringing physical and virtual products together.”
