How Barbie’s favorite pink is a representation of strength and power

Pink is a color that everyone can relate to, like it or not. We can also thank Barbie for rekindling our love for the vibrant color. Everything in Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated upcoming film of the same name, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is flecked with vivid, strong tones of pink, from the fanciful Barbie Land to the quirky fashion and cosmetics scenes.

Barbiecore is the term used to explain the off-screen phenomenon where pink attire has become over-represented on Instagram and TikTok. Consider candy-colored nails, magenta lipstick, and pink outfits. In the words of Kim Culmone, SVP of Design for Barbie and Fashion Dolls at Mattel, “At this point in history, what Barbie represents is something that we’re craving as a society.” Culture-wise, “Barbie’s message of positivity and female empowerment is resonating.”

The company has also put a lot of effort into increasing its inclusivity and diversity throughout the years. More individuals “feel connected to it,” according to Culmone. The outcome is that “They feel seen.” But the fascination with Mattel’s well-known doll and her striking hue predates 2023. It has been simmering for a while.

as an example? When Kim Kardashian made her Saturday Night Live debut in October 2021, she had a big impact. She celebrated this professional milestone by donning a vibrant fuchsia ensemble from head to toe. In addition, Kamala Harris, the vice president, has defended herself while sporting a number of pink power suits since taking office in 2020. On occasion, the doll has also been taken literally.

Kacey Musgraves attended the 2019 Met Gala in a hot pink dress, platinum blonde hair, a matching convertible, and other doll-like clothing. Celebrities like Nicki Minaj and Trixie Mattel undoubtedly incorporated a significant portion of Mattel’s original girlboss into their personas from the start of their careers. Even Angelyne, a legend of Los Angeles, has embraced the fashionista lifestyle that was shown in the associated 2022 Peacock series.

The show’s primary character, Emmy Rossum, commented, “I’d love to be like Barbie.” She enjoys a pain-free existence. She won’t cry or react if you poke her. Not necessarily awful, would it? Barbie hasn’t always had the upbeat view that has come to be associated with everything cuddly and pink, though. When Barbie initially appeared in 1959, according to Culmone, “she wasn’t wearing pink.”

She was dressed in a bathing suit with white and black stripes. She wore amazing black slide mules, gorgeous red lips, and gold hoops earrings. Pink wasn’t truly embraced by Barbie until 1976, when it was used in everything from packaging and typeface to apparel and accessories. Culmone stated that this behavior was deliberate. She remarked, “It’s not a shy or timid pink.” “It’s powerful, it’s strong.”

Let’s be clear that pink has never been a subservient color. Despite its longtime association with femininity, blue was made available to men in the early 1900s because it was “a more determined and stronger color,” according to a 1918 article in Earnshaw’s Infants’ Department journal. However, the female looks more alluring in blue since it is softer and more fragile.

However, by the 1940s, the color had developed a reputation for being linked to a delicate, calm, and quiet attitude. But like Barbie, pink has recently come to represent strength. Culmone also remarked that embracing and owning the gendered color entails bravery. She said scornfully, “I love that Barbie is connected with pink because we are unapologetically empowering girls and women. We have grasped the notion that pink represents—that women and girls can be and achieve anything. It seems that pink has some influence.