It's autumn so fashion weeks are running one after another, from New York to London to Milan and Paris. Vogue Italia, in collaboration with Mattel and fashion designers, once again organised a Barbie Fashion Icons exhibition along Milan Fashion Week at Palazzo Morando from the 21st of September.

The designers picked their preffered version of the doll, curvy, petite, tall etc. and created a unique fashion for her, showcasing their brand's vision for Barbie. Matching accessories were also designed and made. The results are sublime and once again prove how creative the doll world can become. 

Peter Dundas for Roberto Cavalli

The September issue of Vogue Italia also had an interview with Richard Dickson, President and CEO of Mattel. A small sample of the article is here.

Lorenzo Serafini for Philosophy

The magazine issue also features the photo shoot on a special thick paper four page insert while their Vogue Talents supplement also features a full page feature with the second photo.

Alessandro Dell’Acqua for Rochas

Arthur Arbesser for Iceberg

Alessandra Facchinetti for Tod’s

Massimo Giorgetti for Emilio Pucci

Salvatore Ferragamo Creative Team

Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant for Courrèges

Veronica Etro for Etro

Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi for Fay

All photos courtesy of Mattel and Vogue Italia. Photography and set design by Adrian Gidi.

It seems the fashion world is still firmly in thrall of the doll world. French Vogue has done a whole editorial called "Panoplies", with models photographed like NRFB Barbie dolls in their boxes, each with a distinct look, the appropriately styled box and a wealth of accessories inside. The whole thing is magical, from the photography of Giampaolo Sgura and the impeccable styling by Claire Dhelens & Celia Azoulay, The sets are designed by Vincent Olivieri and made by Office Neochrome. Hair by Laurent Phillipon and make up by Lloyd Simmons. Models Magdalena Frackowiak and Elisabeth Erm are wearing looks by Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent Paris, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, and Valentino. And it is all a very unique and clever way to make the ubiquitous Christmas issue gift editorial so much more interesting. Need I add that I want all of these as fashion doll gift sets? Please? 

May 5th 2014 is the date of the Met Gala, this year dedicated to the Haute Couture designer Charles James, one of the best ball gown designers that ever lived. Over at Vogue they posted an amazing article about six Barbie cakes modelled after his gowns. The magazine tasked six skilled cake makers with an iconic gown to faithfully reproduce. Amirah Kassem from Flour Shop inserted Barbie into an ice cream cone cake, covered in wafer paper coated in white chocolate and painted in edible metallic blue. Penny Stankiewicz, from Sugar Couture, researched all the elements of the Clover dress for a complex construction of butter cake and passion fruit butter-cream. Michelle Doll-Olson used fondant with a chocolate truffle filling and edible pearl paint to mimic James’s emerald green silk satin gown from 1954. Melissa Torres of Cake Hero employed a combination of fondant, banana cake, milk chocolate frosting, and a luxurious metal: as she said "the dress is about the subtle play between the red and burnt orange, chocolate colours, so I dabbed tiny bits of gold on the folds to enhance the shimmer.”

Made by Penny Stankiewicz/Sugar Couture

Made by Kate Sullivan/Cake Power

Made by Amirah Kassem/Flour Shop

Made by Melissa Torres/Cake Hero

Made by Margaret Braun/Margaret Braun

Made by Michelle Doll Olsen/Michelle Doll Cakes

All cakes photographed by Grant Cornett - courtesy of Vogue.com

As mentioned in my April post about the main Poppy Parker collection this year, the mood is Swinging Sixties in London. I managed to get three dolls of that collection and the first one has arrived: Poppy Parker The Happening! 

She's even better than her promo photos! She is wearing a mini dress covered in silver sequins, with a round neckline (that reminds me of ancient Egypt), ending at the back in straps (look further down for photos of it), metallic fishnet stockings, and her accessories include one of the best pairs of earrings I have seen on a doll (silver concentric circles hanging with beads under a "diamond" stud), four silver bangles (that were tarnished almost instantly), a silver clutch (which is her only so-so accessory, looks and feels cheap) and a pair of silver sling-back bow shoes. 

Her hair is pulled up and back in a very long ponytail, with the top puffed up in a very mid-sixties style. The hair is treated with product to make it stay put and wavy. I know some people had problems with greasy or over-treated hair but mine looks perfect. Her make up is very mod: light blue eye-shadow, black eye-liner, applied lashes and almost nude shiny lips. Her eyes are purple but do not look unnatural.

There is nothing not to love about this doll, except that awful clutch and the tarnished bangles. Almost perfect. Now I'm even more giddy anticipating the next one coming. 

And how small this world really is. As I was preparing this post, a very special lady I am following on twitter, Penny Calder, posted a photograph from the special 50th anniversary issue of British Vogue, from mid October 1965. I found the whole spread, with model Donna Mitchell photographed by David Montgomery,  from that issue in this gorgeous website and I think this is pretty much the inspiration for Poppy's outfit.