Robert Best, principal designer for Barbie Collector, talks body image, gendered marketing, competition, and how designing for dolls is different. “You don’t have to consider cold weather. Those are not concerns that worry Barbie.”
Robert Gray / Getty
How did you end up in this job?
Robert Best: It was magic! I'm kidding. I did start out in fashion design, so I was in New York City in the design industry at Isaac Mizrahi. I was just sort of looking for a change and on a whim, I sent in my portfolio to Mattel. I knew some friends who were collectors and they were like, "Oh, you should be designing dolls."
The way I approach the design is from a fashion background — when I'm working on dolls, it's just everything about fashion in miniature. It's the same attention to detail. Barbie is always up to date, so my natural love of fashion found a perfect home at Mattel because we're always changing and looking at who the next great designer is and we have amazing design partnerships as well — we partnered with Coach recently, and Herve Leger to do their classic bandage dresses. So I've been able to keep my hand in fashion.
At the same time, what Barbie allows that fashion didn't is the amazing world of fantasy. You don't have to be bound by, Oh, can that dress fit in the subway? Or, In the south this is what length they prefer. You don't have to consider cold weather. Those are not concerns that worry Barbie. She doesn't care about cold weather.
How long does it take to make a Barbie, start to finish?
RB: The full cycle takes about a year from start to finish — from the time you submitted an approved idea to seeing the doll on the shelf.
Alli Harvey / Getty
There has long been criticism that Barbies contribute to problems with body image standards. What's your response to that?
RB: There are always going to be people who have their strong opinions, pro and against the doll. I think we just think of Barbie as a toy that little girls play with. We think of the girl and her imagination. The doll herself has changed substantially from 1959, when she debuted, to the current doll that's on shelves now. So, Barbie, we always say, has changed to reflect the times around her, both in terms of what the doll looked like originally to what she looks like now, and as well as the different partners we work with. I think we really do offer something for everyone. And, like I said, it's really about little girls today and having a doll that they respond to and that's going to fire their imagination.
Have you modified Barbie's shape or size before? How often does that happen?
RB: In 1959, it was one silhouette, and it's been modified many times over the years. In the '60s, there was a twist-and-turn doll so it could look like she was dancing or whatever. In the '70s with Malibu Barbie, it was a more athletic figure. So Barbie's figure has been modified over the years and we're constantly reevaluating what's happening in culture to assess the need for that as well. When it's appropriate — when Jennifer Lopez said, "I want my doll to reflect my own figure" — we do do a change like that.
How much attention do you pay to criticisms of Barbie?
RB: I think… the right amount. You want to know what the cultural conversation is, and engage with your consumers, and know what people are saying. I did a brief stint on Project Runway, and the one thing everyone told me was, "Don't read the comments." The internet is a crazy wild west where people feel free to say all sorts of horrible things. You have to be mindful of that.
We want to beware of reactions, or people's concerns or comments. That's a gauge of where the consumer is. You want to be engaged enough that you're taking criticism constructively. Constructive criticism is one thing, and pure hate-mongering and bashing is not productive. So I just try to ignore things that feel that way.
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment