Christian Louboutin is one of the designers given the opportunity to give Barbie a complete body and style overhaul. The new Christian Louboutin Barbie, which includes three dolls set to roll out over the coming months, has been reshaped head to toe, and one major change is the size of Barbie’s ankles.
“He found her ankles were too fat,” states a Louboutin spokeswoman. And so Barbie’s plastic cankles have been made over, complete with special clothes and styling to focus attention away from her, um, problem area. Obviously, the Christian Louboutin Barbie won’t be wearing booties or shoes with ankle straps this season.
What's Driving This Trend
- Ankle Slimming
- There is potential for more fashion designers and toy manufacturers to collaborate on making ankle slimming a trend in the toy industry.
- Body Positive Toys
- The market for toys promoting body positivity is ripe for innovation and expansion, as evidenced by the backlash to the Louboutin Barbie makeover.
- Customizable Dolls
- With the rise of 3D printing and digital design, customizable dolls with all body types and features could be a disruptive innovation opportunity in the toy industry.
Who This Affects Most
- Fashion
- Fashion designers could explore new ways to incorporate body positivity into their products, or collaborate with toy manufacturers on fashion-forward dolls.
- Toy
- Toy manufacturers should consider expanding their offerings to include customizable dolls and diverse body types and features.
- Technology
- Incorporating innovative technology, such as 3D printing, into the toy manufacturing process could lead to disruptive opportunities in the industry.
