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Barbie Celebrates Earth Day with Limited Edition Eco-Friendly Accessories

Posted by Mari Davis @ 9:50 am April 1, 2008
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Barbie AccessoriesDALLAS, Apr 1, 2008 / FW/ — Now, little girls can pay homage to Mother Earth with ‘Barbie Bcause, a collection of eco-friendly accessories that were made from repurposed excess fabric and trimmings from other Barbie® doll fashions and products which would otherwise be discarded.

Though this will sound like a cliché, Mattel offering eco-friendly products to little girls is a way of starting future earth citizens while they are still young to care for the environment. Sold exclusively at Toys “R” Us, stores, the Barbie Bcause collection includes handbags, coin purses, hats, tote bags, pillows, diaries and more, each featuring its own unique variations and kitschy patchwork details - an environmentally-friendly fashion statement with cool, patchwork-style accessories.

“Barbie BCause is for eco-conscious girls who believe that being environmentally-friendly is the right thing to do, and we are thrilled to give extra meaning and extra style to what was once just extra Barbie doll fabric,” commented Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Media and Entertainment, Worldwide, Mattel Brands.

The Barbie™ BCause collection is available now at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide in the Barbie® toy aisle for suggested retail prices ranging from $5.99 to $19.99 each.

 Roll Case - $19.99�
 Tote Bags - $9.99�
 Hobo Purses - $10.99�
 Messenger Bags - $11.99�
 Coin Purses - $5.99�
 Diaries - $9.99�
 Mini-Backpack — $9.99�
 Cosmetic Case — $12.99�
 Hats — $9.99�
 Pillows — $9.99�

The Catwalk Becomes A Girl’s Playground With Barbie® iDesign™

Posted by Mari Davis @ 1:36 pm January 7, 2008
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Barbie Holiday CollectionDALLAS, Jan 7, 2008 / FW/ — Teens and tweens can now design their own fashion collection, even hold a runway show, thanks to Barbie® iDesign ™ PC video game.

Created by ‘Barbie Tech’ and introduced at the 2008 CES, currently going on in Las Vegas, the game can be played in any PC that has a CD-ROM and accepts a USB-connected scanner. With 200 different collectible fashion cards that consist of various hair styles, tops, bottoms, dresses, shoes and accessories that a unique barcode that can be “swiped’ through a scanner, creating a ‘collection’ is as easy as ABC.

The ‘scanned’ items are uploaded to the ‘Design Studio’ closet that is part of the game. From there, the girls can mix and match looks for the “fashion models” Barbie ® Teresa ®, Nikki ®, Summer ® and Raquelle ®

Once the ‘collection’ has been made, the girls can hold a virtual fashion show using the ‘Runway Show’ part of the software complete with customized music, lighting and theme.

Though Mattel did not say that Barbie® iDesign™ is an extension of its successful BarbieGirls.com, a hybrid play experience that combines a real world, doll-inspired music device with a virtual world platform that is very similar to Second Life, the focus on tech games for tweens and teens cannot be denied.

Becase Barbie is an all time favorite for young girls, is Mattel actually creating a new breed of fashionistas with its Barbie® iDesign™?  It might only be a game, but Barbie® iDesign™ teaches children to be creative in their way of dressing, wherein individuality is the key for each look.

When these girls grow up, will fashion designers be able to cater to their individualistic taste? Has fashion become a slave to technology? When does technology end and creativity begin?