If you are as invested as I am into scrolling avidly through fashion blogs, pages, and articles, you know you can’t avoid the unavoidable: dolls. Your childhood toy is no longer a mere origin of nostalgia, but also a source of outfit inspiration. But how did this unlikely coalition kick-off?

Let’s go back to January of 2022, when Balmain revealed their collaboration with Barbie, a fashion-doll created by Mattel, presenting a limited-time collection featuring bright pink palettes and models posed in plastic Barbie houses like real-life dolls. In a statement by Mattel’s president and chief officer, he declared “together, Barbie and Balmain are creating a new chapter in the legacy of the toy and fashion industries,” marking the unofficial, official commencement of fashion’s freshest muse. 

Then, during the summer of 2022, the internet got a sneak peek of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film, and the fashion industry has not been the same since. In stills released by Warner Brothers, actress Margot Robbie, as Barbie, is seen beaming wide in the driver’s seat of a pink Cadillac. From the whimsical, hot pink scenery and campy environment, Barbiecore was born. The style has taken over, with #Barbiecore on TikTok racking up over 100 million views and retailers have used the aesthetic to their advantage, creating bubblegum, all-pink-everything looks, bridging a gap between the industries. 

Yet, Barbie is not the sole figure to plunge into high fashion, as another one of Mattel’s franchise’s, Monster High, has teamed up with Maisie Wilen for their Fall/Winter 2022 line. Monster High came to fruition in the 2010’s, personifying the archetypal 2000s aesthetic and style, as characters sported low waisted miniskirts, hightops, and plaid patterns, with a goth and scene-like twist. Exploring fashion is not new for Monster High, as they have notably produced lines like Haunt Couture, an obvious play on Haute Couture, that embraces originality from high-end brands to reinvent the looks of its characters. The collector line features five dolls, including Clawdeen Wolf, the daughter of the werewolf, with thoroughly transformed classic outfits. Clawdeen’s purse is not only a nod to her original doll’s coat, but also sources inspiration from Moschino’s biker jacket bag.

Their partnership with Maisie Wilen debuted live last year at NYFW in an all-immersive digital affair that unveiled the designs holographically and in WebAR. The set was designed to “play with perception and blur the line between reality and fantasy, to create a wardrobe that is made as much for one’s virtual presence as it is for your real-life self.” Sequins, fishnets, faux-fur, frayed, and patched garments graced the digital 7-foot-tall projections while models were ornamented in fake gills, fangs, wolf ears, and vibrant makeup. The edgy ensembles, contorted models, and high-tech production proved that designers are able to derive artistry from dolls in a fantastical, trailblazing way.

Likewise, MGA Entertainment’s doll line, Bratz, has grown to be a glaring root of style influence for designers and consumers alike. Released in 2001, the Bratz brand is not restricted to one image or 2000s fad, as attires range from glam to punk and from boho to alternative. Besides, Bratz characters were known to shop at vintage and thrift stores. It’s equally noteworthy to divulge that their style takes insight from hip-hop culture and streetwear, which, at the time, contrasted what their chief competitor Barbie was purveying. If it isn’t clear enough already, Bratz, by far, appeals vastly to the Y2K, maximalist notions that have prevailed in the recent trend cycle.

Bratz niche captured the curiosity of Cult Gaia designer Jasmin Larian. She reports in an interview with WWD that “working on and being exposed to Bratz at a young age laid the foundation for me to not only learn about fashion design and brand-building, but how valuable and important owning your self-expression and creativity is.” In perfect unity, the two celebrated their 10th and 21st anniversaries with both a fashion line and doll collaboration. Cult Gaia revealed their collection in March of this year, featuring butterfly tops, gold hoops, snakeskin patterns, and, of course, chunky platform heels (an essential in Bratz fashion), among other bold garments that brought Bratz to life. The partnership came full circle as Bratz x Cult Gaia collector dolls released October 30th, starring characters Yasmin and Cloe adorned in Cult Gaia’s staple pieces from head-to-toe.

I’d argue Bratz takes the junction between dolls and fashion, as well as popular culture, to a whole other level. In their recent rebrand, Bratz centers on producing custom dolls inspired by musicians like SOPHIE, Charli XCX, Doja Cat, films like Jennifer’s Body, and threads that mimic celebrity red carpet looks, to name a few. Their dolls have now become synonymous with fashion, and it’s virtually impossible to separate the two. The #BratzChallenge has surged on social media, with influencers, TikTokers, and fans restyling themselves as Bratz dolls by uprooting creativity from their makeup and attire, keeping Bratz contemporary. Clearly, Bratz is not abandoned in nostalgia.

The enduring bond between fashion and dolls is enough to spark the burning question: Why? While one could analyze the trend cycle deeply to posit numerous reasons as to why dolls are now ingrained in fashion, perhaps the motive is considerably simpler. After departing from the height of lockdowns and restrictions, it’s not far-fetched to assume the collective might be seeking something that grants us all to escape into fantasy, relish in imagination, and take a break from the rigidity of our routine lives. Presently, influencers have formed a trend surrounding the American Girl Cafe, inspiring others to dress up and dine out with their dolls, illustrating how this can evoke a sense of amusement and wonder. Whatever the reason may represent, this trend tests us to take ourselves less seriously and find inspiration in places we might not have thought about before, showing that life in plastic really is fantastic.