Barbie And Balmain Team Up For Ready-To-Wear Collection And Exclusive NFTs Series

French luxury fashion label, Balmain and fashion doll, Barbie, have teamed up for a ready-to-wear collection and a series of exclusive non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The partnership, which marks Barbie’s first foray into NFTs, aims to celebrate both Barbie and Balmain’s combined impact on fashion and greater culture.

“As our campaign images make very clear, Barbie and Balmain are embarking upon a distinctly multicultural, inclusive and always joy-filled adventure,” said Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain.

“For this collaboration, we are building upon the New French Style of Balmain’s most recent collections, once again showing that Balmain is inspired by the truly diverse and exciting beauty found on today’s Parisian boulevards and avenues. This collection also rejects any arbitrary gender limitations — this is an almost 100% unisex collection.”

As part of the collaboration, the duo will be dropping three NFTs featuring distinctive Barbie and Ken avatars. Styled in complete looks from Balmain’s designs, each is accompanied by a one-of-a-kind bespoke set of Barbie-sized Balmain pieces, offering up a unique digital and physical art collection.

These Barbie x Balmain NFTs will be made available exclusively through Mattel Creations, via online auction hosted on mintNFT.

Additionally, the two brands will be offering a 50 piece ready-to-wear and accessories collection via the Balmain site, Balmain stores, Mattel Creations and other global retailers.

“Together, Barbie and Balmain are creating a new chapter in the legacy of the toy and fashion industries,” said Richard Dickson, president and chief operating officer of Mattel. “As a fashion house committed to innovation in unexpected and joyous ways, Balmain, under Olivier Rousteing’s creative direction, is the perfect partner to translate the iconography that is unique to Barbie into a modern iteration of digital art and physical fashion.”

The collection is expected to fuse the opulence of Balmain and the nostalgic 1990’s-era Barbie design featuring its iconic Barbie logo as well as the “Barbie pink” Pantone and iconic packaging.

The Barbie x Balmain ready-to-wear and accessories line will become available to purchase on January 13, 2022. Bids for Barbie x Balmain NFTs will begin on January 11, 2022.