Barbie plays muse to French fashion designers

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PARIS (REUTERS) - French fashion designers have given Barbie a makeover, transforming her into a fashionista sporting a collection of miniature outfits, hairdos and accessories on display in a Paris gallery.

Fifteen designers were given free rein to style the iconic doll, resulting in a wardrobe ranging from Brazilian-inspired swimwear to traditional African dresses with a modern twist.

Paris-based children's clothes designer Olivia Belanger dressed her doll in a knitted orange jump suit.

"It was a heck of a challenge, because designing for such a small thing is really hard, you have to be really careful with all the details, all the small stitching, and make things which aren't too visible," said Ms Belanger, who works at Petit Bec. "And so, for example, I sewed the blouse onto the Barbie to really make sure it fit."

Toy-maker Mattel has created more than 100 new Barbie dolls since 2015 to represent greater diversity, introducing new figurines in a range of body types and skin tones.

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