MORE than 3 000 genuine rhinestone crystals and pearls and 40m of bright pink tulle ‒ and while it may be doll size, “it’s absolute haute couture”.
That was the comment from SA designer Gert-Johan Coetzee who has collaborated with the iconic Barbie brand to bring the richness and diversity of Africa to the global stage.
Launched this week at a glam event in Johannesburg where the venue was all-pink Barbie decor, including pink drinks, Coetzee created a ready-to-wear SA collection and a beautiful couture dress to fit the world’s leading fashion doll.
Comprising 31 looks, the new ’Barbie Loves Gert’ full-size collection has been described as celebrating the uniqueness of South Africans.
Yesterday, Coetzee said: “It’s very important for me to really showcase the broad spectrum of South Africa and Africa and when Barbie comes to Africa, we really have to make her feel welcome and stand out. So I looked at the influences of all our major cultures.” He added that Barbie “is the biggest fashion doll in the world”.
The designs include all genders, sizes and cultures.
“The collection was about showing diversity in religion, culture, body size and shape and sexuality, showing that you can be whoever you want to be.”
While the collection includes ready-to-wear and couture designs, Coetzee said his favourites were a beaded skirt “in a beautiful baby pink”, and of course the doll-size Showstopper outfit which was made of more than 40m of bright pink tulle ruches and so many stones and crystals that Coetzee said, “we eventually stopped counting them”.
It took him more than 50 hours of meticulous work to create the Showstopper design and Coetzee describes the finale piece as “a one-of-a-kind gown ‒ even in doll size, it’s absolute haute couture”.
“Working with the Barbie brand has literally been a childhood dream come true. I’ve always spoken about how, when I was growing up, I played with my sister’s dolls and those were Barbie dolls. When Barbie asked me to design a once-off design, I really jumped at the opportunity; it was so beautiful to design the little miniature dress,” he said.
The dress was shot for the official Barbie instagram account.
To complete the BarbieLovesGert look, Coetzee partnered with Europa to create shoes for the collection.
Coetzee has dressed the likes of US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, as well as 2018 Miss Universe, Demi-Leigh Peters Nel, and former public protector Thuli Madonsela.
Mattel SA country manager Scott Hobson said this week, “as the most diverse fashion doll in the market, with more than 170 different diverse looks, shapes and sizes, Barbie continues to show the impact of representation and we are absolutely honoured and inspired to be working with SA designer Gert-Johan Coetzee whose work embodies these values”.
To find out more about #BarbieLovesGert, go to blueh.co.za or shopgert.com
Independent on Saturday