Mattel Inc., the owners of the Barbie brand, is going to start marketing the popular doll as a fashion accessory. Mattel is lining up new partnerships with Bloomingdale’s, Vera Wang, Jeremy Scott, IMG and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, to help Barbies fashion image. The company is planning a runway show in February, as part of fashion week in New York, with 50 as-yet-undisclosed designers who will produce life-size outfits inspired by Barbie. A new line of beauty products — bearing cheeky names such as “All Doll’d Up”for color cosmetics and “Plastic Smooth” for skin treatments — is set for 2009. Projects in the works include a life-size wedding gown designed by Vera Wang, priced at more than $15,000, which includes a Barbie wearing a miniature version of the dress. Jeremy Scott will unveil a capsule collection inspired by Barbie for next spring. Mattel plans to launch a Barbie-themed shop-in-shop at Apothia in the Fred Segal retail complex in Santa Monica, Calif. Mattel will kick off a three-year partnership with the CFDA in February, when it also will begin sponsoring the IMG-organized Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. As the first toy company partnering with the CFDA, Mattel is considering helping fund scholarships and organize panels. In turn, CFDA is helping Mattel find designers from the association’s 350 members who will participate in the runway show. During fashion week, which will be held at the same time as the American International Toy Fair, Mattel will feature Barbie in the windows and on the sales floor at Bloomingdale’s flagship.

This is a little much Mattel, but thanks anyway.

Via: WWD