The Princess of Wales arrived for a visit to the Windsor Foodshare with her husband Prince William, wearing a trend we never expected her to try.
The future monarch opted for a hot pink coat from Marks & Spencer, and matching turtleneck jumper for the charity visit, and proved that Barbiecore is here to stay for 2023.
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Princess Kate is the latest fan of the 'Barbiecore' trend
Of course Princess Kate gave the trend a royal twist, and instead of going for a full pink look, she elevated the ensemble with the addition of black trousers and a sleek leather belt with a gold buckle. The outfit was a masterclass in styling, as she made the A-list approved hue work for everyday wear.
Among the star-studded guests at almost every red carpet in 2022, there seems to be but one unspoken rule: Barbie mania. ‘Barbiecore' is now permanently in the fashion set’s vocabulary. Pierpaolo Piccioli's instantly iconic AW22 'Pink PP' show for Valentino's could be to blame, but ever since we first saw those leaked images of Margot Robbie dressed as Barbie... could it be that we all secretly want to be Barbie girls?
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The royal donned black trousers for a regal spin
More than a fashion movement, Barbiecore is also a philosophy. According to Business Insider, "Barbiecore is a Gen Z and Millennial response to the quarantining and social distancing from the pandemic, a sexual coming-out moment of sorts, version 2.0 of hot-girl summer. The look, which LGBTQ icons like Lil Nas X and Laverne Cox have embraced, is a feminist statement.”
How did the Barbiecore trend start?
Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli's Autumn/Winter 2022 show for Valentino is probably the most obvious place to start. Back in March 2022 he showed which was almost exclusively pink. An unabashedly pink shade which was created by Pantone for the show, officially titled ‘Valentino Pink PP’. The pink shade in question was oh-so Barbie, and it was seen on almost everything in the show, from clothing to makeup and hosiery. “I wanted to use one colour to highlight fashion as cut, design, silhouette, shapes, volumes, textures,” explained Pierpaolo Piccioli of the collection.
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