Dive Brief:
- Denim brand Wrangler is collaborating with toy giant Mattel Inc. on a capsule collection of Barbie-themed tops, tees, jeans and dresses, according to a news release shared with Fashion Dive.
- The collaboration is meant to celebrate the “similar heritage” between the brands and contains casual and statement pieces with bright colors, prints and “western flair.”
- The line is the latest in a series of Wrangler collabs, including recent collections with Staud and Sandro. It marks yet another Barbie apparel partnership for Mattel, which has launched extensive brand collaborations around the release of the summer blockbuster “Barbie” movie.
Dive Insight:
Wrangler isn’t alone in stepping into the widespread Barbiecore trend that kicked off when the movie was announced. Barbie partnerships that launched around the movie’s release date weren’t confined to the apparel space but stretched across sectors. Earlier this year, Mattel collaborated with Aldo on a collection of Barbie-themed shoes and accessories. A report from Time estimated that official Barbie-branded collaborations totaled more than 35 by July.
Items in the 40-piece Wrangler X Barbie collection range in price from $24 to $140. They will be available on Wrangler’s website and at several retail stores, including Dillard’s, Buckle, Boot Barn and Cavender’s, per the release.
The collection features denim items in women’s and girls’ sizing, including jackets, jeans and dresses. It includes sweatshirts and ringer tees emblazoned with the Barbie logo, sweaters and fleece jackets. Many items feature Barbie’s signature hot pink color, which has become a trending color over the past year since the movie was announced.
“Barbie has become a permanent and cultural symbol of empowerment, and with this collection we aim to encourage individuals from all walks of life to embrace their unique identities and make a statement that echoes across time,” Jenni Broyles, senior vice president of Wrangler, said in the release.
Broyles teased a Wrangler collaboration that would include “playful colors for women and girls,” to Fashion Dive when the Staud collection launched earlier this month.
“We look for opportunities to reach new consumers with each partnership,” Broyles said then. “Just as important, we like to partner with those that share our brand values, while also embracing the self-expression and evolution that is always happening across the fashion landscape.”
Wrangler is owned by Kontoor Brands, which separated from VF Corp. in 2019. In August, Kontoor reported $616 million in revenue for its second quarter. Wrangler represented $425 million of that revenue. It also owns the Lee brand.
