Can you believe it? The Ken doll is already six decades old but he doesn’t look a day over 30.
To celebrate the figurine’s 60th birthday, Mattel has partnered up with the Parisian luxury brand Berluti in creating three unique dolls—one white, one Black and one Asian—all dressed in fashion brand’s Spring Summer’21 collection with artist Brian Rochefort.
On the dolls, you can see one wearing a Prince of Wales double-breasted suit with a Ken & Berluti logo tee and Camden shoes; another wearing an abstract print shirt paired with a pair of black pants and leather Stellar sneakers; and lastly, a brown leather jacket is worn over a printed silk shirt with a pair of elasticated trousers and braided calf leather Camden shoes. Also seen on the suave dolls are Berluti’s signature Nino clutch but in a mini size. Accompanying the trio is a beach buggy that was created in 2020 in collaboration with Hot Wheels, a sister brand of Mattel. Starting their journey from Paris, the dolls will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to Los Angeles through a storytelling content that will be unveiled on the respective brands’ social media platforms. The digital voyage allows us to escape for a moment from the woes brought forth by the pandemic through this vicarious experience with Ken, and be reminded of the better times that are ahead of us.
While the focus might be on the plastic avatars, the brands have also dedicated two products for us to bask in the celebration: a T-shirt displaying Berluti’s and Ken’s interlaced logos, and the Nino clutch, one of the brand’s signature pieces in canvas, superimposed with Berluti’s logo, with Venezia leather details and a California Blue patina. These are available for purchase online worldwide now. Berluti’s store windows in Los Angeles and rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris will be especially dedicated to the collaboration.
“During such a restrictive time, it felt joyful and liberating going into fantasy mode to create all these products and this storytelling. Ultimately, it all goes back to the idea of dreaming”, says Kris Van Assche, the creative director for Berluti.
“Throughout Ken’s iconic history, cultural relevance and diversity have been core to his evolution. These themes perfectly align with Berluti’s fashion and values, so it made total sense to come together to celebrate Ken’s 60th anniversary”, adds Mattel Senior Director Product Design, Robert Best.
The dolls will be auctioned off in May with proceeds going to Make-A-Wish, a charity that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses.
All images courtesy of Berluti.
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