Highsnobiety is heading to Cannes. As part of the prestigious film festival, we’re presenting a short film unveiling our collaboration with iconic toy brand Mattel.
We teamed up with the brand behind Barbie and Hot Wheels to launch Mattel Creations, a system where artists can create their own Mattel product. Taking a page out of streetwear’s playbook, the toys will release as part of a drop model — a step in disrupting the traditional methods of the industry.
Merging nostalgia with forward-thinking design, we asked Aleali May and Daniel Arsham to be some of the first Mattel Creations artists. In our Cannes video Aleali May reveals she’s working on her very own Barbie, tearing up as she notes the important representation this doll represents.
Arsham recounts his own and his two sons’ obsession with Hot Wheels, and gives us a little sneak peek at what he’s working on. We also interview the CEO of Mattel, Richard Dickson, who describes how Mattel’s toys act as blank canvases for artists, and shares his excitement with the brand reaching a whole new generation of creators. While our CEO, David Fischer discusses “the idea of toys as art and art as toys.”
Watch the trailer above and head to the Cannes site for the full short.