The Kens' Disco Jumpsuits In Barbie Caused Some Anxiety Behind The Scenes
Costuming can often serve as its own character in a film, and Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" was no different. Gerwig enlisted Academy Award-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran to bring her vision to life, which included brand-new, original designs as well as recreations of some of the most famous fashions of Mattel's prodigal daughter. Durran's previous films include beloved historical dramas like "Atonement," "Pride & Prejudice," "Little Women," and "Cyrano," but she's also the costumer behind Matt Reeves' "The Batman" and the stressful "Nosedive" episode of "Black Mirror." This is to say that while Durran's name isn't synonymous with bright, bold colors (the way Mona May of "Clueless" and "Romy & Michele's High School Reunion" fame is, for example), no one should have ever doubted that Durran was going to deliver a masterful collection of magisterial designs.
During the production of "Barbie," the cast and crew had a rule that everyone would wear pink on Wednesdays (a reference to "Mean Girls"), further emphasizing the importance of the costumes and fashion on set. Durran's dedication to capturing the essence of Barbie was evident from the very beginning, but considering Barbie has been around for over 60 years, some of the most memorable looks were made with fabrics that aren't as easy to find anymore. One of the most prominent examples of this came when trying to put together the Kens' white and gold jogger jumpsuits as seen during Barbie's "giant blowout party with all the Barbies, and planned choreography, and a bespoke song." As the jumpsuits were modeled after fashion from the late '60s and early '70s, Durran needed to find period-appropriate fabric that would allow the Kens to get their disco on.
Watch me dance, dance the night away
Margot Robbie's Stereotypical Barbie might have had more options and iconic recreations throughout "Barbie," but the matching Ken costumes have become fan favorites. The white and gold jumpsuit, for example, is the outfit worn by the purchasable Ken doll modeled after Simu Liu. But getting the jumpsuits made was no easy task, as Jacqueline Durran told Entertainment Weekly it was a struggle to find "the right weight and not be too stiff," in terms of the fabric.
During the dance scene, all of the Barbies are wearing different, custom outfits for the party, but all of the Kens are in matching attire. So not only did Durran have to find the proper fabric, she also had to find enough of it to dress all of the Kens in the scene. As she told EW, "trying to get them all made in time due to the sheer number of Kens in the scene also caused some anxiety."
The jumpsuits look to be inspired by the Golden Nights/Disco Ken doll, with the monogrammed track suit jacket modeled after the Ken Doll from the Barbie and the Rockers era in the 1980s. "We did interpret and change things slightly," Durran said. "But mainly, particularly with the women and all the kind of strange frills and different lengths and different costumes, all of that's inspired by Mattel." Fortunately, all of the hard work from Durran and her team paid off, as different fashion brands are already highlighting their look-a-like garments, and costume/cosplay companies are mass-producing knockoffs in time for Halloween.