Ever since word got out about Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” film, it’s been impossible to avoid the blond-haired doll. With a star-studded cast featuring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, Nicola Coughlan, Dua Lipa, Emma Mackey, and Kate McKinnon, just to name a few, we’ve been completely immersed in the pink-toned world of Barbie Land for the last two-plus years. Now, the movie’s release is finally here.
For longtime Barbie fanatics whose core memories include sitting cross-legged on the floor with a variety of Mattel dolls scattered around them, the movie drums up almost as much excitement as finding the latest Dreamhouse under the Christmas tree. And that’s exactly the type of energy director Gerwig put into the project. As a self-proclaimed Barbie girl herself, she left no detail untouched. Of course, she didn’t do it alone. She had an amazing crew to help bring her dream to life, including the film’s hair and makeup department head, Ivana Primorac.
Every aspect of the looks for the various Barbies and Kens went through Primorac, from their hair and makeup down to their nails. As a fan of Barbie, “we originally concentrated on trying to find the way to actually replicate the dolls,” she tells POPSUGAR. However, she admits that at first, her team “didn’t really understand what would make a doll.” They tried to re-create its plastic skin only to come to a realization: “The dolls are perfect and beautiful in the child’s mind.” So they changed their approach. “I realized that we have to make each Barbie the most perfect version of herself to create these dolls.”
“I realized that we have to make each Barbie the most perfect version of herself to create these dolls.”
From there, they began creating a unique and fresh look for each character heavily influenced by Mattel’s creations. This was a big ask, given the sheer number of actors in the film and costume changes that came with each one, but she was up to the challenge. Mattel gave her a complete catalog of every Barbie ever made since its invention in 1959. “We had to hit the ground running,” she says.
Ahead, Primorac goes into more detail about the different Barbie looks you can expect to see in the film, including Robbie’s, McKinnon’s, and Lipa’s. Plus, she also shares how the doll’s packaging influenced the costume changes and the one tiny detail consistent with every actor.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. By Jaap Buitendijk
How Margot Robbie's Many Barbie Hairstyles Came to Life
Robbie’s Barbie was one of the first characters Primorac worked on. The first order of business was to find the perfect shade of blond. From there, they began planning the wigs. For Robbie’s many costume changes, they utilized 18 full wigs and about 30 hairpieces. “We didn’t really realize how many costumes we were gonna have until we carefully broke down the script and went through scene by scene,” she says.
Nailing the proportions of the hair had the most impact on getting that doll-like appearance. “Very quickly, we realized that all Barbies have this nice, luscious hair that’s always wider than their shoulders and then [even] longer than long hair,” Primorac says.
One of her favorite styles was the Totally Hair Barbie, with her long, crimped waves. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, how are we gonna do that?'” Primorac says. “But that was brilliant – she was one of the most-sold Barbies of all time.”
Courtesy of Warner Bros. By Jaap Buitendijk
The Costumes That Paid Homage to the Dolls in the Box
“Everything was designed to be like the new doll that comes in a box.”
The number of hair and makeup changes in the film is unprecedented and posed quite a challenge, but Primorac found it fun. “There’s more than 12 changes before the credits stopped rolling,” she says. Each time the characters changed looks, every last detail needed to be modified. “There were complete changes in everything – of the length of hair, of styles, of accessories,” Primorac says. “Everything was designed to be like the new doll that comes in a box.”
Most times in film, continuity and consistency in a character’s image are of the utmost importance, but with “Barbie,” all of those rules went out the window. “It was great fun to know that she goes to bed with her nice long hair and she wakes up with short hair,” she says.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
On Finding the Perfect Barbie-Pink Lipstick
Outside of their hair, Barbie dolls are known for their dark eyelashes and bright-pink lips. Those makeup details were brought into the film, but Primorac says, “It was very difficult for me to decide what pink that is.” They ended up collecting several pink lipsticks and glosses to have on hand. “Every time the costumes were on, we could finish off by choosing the right lipstick to go with that outfit,” she says. “They don’t seem that different, which I’m very pleased about, but there are about 30 different shades of pink if not more.”
Courtesy of Warner Bros. / Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
The Manicure That Every Barbie and Ken Wore
No two Barbies or Kens were the same, but they all did share one tiny detail: their nails. “Everyone, even the boys, had a manicure and pedicure,” Primorac says. But for how over-the-top “Barbie” is in all other aspects, the nails were kept simple. “We decided to make them short and square to actually look like the dolls.” The Mattel creations rarely had nail polish on (aside from the older releases that occasionally wore red), so they went with a glossy, neutral polish. “Their hands looked kind of childlike,” she says. “It wasn’t too sophisticated.”
Courtesy of Warner Bros. / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
What Went Into Kate McKinnon's "Splits" Barbie Transformation
For anyone who played with Barbies growing up, McKinnon’s doll is likely instantly recognizable with the choppy cut, colorful streaks, and scribbles all over her face. “She looks exactly like the Barbie that got played with way too hard by the child,” Primorac says. “All of my dolls in the end always ended up like that. And then you got a new one – that’s kind of a cycle of life.”
What you may not expect is that McKinnon’s look was quite demanding. “That was the lengthiest process,” Primorac says. “We knew emotionally what we were looking for, but it took a while until we could actually do it.” They trialed a few different versions of the doll before landing on the one you see on your screen. “It was all too gritty, too real, too punk, too fashion – we had to throw away all the rules of beauty and just try and find something that’s very childlike and very spontaneous.”
Courtesy of Warner Bros. / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
How Issa Rae Transformed Into President Barbie
Issa Rae’s President Barbie was another one of Primorac’s favorites in the film. “I thought with her being the president, she should have as many hair changes as outfits,” she says. On a Zoom call together, the duo brainstormed different hair textures, styles, and makeup looks.
Rae’s character also has some of the boldest makeup looks in the film with bright eye makeup. “I wanted her to stand out,” Primorac says. “She’s the most perfect Barbie president that ever will be.”
Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Behind Dua Lipa's Mermaid Barbie Transformation
Lipa was a surprise addition to the film for fans, and as soon as her poster dropped, it was instantly clear she was the iconic Mermaid Barbie. Of all the characters, Lipa’s is the only one that’s an exact replicate of a Mattel doll. That decision was made for two reasons. Logistically, it made sense – Lipa’s Barbie needed to be duplicated so there were three of her total. “Rather than having three different actors play mermaids, it was her,” she says.
But that’s not all. “I felt like I couldn’t improve on a mermaid,” Primorac says. “Those incredible Mermaid Barbies were very famous.” Every detail in her costume was identical, from her tail to her florescent-blue hair. “We put light-reflecting fibers in her hair, just to give it a little bit of a Mattel authenticity.”
