London film agency SHOWstudio has unveiled a 3D animation of the latest home for fashion doll Barbie - a virtual brutalist dystopia designed by fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic (+ slideshow + movie).
SHOWstudio collaborated with Roksanda Ilincic to create a new home for Barbie, her tenth "Dreamhome" since 1962.
Unlike previous Dreamhomes, which have been brightly coloured and homely, this one features a cluster of brutalist structures, a forest of silver birch trees on the roof and a basement cinema. And unlike its plastic predecessors, this house only exists as a virtual environment.
"Working in 3D has allowed us to push the boundaries of reality - using impossible materials and defying gravity to create a striking and dynamic outcome fuelled by Roksanda's imagination," said SHOWstudio's digital art director, Jon Emmony.
Inside Barbie's new home there is a soundproofed sleeping chamber, a sunken lounge, flat screen TV, an elevator and a jacuzzi. The surrounding landscape appears as a "seemingly endless expanse of velvety black," according to the designers.
The concrete buildings are lit in pink and blue hues and in SHOWstudio's animation appear to grow from a bubbling liquid before taking shape as digital structures.
"A combination of light and dark, strength and fragility, elegance and hard edge form the framework behind Roksanda's vision for Barbie's new dreamhouse," said Barbie manufacturer Mattel. "Large expanses coupled with intimate intricacies give the living spaces variety and depth. The modular nature of the furnishings and rooms lend themselves to multi-purposes."
In 2009, Ilinic also designed a limited edition outfit to commemorate Barbie's 50th birthday and the designer first worked with SHOWstudio in 2010 during London Fashion Week.
Other stories about toys that we've featured recently include a miniature furniture range by IKEA and a dolls house that has ramps linking all the floors together.
See more toys on Dezeen »
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Here's the full announcement from SHOWstudio:
Barbie's new Dreamhouse designed by Roksanda Ilincic in collaboration with SHOWstudio
Barbie's new Dreamhouse launches on SHOWstudio. Having considered moving from her native Malibu earlier this year, Barbie looked to Roksanda Ilincic to create her 21st Century sanctuary. Together with SHOWstudio, Roksanda has designed a new abstract environment with a bold exterior featuring a roof forest of silver birch, and an interior that meanders through a basement movie theatre, soundproofed sleeping chamber, and sunken lounge.
Roksanda says: "It's been exciting to see the external structure take shape in 3D, and the technicolour aspect of the roof forest come to life. I'm sure Barbie will be seduced by her new concrete residence."
For the exterior, SHOWstudio wanted to create a hard and imposing structure that complimented Roksanda's strong graphic aesthetic. The landscape features shards of material that sit in a seemingly endless expanse of velvety black.
The structure itself is bathed in hues of pink and blue; colours that reflect both the visual identity of Barbie herself and Roksanda's Autumn/Winter 2013 palette. SHOWstudio wanted to merge the abstract and sublime with the strong and bold. In their animation, the house forms itself from the ground up, bubbling from liquid metal, concrete and glass. As the house takes shape, spikes and columns of digital matter form into solid concrete.
Upon the roof sits a rooftop forest of towering silver birch trees. The forest floor bathed below in the glow of digital flora. This reflection of nature contrasts with the digital and manmade feel throughout the rest of the house. A combination of light and dark, strength and fragility, elegance and hard edge form the framework behind Roksanda's vision for Barbie's new dreamhouse.
The interior offers a somewhat lightened view of the same aesthetic. Large expanses coupled with intimate intricacies give the living spaces variety and depth. The modular nature of the furnishings and rooms lend themselves to multi purposes. Projections and colour washes give mood and warmth to the starkness.
"Working in 3D has allowed us to push the boundaries of reality; using impossible materials and defying gravity to create a striking and dynamic outcome fuelled by Roksanda's imagination." Jon Emmony, Digital Art Director, SHOWstudio.
The Barbie Dreamhouse debuted in 1962, providing girls with the backdrop to play house with Barbie, truly bringing to life Ruth Handler’s vision that Barbie allows girls to role play real life scenarios, and over the past 50 years has been renovated and redesigned more than 10 times and transitioned from cardboard to plastic. Each Dreamhouse is representative of the era the house was built in and is a reflection of the time with unique architectural features and interior design details.
The original Dreamhouse was $8.00 USD, and made of cardboard with simple flat painted details, sleek furniture, a combination television/stereo console, and a Dream Closet with pink plastic hangers. The 1962 Dreamhouse reflected the aesthetic and design of the time.
In 1974 Barbie moved into a three-story Dreamhouse that included a ‘working’ elevator and is considered to be one of the most iconic houses. By 1979 Barbie had upgraded from a cardboard house to plastic with a new Dreamhouse that featured lots of details and accessories from planters and shutters to doors and windows – the symmetrical architecture and ‘A-frame’ roof was a reflection of architecture during the time.
The '90s brought the Dreamhouse to a new level with the Magical Mansion that featured working sound and light electronics like a ringing telephone and doorbell, a lit fireplace and chandelier. The current Dreamhouse features modern day luxuries including a flat screen TV, an elevator and a whirlpool tub.
About Roksanda Ilincic
Belgrade-born Roksanda Ilincic has shown her womenswear collections on the London Fashion Week schedule since 2005. Her eponymous label has recently grown to include swimwear and childrenswear lines which reflect her signature modern, cool and bold use of colour and shape, for which she has gained global recognition.
Her international customer base and VIP following include appearances on: the Duchess of Cambridge, Michele Obama, Samantha Cameron, Jessica Chastain, Keira Knightley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rooney Mara, Penelope Cruz, Florence Welch, and Emma Stone, and her work has featured in the recent 'Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950' exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Roksanda has previously dressed a limited edition Barbie to commemorate Barbie's 50th anniversary in 2009.
About SHOWstudio
Since its foundation in November 2000, SHOWstudio has been passionate about pioneering new technologies and exploring innovative mediums. From live streaming Nick Knight's photo shoots, to 3D scanning Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, SHOWstudio's team has constantly embraced new digital challenges.
SHOWstudio has worked with some of the most influential and acclaimed figures of contemporary fashion, including John Galliano, Kate Moss, Rick Owens, Comme des Garçons and Alexander McQueen.
Alongside these established names, SHOWstudio has also supported and nurtured emerging talent, including Giles Deacon, Gareth Pugh, Rodarte, J.W. Anderson and Mary Katrantzou, offering exciting new designers an important global showcase for creative expression. SHOWstudio has also worked with pop culture icons and creatives from the world of art, music and film including Tracey Emin, Björk, Brad Pitt and Lady Gaga.
As champions of fashion film and live media, SHOWstudio has worked with the world’s most sought-after filmmakers, writers and cultural figures to create visionary online content, exploring every facet of fashion through moving image, illustration, photography and written word.
About Barbie
Barbie has called Malibu her home since 1971, hitting the sand in her pastel blue bathing suit and sun-kissed tan. Building a long résumé of careers, reuniting with her boyfriend Ken, and filming her own reality show.
In the past 50 years, Barbie has established herself as one of the world's leading fashion icons, and has been dressed by leading design talents including: Alaïa, Burberry, Comme des Garçons, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Louise Gray and Roksanda Ilincic.
Barbie first broke the plastic ceiling in the 60s when, as an astronaut, she went to space four years before man walked on the moon. In the 80s she took to the boardroom as 'Day to Night' CEO Barbie, just as women began to break into management. And in the 90s, she ran for President, before any female candidate ever made it onto the presidential ballot.
Barbie has even been a UNICEF Summit diplomat, an ambassador for world peace, a surgeon, and a computer engineer, amongst her myriad careers.