Margot Robbie has been busting out the Barbiecore for her promotional tour as star of the well-reviewed Barbie movie—one of the biggest theatrical releases on the 2023 movie schedule, which crossed the billion-dollar mark back in August. And her recent appearance in New York City was no exception. Just when you think she’s done dishing out A+ looks, Robbie managed to pull out yet another one, and she dove deep into the archives for it.
The Australian actress represented her Barbie cast members at the 33rd Annual Gotham Awards held at Manhattan’s Cipriani Wall Street on November 27, 2023, which she attended alongside and her husband, Tom Ackerley, and director Greta Gerwig. For the event, the 33-year-old actress-producer eschewed her usual Barbie-approved bubblegum pink for a more surprising tribute to the iconic fashion doll. She showed up to the awards ceremony in an all-black Prada look, complete with a strapless satin cocktail dress, a sheer organza cape and a matching black ribbon tying up her blonde locks into a ponytail. Take a look:
Per W Magazine, the star finished off the glamorous look with “peep-toe Manolo Blahnik heels, leather gloves, pearl earrings from Assael” and an angular metallic clutch. The retro-inspired ensemble was reportedly in reference to the 1964 “Black Magic” Barbie doll, which the star revealed to People was a personal favorite of the brand’s creator, Ruth Handler. On his Instagram, Robbie’s stylist, Andrew Mukamal, shared a photo of the original doll that served as inspiration for the Gotham Awards look. Take another look at the sleek ensemble:
It’s far from the first time that the Wolf of Wall Street alum and Andrew Mukamal delved into the Barbie archives for fashion inspiration during this high-profile press tour. The duo has regularly drawn from the doll’s iconic, decades-spanning history—the famous toy made its world debut on March 9, 1959—including the black glittering Schiaparelli gown she wore at the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles, which was a recreation of the 60s-era “Solo in the Spotlight” variation of the doll.
Another notable nod to the titular doll was this custom pale-pink Vivienne Westwood frock the actress donned for the London premiere, which harked back to Mattel’s “Enchanted Evening” doll. And believe it or not, a day after the Gotham Awards, the starlet threw on the pink again during a date night with her hubby in New York. Scroll down to see the fresh fit:
It’s been amazing to see how she’s fully embraced the vibe of the character from a fashion standpoint. In July of this year, Margot Robbie spoke People about the styling team’s approach to dressing her like the beloved toy:
We’re finding Barbie references from decades past and just doing it really for the big Barbie fans out there, people who are actually collecting those Barbies. We’re hoping to get them excited. We’re pairing Barbie references with great designers.
She’s sported designs from Versace, Herve Leger and Moschino, among others, during the movie’s promo tour. When it comes to wearing the doll’s famous threads, the I, Tonya star added, “It’s not subtle, but it’s very fun!” One would think that the eponymous character she plays in the movie would have those same thoughts on the matter.
Though Barbie didn’t win at the Gotham Awards, Margot Robbie’s “Kenergetic” co-star, Ryan Gosling, was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Performance, an award that was scooped by May December stand-out Charles Melton. Despite that, the pink-hued blockbuster is definitely expected to be a major awards contender this season. Alongside acting in the theatrical hit, Robbie is also a producer on the film, meaning she could take home gold if the film gets nominated and wins for Best Picture at next year’s Academy Awards.
Outside of the on-screen performances, the film has received praise for its soundtrack. The official album earned a whopping 11 Grammy nominations on November 10, including Record and Song of the Year for Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and Song of the Year for Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night.” The stunning Barbie Land production design as well as its costuming, hair and makeup have also been lauded.
One would think that Margot Robbie is going to keep up her streak of tremendous Barbie-inspired fits throughout awards season. It’ll definitely be exciting to see what she and her team are able to come up with next. In the meantime, if you’re a Max subscriber, you can anticipate the movie becoming available to stream sometime soon.