The Barbie cast’s recent photocall has sparked hilarious reactions after fans noticed Margot Robbie was the only one dressed in the doll’s iconic pink, while the rest of the cast seemingly missed the memo with their beige attire.
On 25 June, the Barbie cast gathered together in Los Angeles to promote the highly-anticipated live-action film, which is set to be released on 21 July. Robbie, who’s worn a number of Barbie-themed outfits throughout the movie’s press tour, continued her fashion streak with a pink polka-dot Valentino minidress for the event.
Robbie’s stylist Andrew Mukamel seemingly confirmed her custom-made Barbiecore dress was inspired by one of the Mattel toy’s own outfits, the “Pink & Fabulous” Barbie from 2015, on Instagram, where he shared side-by-side photos of the outfits. The Australian actor accessorised the look with a pair of white Manolo Blahnik pumps and a yellow quilted Valentino purse with studs.
However, it was the “sad beige” outfits worn by Robbie’s fellow Barbie cast mates that captured everyone’s attention.
The 32-year-old actor was photographed alongside Barbie director Greta Gerwig and co-stars Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Michael Cera, and Kate McKinnon. Gosling, who plays Barbie’s paramour Ken in the upcoming film, wore a cream-coloured cardigan over white T-shirt and black Levi’s jeans, while co-writer and director Gerwig opted for a beige pleated midi-skirt and taupe crewneck Prada sweater.
Insecure alum Issa Rae also kept it neutral in a sand-coloured high-neck sleeveless top and matching trousers. America Ferrera, who plays a Mattel employee in the movie, wore an ivory lace Elie Saab tiered dress. Former Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon donned a grey, three-piece suit, while actor Michael Cera chose simple black pants, and black tee under a navy blue button-up shirt.
Unsurprisingly, it was the Barbie cast’s neutral-themed outfits that had fans up in arms, with many taking to Twitter to criticise Robbie’s cast mates for the lack of dedication to the Barbie theme.
“Only Margot knows her assignment,” tweeted one fan. “That’s why she’s Barbie.”
“it should be illegal to wear any colour other than pink to a Barbie event,” another claimed, while someone else asked: “What’s going on with all the sad beige?”
However, some fans believed that the drab fashion choice was actually intentional, like one person, who tweeted: “Everyone saying ‘why is Margot the only one in pink,’ bro she’s literally Barbie and I’m almost entirely certain everyone wearing beige but her is intentional”.
“Actually maybe it was on purpose because what are the odds they’re all in neutrals lol. Helps her stand out as THE #Barbie,” someone else claimed.
“I might be wrong but I feel like all the beige is intentional,” a third user wrote. “Margot is Barbie so they would want her to stand out. The hate is so unserious.”
Despite the lacklustre photocall appearance, the Barbie cast’s fashion has remained on theme throughout much of the movie’s press tour. While attending CinemaCon in Las Vegas last April, Ryan Gosling arrived wearing a pink bomber jacket over a T-shirt with director Greta Gerwig’s name printed across it in the classic Barbie font. The 42-year-old actor also embraced his character’s famous look in the live-action film, in which he sports bleach-blonde highlights and a fake tan.
During the event, Gosling told fans that he had previously “doubted his Ken-ergy,” but he eventually channelled his “inner Ken” with the help of his co-stars.
“If I’m being really honest, I doubted my Ken-ergy. I didn’t see it. Margot and Greta, I feel like they conjured this out of me somewhere,” he said. He explained that, one moment, he was living his life as usual until, “one day, I was bleaching my hair and shaving my legs and wearing bespoke neon outfits and rollerblading down Venice Beach”.
“It came on like a fever, like a Scarlet fever,” he said. “Like: ‘Why is there fake tanner on my sheets? Why am I wearing jackets without shirts? What just happened.’”
Fans also caught a glimpse at the movie’s life-size Barbie Dreamhouse, where Barbie lives in the fantastical Barbieland. In a video shared by Architectural Digest, Robbie gave a tour of her character’s all-pink kitchen and a water slide, which leads from Barbie’s bedroom to her pool.
“The dreamhouse came straight out of a fairytale book,” one fan said. “It really is something Barbie would want to live in. As always, this channel is always the best at what they do.”
“Watching the Architectural Digest tour of the Barbie Dreamhouse isn’t enough,” another tweeted. “I need to live there.”
Barbie hits theatres on 21 July in the US.