barbie

Barbie Gets A BHM Makeover From Beyoncé And Megan Thee Stallion’s Sylist

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In honor of Black History Month, stylist Zerina Akers collaborated with Barbie to create a series of looks for the doll’s Instagram. Akers, who has styled Latto, Neicy Nash, and Chloe x Halle, garnered recognition as Beyoncé‘s personal stylist. In addition, the highly sought-after trendsetter received an Emmy for her costume designs in Black Is King. Now, Akers is bringing her stylish twist to Barbie’s wardrobe. According to The Root, the Akers-Barbie collaboration project presents Barbie as a Black culture icon while celebrating diversity in representation.

When discussing her inspiration for the project with the outlet, Akers commented, “partnering with Barbie and getting to dress yet another icon is such a full circle moment for me—Barbie and Mattel were such a huge part of my childhood and are so nostalgic for me. I’m so excited to reimagine Barbie’s style and help inspire the next generation of fashionistas to dream big!” The costume designer also revealed how when she was a kid, she would find ways to dress up her Barbies to her own tastes. “Whether I was making clothes for my Barbie dolls or styling their hair, I was able to practice different ways to explore creatively as it related to image, appearance, and lifestyle,” Akers mentioned.

Barbie Receives A New Look From Zerina Akers

The 36-year-old fashionista added how important representation was when she was in her doll-playing phase. “For me, Barbie was one of my earliest forms of representation. My aunt would buy me the prettiest Black Barbie dolls to play with,” she told the outlet. “It was very important for us to see ourselves in the toys we played with and for our dolls to have multicultural ‘friends.’” Back in 2020, Akers founded the online marketplace Black Owned Everything. The organization initially started as an Instagram account, but has since grown into a “movement.” Black Owned Everything’s goal is to bridge Black business and the community through “meaningful and long-lasting participation.” The website describes, “it is not ephemeral, trend-based, or short-lived.”

The Akers-Barbie collaboration drops today (February 22nd) on Barbie’s global Instagram account, @BarbieStyle. The series will be posted as editorial-style photoshoots, all showcasing the best looks from Akers’s collection. For news related to pop culture and hip-hop, be sure to check out HNHH.

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Margot Robbie “Barbie” Film Shares Teaser, Fans Think Dua Lipa Will Appear

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If any actress has been booked and busy as of late, it’s Margot Robbie. The Australian starlet appeared in the Drake-produced Amsterdam alongside Christian Bale and John David Washington earlier this year. Additionally, she’s been preparing for the quickly approaching premiere of her upcoming Babylon project later this month.

Of the latter, the 32-year-old has teased fans with hints that it will be even more wild than her most popular release, The Wolf of Wall Street. While there’s certainly excitement drumming up surrounding the picture, it’s got nothing on the anticipation surrounding another of the actresses’ recent endeavours.

Margot Robbie is seen on December 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

As you may already know, Robbie was previously cast to star as the titular character in Greta Gerwig’s rendition of Barbie. Starring opposite her as Ken is Canadian actor Ryan Gosling. Others in the cast include Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, and Michael Cera.

Thus far a lot of the film’s plot remains mysterious. Paparazzi took photos of the lead actors rollerskating around in neon gear, and some official pictures of the I, Tonya actress in costume have been circulating. However, on Friday (December 16), the world is finally getting a vague idea of what to expect from the movie.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling film new scenes for ‘Barbie’ in Venice California. 27 Jun 2022. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)

As Uproxx notes, the brief clip is obviously a parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The camera sees several little girls happily playing with their “baby dolls.” However, when a larger-than-life Robbie-as-Barbie descends upon them, chaos accordingly ensues.

Footage from the film itself is minimal, though we do see quick appearances from Gosling, Rae, and Liu. Additionally, it sets a premiere date of July 21st, 2023.

Elsewhere in the news, the internet has been speculating that we could see an appearance from Future Nostalgia hitmaker Dua Lipa in Gerwig’s film. Another Uproxx report points out that the movie’s official account follows the English singer, along with other cast members exclusively.

No confirmation is coming out just yet. It’s also worth noting that she could simply be contributing to the soundtrack. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the performer try her hand at acting – it’s what her new beau, Jack Harlow, is doing as well, after all.

Check out the Barbie teaser below, and check back with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

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Rap Snacks Is Being Sued Over Its Nicki Minaj-Themed ‘Barbie-Cue’ Flavor

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nicki minaj lawsuit
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Rap’s always had a minor obsession with brands and brand names, which at the best of times gives it a deeper connection with pop culture. On the other hand, by tapping into cultural touchstones, rap has occasionally run afoul of the civil side of the law. From rappers being forced to change their names (Remy Ma, who once went by the more recognizable Remy Martin, which also sued 50 Cent over his competing cognac) to copyright infringement suits (Tyga and Lil Nas X were both recently sued over sneaker collaborations), rap’s propensity for name-checking has gotten more than one artist into trouble.

Now, the brands that associate with rappers are feeling those effects too. According to Reuters, the Rap Snacks potato chip brand is being sued by toy manufacturer Mattel over its new Nicki Minaj-themed flavor. Spinning the flavor’s name off from Nicki’s self-derived Barbie nickname, Barbie-Que” Honey Truffle — and its logo, which borrows the original logo of Mattel’s long-running, beloved doll line — Rap Snacks has drawn the ire of Mattel’s legal department, which filed suit last week, alleging unfair competition and false designation of origin, trademark dilution, and unfair competition violation.

Mattel argues that the logo’s use creates customer confusion and false association with the actual Barbie brand. The logo’s use wasn’t authorized and Rap Snacks “purposely” misled customers, allegedly refusing to “correct the misimpression it foisted on the public.” Nicki Minaj, who has long used the Barbie terminology and aesthetic, even calling her fans “Barbz” and herself “Harajuku Barbie” (oof), is said to have deferred to Mattel, obtaining at least tacit permission to continue using the moniker, even having her own doll made in 2011.

Mattel not only wants Rap Snacks to discontinue its “Barbie-Que” flavor but also wants it to cancel its trademarks for Barbie-Que and hand over all of the profits made from its sales. Rap Snacks, which also has flavors based on Cardi B, Lil Durk, Migos, and Moneybagg Yo, has not made a public statement as of press time.