By Megan Burford
Margot Robbie at the 96th Annual Oscars Credit: Alamy Live News
Margot Robbie’s penchant for pink on the red carpet veered off its expected course at the 2024 Oscars, with the star-studded actress marking the occasion in a black floor-length Versace dress.
This comes as a surprise to those who closely followed the Barbie press tour, where Robbie recreated some of the most iconic Barbie dolls of various eras and styles, holding true to the iconic hot pink glamour of the Barbie brand throughout it all.
However, her chosen look for this year’s Oscars stripped the actress down to a natural face and a simplistic black dress with a light sparkle. Leaving the question on everybody’s lips, does this sombre styling signal the end of an era for the cast of Greta Gerwig’s instant classic?
Turning towards the wider cast of the film, it was notable that Robbie’s co-star, America Ferrera, was dressed in an outfit more akin to what was expected Margot Robbie would wear, donning another gorgeous Versace piece, but in the dazzling pink, Barbie fans have come to expect and embrace. Given the characters portrayed by both women in the film itself, is it possible that beyond a farewell to Barbie, these looks may be representative of the film’s ending, with Robbie’s Barbie joining and accepting the sometimes-dark real world, and Ferrera’s character embracing the joy Barbie brought to her and her daughter’s lives.
Margot Robbie arrives at the 81st Golden Globe Awards. Credit: Alamy
Whether the colour swap was part of a broader message about the film or simply a fun stunt to bid adieu to a much-loved movie, it is clear that while the bright glitter and sparkle of Barbie may be an eye-catching backdrop but the true joy of Barbie’s unabashed femininity isn’t just in her endless pink closet but in her ability to be nothing short of genuine, radiating positivity wherever she goes.
Though this may signal the end of a stylistic era for Margot Robbie as the Barbie movie wraps up, it certainly doesn’t mean the death of Barbie as a state of mind. And with an entire book chronicling the styling of Margot Robbie as various incarnations of Barbie on its way this year, it’s clear that “Barbiecore” as a style is yet to leave the public consciousness.
As for our Barbie heroines, though it’s sad to see them move on, their futures in the movie industry are undoubtedly bright following the film’s raucous success and, personally, I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to see what they do next, whether in pink or black.
