Barbie Goes into Quarantine
Deep-Sea Barbie, Mermaid Barbie or Princess Barbie: whatever her role, Barbie always looks fantastic. But how realistic is that? And what would Barbie look like during quarantine? That is the art project of designer Tonya Ruiz, who designs and makes special Barbies as Grandma Gets Real. ‘The first was the Barbie Quarantine Starter Kit, with sweatpants and a jar of Nutella.’
Tonya wants everyone to be able to recognize themselves in Barbie. That isn’t easy if you’re not a scuba-diving supermodel or wafer-thin ballerina, so Tonya makes realistic Barbies. The dolls she customizes and makes clothes and accessories for resemble herself, her own children and grandchildren. When corona struck, Tonya had extra time to come up with new lifelike Barbies. And yes, that’s how the idea for Quarantine Barbie was born, inspired by Tonya’s daily life. ‘For example, she’s wearing a nice, roomy pair of stretch pants, because I think everyone is wearing them a lot these days—I wonder if I’ll ever fit into my regular jeans again.’
Whisky in a teacup
The Quarantine Starter Pack contains a so-called curvy Barbie, with lots of delicious food, a crossword puzzle and a bottle of whisky (which she can drink from the teacup, also included in the package, so nobody notices). Bingewatching Barbie, Bread Baking Barbie (with banana bread, sourdough starter and lots of flour in her hair and clothes) and New Hobbies Barbie soon followed, among others—with a Barbie who has baked an apple pie and is reading a cookbook. And Ken? There’s a Zoom Ken—with a blazer and heart-print boxer shorts, and lots of empty Starbucks cups.
Grandma Gets Real
Is it serious or a joke? Both, says Tonya. ‘If you don’t laugh, you’re gonna cry.’ Most people have never seen a Barbie they recognize themselves in.’ And with more free time ahead, Grandma Gets Real will happily keep playing with dolls—so more Quarantine Barbies are on the way.
