Brand Candy

Ok, so they’ve been toying with Miss Barbie for years.  Hair color, careers, measurements, height, homes…we’ve pretty much reckoned with the fact that Barbie is the All-Everything Woman.  But this, this takes the cake. (Or the cheese, if you will.)

On the eve of Fashion Week, Women’s Wear Daily reports that high-end retailer Barney’s has unveiled its holiday campaign collaboration with Disney, which features (gasp!) waif-like caricatures of Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck.  It appears that Minnie’s classic chubby cheeks and curvy bod were just too much for the illustrated Lanvin she’s slated to rock down an animated runway in a feature film.  The movie, to debut in mid-November around the launch of the “Electric Holiday” campaign, tells the story of Minnie’s fantasy to go to Paris Fashion Week.

What was Disney thinking? No doubt a coup for Barney’s, who have been known to stretch the limits of common sense and taste in the name of fashion, but for the brand that is Disney, we’re not so sure this is a win.  Not only is this creepy, but we find it almost irresponsible in light of recent conversations about too-thin models and body image perception.  What better way to send a message to young girls that they might just be too fat for designer gear, than to whittle away at cartoon characters.  Say it ain’t so…Walt Disney is spinning…

(Source: iwanticandy)