KEN GETS A MAKEOVER FROM BERLUTI FOR 60TH BIRTHDAY
Ken, the cultural icon and Barbie’s go-to counterpart, is turning 60. In celebration of the special day, Berluti joins Ken for an unexpected and fashionable collaboration.
As part of the birthday celebrations, the luxury menswear brand will launch two dedicated products, a t-shirt and its signature Nino clutch that feature Ken and Berluti’s interlaced logos.
Plus, Berluti’s creative director Kris Van Assche has given Ken a 21st century makeover by developing three one-of-a-kind Ken dolls dressed in the Berluti x Brian Rochefort collection, shown alongside a mini Berluti buggy.
Ken’s Berluti x Brian Rochefort looks will include a brown leather jacket worn with a short-sleeved printed silk shirt, elasticated trousers, and braided calf leather Camden shoes; a Prince of Wales double-breasted suit with a Ken & Berluti logo tee and Camden shoes; and a printed shirt combined with black trousers, a belt, and braided calf leather Stellar sneakers – as well as a miniature version of the Nino clutch and the Berluti beach buggy revealed in 2020, manufactured by Hot Wheels.
“During such a restrictive time, it felt joyful and liberating going into fantasy mode to create all these products and this storytelling,” said Van Assche. “Ultimately, it all goes back to the idea of dreaming.”
“Throughout Ken’s iconic history, cultural relevance and diversity have been core to his evolution,” added Robert Best, senior director of Barbie design at Mattel. “These themes perfectly align with Berluti’s fashion and values, so it made total sense to come together to celebrate Ken’s 60th anniversary.”
The dolls will be revealed on Barbie’s global platform @BarbieStyle and appear on Berluti’s Instagram account before being digitally auctioned in May with proceeds supporting the children’s charity Make-A-Wish. Additionally, Berluti’s store windows in Los Angeles and rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris will be dedicated to the collaboration.
The Ken Printed Logo T-Shirt, which retails for $380, and the Nino Large Canvas and Leather Clutch, which retails for $1,030, is now available at Berluti stores in U.S, France, China, and Japan, as well as e-shops worldwide.
