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Disney Meets High Fashion at Barney’s New York

Fashion Model MInnie

Barneys New York is launching Electric Holiday, a holiday campaign that introduces the characters of Disney lore to New York’s High Fashion. Disney even allowed the store to take some of the characters “off-model” so they would fit the more traditional stature of a 5’11” runway model. Mickey Mouse will be dressed in Balenciaga, Minnie Mouse in Lanvin, Goofy in Balmain, Daisy Duck in Dolce & Gabbana, and Snow White in Nina Ricci.

When unveiled to the public on Nov. 14, Barneys’ Madison Avenue flagship will feature a three-dimensional electric light show; a moving art short film in the window displays that will turn Disney’s most favorite heroes into runway supermodels and fashion regulars into Disney types, and an original score by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino.

Barneys will donate 25 percent of sales from Electric Holiday products to charity, although it has not disclosed which at this point. What do you think of the examples above? Is Disney ready to enter high fashion, will New York ever be the same?

This actually doesn’t seem that weird to me. The store Tren-D at Downtown Disney has had similar representations of Minnie Mouse for a few years now and the brand has survived.

(via WWD)

6 thoughts on “Disney Meets High Fashion at Barney’s New York”

  1. I don’t know why everyone is complaining about the designs too.
    And besides, it’s Barney’s. The style of Barney’s is very abnormally skinny and bendy bones.

  2. A lot of people are on the belief that if kids see these designs, they might believe they aren’t perfect because they aren’t skinny like Minnie or Daisy. I’m one of the people who dislike the designs but I don’t think kids will become anorexic or bulimic because of this. Plus, I believe this is aimed more at an adult demographic, much like the Disney Designer Princess and Villainess collection. I don’t think kids will care much for it.

    I’ll believe kids be creeped out by the look if they see them though. It looks unnatural especially since the images show Minnie and Goofy with human looking fingers. Minnie looks she’ll break her back from the size of her head alone. I don’t see turning out so well in the end.

    Though, I would like to see how the Tren-D Minnie looks compared to the Barney’s Minnie since you mentioned it.

  3. Pingback: A Look Back at This Week’s Disney and Related News — August 31 - The Frog Blog: travel tips from the family frog at Undercover Tourist

  4. this is not one of the best things disney has ever done,
    never in my life have i seen the disney characters look so awful, and that’s very hard for me to say as a disney fan, i just feel that they should have been left alone

  5. as a girl who has never been skinny, and never been able to wear fashion clothes because of it, and as the mother of a girl who will likely never be skinny I think this is horrid. Minnie and Daisy have always been able to be fashionable without looking sick. I wish designers would be more creative and work with real bodies.

  6. It saddens me greatly what has been done to the beloved Disney Characters. I am a huge Disney fan. These ads in no way represent who Minnie is. What kind of a message are we sending to girls? That you have to be bone skinny to look good. Minnie is a children’s character, yes loved by adults too. But, loved as she is, not some morphed image that looks nothing like the real Minnie. That Disney even went along with this breaks my heart. Honestly what would Walt Disney think of what has been done to these characters. . If Barney’s wants some sexy thin cartoon characters then they can design their own characters, but, leave Minnie alone. She is beautiful just the way she is.

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