Claudia Schiffer Barbie finally gets a commercial release - is the doll meeting expectations?

Back in 2017, for her 30th career anniversary and the release of her book, Mattel made an OOAK Barbie in the likeness of Claudia Schiffer, the famous supermodel from Germany. That doll recreated one of Claudia Schiffer’s iconic looks from a 1994 Ellen Von Unwerth photo shoot for Vogue Italia, wearing a metallic Versace dress. Three years later, to celebrate the model’s 50th birthday, Mattel presented two more OOAK Claudia Barbies: one wearing a Versace 1994 Atelier blue gown, and another dressed in a Balmain design similar to one worn by Schiffer in the label’s spring 2016 campaign.

Credit: The Mega Agency

Credit: The Mega Agency

Now, Mattel decided to release a commercial Barbie Claudie, recreating the cerulean pleated floor-length gown by Versace, combined with a faille taffeta bustier inspired by the signature Versace corset bodice. Per Mattel “The doll makes a bold statement, pairing Schiffer’s strength and femininity with Versace’s luxurious glamour”.

Supermodel Claudia Schiffer Barbie® Doll in Versace

Designer: Carlyle Nuera

Label: Platinum

Face Sculpt: Claudia Schiffer likeness

Body Type: Pivotal

Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Doll cannot stand alone. Doll stand included. Colours and decorations may vary. Purchase limits subject to change at the sole discretion of Mattel.

SKU#: HCB94

The Story: Claudia Schiffer chose what Barbie would wear for a doll in her honour. This is one of her all-time favourite gowns, celebrating an iconic ‘90s fashion moment. "Recreating the gown in Barbie scale was a fun challenge,” says designer Carlyle Nuera. “I studied any photo I could find and watched videos of the runway show over and over.” Strappy heels, blonde curls, and soft makeup complete the look. This doll is inspired by the 2020 design made in honour of Schiffer's 50th birthday.

Am I the only one that thinks they did a hatchet job on the new doll? The face paint does not replicate the model faithfully, even though the doll sculpt is the same used in the OOAK dolls. Of course one cannot expect a commercial doll to have the same standards as a one off doll, but still I believe for the price, ($85 in the US, at least $170 in Europe) they could have done better. The hair is also not styled very well. The gown is weird - why would anyone gather a pleated fabric at the waist, when the original design is not like this? Probably to create volume at the bottom of the dress, since the pleats are straight and not like the original. The sewing of the corset is also not that good. And those plastic shoes? For such a limited release, it is awful. There seems to be a discrepancy regarding the quantity of dolls produced: the US certificates give 5,000, the EU ones 1,000. It may refer to the specific markets but they could have just written 6,000.

All doll photos courtesy of Mattel. Claudia Schiffer photos by Ellen Von Unwerth unless otherwise stated.

Everybody’s saying Claudia Schiffer is the real Barbie, so Mattel made one to prove it!

Ever since Claudia Schiffer was catapulted in the upper strata of the galaxy we know as Fashion, she was frequently compared to Barbie. People kept saying she looked like a living Barbie doll so much, that in 1994, Ellen Von Unwerth photogrhed her vir Vogue Italia as The Real Barbie. So, to celebrate 30 years of Claudia Schiffer’s career and the launch of her self titled book, published by Rizzoli, Mattel decided to recreate one of the looks in that editorial, featuring a Versace dress. Here are the four photos they posted on their @babriestyle Instagram account:

Barbie Claudia! 

The original photograph by Ellen Von Unwerth for Vogue Italia

She does look a lot like Claudia! 

Close up of the doll - can we have her on sale now? 

It’s amazing how well they recreated the face and style of Claudia. The doll looks perfect. It would be amazing if she became available commercially, I’m certain it would sell very well. How about it Mattel? As we wait for it, let’s have a look at the rest of the original editorial. Published in Vogue Italia , on the July 1994 issue, titled Claudia, The Real Barbie. The photographer is Ellen Von Unwerth, fashion editor is Alice Gentilucci, Ward is the hairstylist and Francois Nars did the makeup.

As you can see above, the original photograph in the editorial was mirrored for the Instagram post (probably for the book as well, where Von Unwerth wrote the foreword). We end this with a backstage photo, with Claudia holding a Barbie in hand.

​Update 18th of October: The OOAK Doll made an appearance in Saks NY windows dedicated to the debut of an eight piece capsule collection that Claudia did with Aquazzura. So if you are in New York, you can see the doll if you visit the Saks NY flagship store. Photo from the model’s instagram account:

All doll photos courtesy of Mattel. All Claudia Schiffer photos by Ellen Von Unwerth.