WeddingsAtWork.com Culture - Barbie & Ken's Filipiniana Wedding

According to barbiecollectibles.com: "Barbie collecting became more than a childhood pastime. With Barbie doll's original fans now in their twenties and thirties, Barbie collecting began attracting adult women as well as little girls. For many of these women, Barbie symbolized the innocence of their youth; she was a part of them that was timeless, ageless - and they wanted to reconnect with their favorite fashion doll!"

This must be the reason why some brides nowadays want Barbie and Ken as cake toppers or table centerpieces for such a memorable event in their lives. In the past, brides 'tag-along' their Barbie and Ken dolls to their gown designers for a miniature version of the same bridal gown/barong that they would be wearing for the big day.

It is said that as a bride, Barbie plays the part with style, grace, and panache. As with other cultures, Filipinos celebrate kasalan (means wedding in Tagalog) as a milestone and turning point. Thus, it's comes as no surprise that Richwell Phils. Inc. - exclusive licensed manufacturer of Filipina Barbie - came out with a collection where Barbie plays the role of a blushing Filipina bride. This Barbie's Filipina look lends itself to its darker tan and brown-black hair color matched with the extensive research to ensure the accuracy and authenticity in the representation of the traditional costumes.

Introduced in the late 1999, the Kasalan Barbie (one of the five dolls in the Tradisyong Filipina Barbie 2000 series which celebrates Philippine customs and traditions) is ready to walk down the aisle in her dress made of jusi or piña. Reknowned designer Patis Tesoro was commissioned to design the patterns and costumes for the series. The traje de boda (wedding gown) features intricate bead work and embroidery with a limited production of only 1,000 pieces per style. Piña fabric is hand woven from pineapple leaves and has a natural ivory color (although it can be dyed). On the other hand, when banana fibers is mixed with silk, the fabric is called jusi. Barbie's gown is a Maria Clara (without the panuelo) featuring the full sleeves and full skirt with heavy lace appliques, with bead and sequin accents. Rows of ivory-colored tube beads line her neckline and sleeve hems. A lone gold bead accents her pearl bead choker. A tulle veil (held to her hair by strings of pearl beads), a bouquet of silk flowers and white shoes completes her bridal ensemble.

Richwell gave the Filipina Barbie a new look in the year 2000 with the Wedding Barbie line. In the series, Filipina Barbie shows a new 'closed-mouth' smile instead of her conventional 'open-mouth' smiling face. This new look is further enhanced by the traditional wedding gowns of the Filipinas.

Here, Barbie models four wedding gowns in white, with each limited to 2,500 pieces per style. Unlike the Tradisyong Filipina series, no names are given to the styles, so the dolls will be referred here by a short description of the gowns' style. The gowns' lacework, beading and sequins, are rich in detailing, although less ornate than the Tradisyong Filipina - Kasalan Barbie.

Wedding Barbie in a ballgown style gown features a fitted blouse with full stiff, bell-shaped sleeves and a full skirt. Thick braided lace with a floral pattern grace the bodice and sheer voile, lined with a netted material, make up the sleeves. The bodice and sleeves and the satin-lined sheer voile skirt are accented with beads and clear sequins. A beaded tiara attaches the waist-length tulle veil to Barbie's hair swept up in a ponytail.

Wedding Barbie in a mestiza gown features a fitted blouse and skirt made of thick braided lace with a floral pattern. Pearl beads and clear sequins accent the dress and neckline. The skirt is fitted up to the knee, where flowers made of tulle fabric and teardrop beads accent the flared bottom part of the satin-lined tulle skirt. The floor-length tulle veil is attached to her elegant hair bun with strings of pearls.

Wedding Barbie in a Maria Clara style dress has a blouse and a panuelo made of a netlike fabric accented with clear sequins. Lace trim is featured in the panuelo and along the hems of the sleeves and the full satin skirt. Alternating teardrop and pearl beads accent the waistline. Barbie's pearl choker is echoed in the pearl bead tiara which holds her cathedral-length tulle veil to her hair bun.

Wedding Barbie wears another Maria Clara gown with panuelo, this time with a gored skirt featuring alternating panels of lined tulle and white lamé fabric. The panuelo, made of this same lamé fabric, is held in place by a white satin rosette. The panuelo, tulle sleeves and the edges of the skirt panels are lined with wide lace trim. The cathedral-length veil is attached to Barbie's hair by strings of pearl beads.

If there abounds Filipina Barbie dolls, could a Filipino Ken be far behind? The year 1999 saw the release of eight Philippine Island Ken. These were released in lower production numbers compared to other local releases which back-ups Richwell's claim that the series was originally intended to be a collector's edition. Like the Filipina Barbie, the Pinoy Ken sports a darker tan and brown-black hair color in contrast to their Mattel USA counterparts. In this series, Ken models the Barong Tagalog, the national costume of Filipino men and a popular alternative for tuxedos in Filipino weddings. The doll's barongs are in different styles. Indeed, Ken would make a perfect groom for the Filipina Barbie's Filipiñana-themed wedding.

Due to the fact that the above collections are on limited release, with Barbie collectors worldwide trying to complete each series; it is not surprising that these dolls are quite hard-to-find. Locally, the Tradisyong Filipina series in particular are sold exclusively at Tesoro's - an upscale gift shop that caters to tourists. However, some (not all) of the dolls are available in major department stores and toy shops.

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www.manika.com - is website that showcase for Filipina Barbie and Richwell Barbie exclusives. Because of its increasing popularity, these dolls, and other Filipina and Richwell Barbie dolls, have also been featured in the US-based magazine, Dolls in Print (Spring 2001 issue). If you are looking to acquire these dolls online, send an email to manika@manika.com.