by Barbiecore once took runways by storm, but now another plastic doll has captured the fashion zeitgeist. Polly Pocket, which celebrates its 35th anniversary on Wednesday, was originally designed by Chris Wiggs in 1983. He created the tiny toy for his daughter, making a doll out of warp.
This was the basis for the original Polly Pocket toys, which consisted of heart-shaped plastic cases that opened into playsets. After they hit the shelves in 1989, Mattel bought the property in 1998, redesigning Polly Pocket and making it bigger. They also introduced clothes, shoes and accessories for the doll – many of them rubber.
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Although Polly Pocket toys were discontinued in 2012, Mattel brought them back in 2018, catering to a new generation of children and drawing back on the old-fashioned sense.
“With ’90s fashion once again at the heart of the culture, Polly’s chunky heels and rubber miniskirts are right now, inspiring fans to make big and bold fashion choices,” Krista Berger, Mattel senior vice president, world leader of Barbie and dolls, WWD exclusively said in a statement. “Polly’s journey over the past thirty years is a testament to the power of imagination and we look forward to celebrating the adventure she brings to everyday life.”
In celebration of the doll’s 35th birthday, Mattel has pegged Polly Pocket collaborations with brands like Loungefly, Pacsun and Hot Topic. The brand also has plans to release makeup – a clear nod to the toy’s original prototype.
Even designer labels are not immune to the pint-doll influence: Moschino, Balenciaga and Miu Miu experimented with Polly Pocket-inspired designs in the 2010s, and in the 2020s, these fun, vibrant silhouettes have made a comeback, in the form of new. whimsical Marc Jacobs and Loewe garments.
Ahead, see how eight high-fashion brands led Polly Pocket.
Moschino
Jeremy Scott’s spring 2015 collection for Moschino may have been expressly Barbie-coded, but the brand’s heart-shaped Swarovski-encrusted quilted wallet replicates the original Polly Pocket CDs.
Balenciaga
In 2017, Balenciaga introduced its own iteration of Crocs. Spanish label platform the rubber bell – filled to the gills with Jibbitz – could easily have come from Polly Pocket’s elastic wardrobe.
GCDS
GCDS, the Italian brand known for its kitschy interpretations of Hello Kitty, Care Bears and Pokémon, collaborated with Polly Pocket in 2019. The brand’s original logo was included in several designs, including satin bomber jackets, micro handbags and knitting.
In 2024, GCDS teamed up with the little doll again as part of its fall “Toys for Adults” presentation. Invitations to the show consisted of Polly Pocket dolls wearing GCDS hoodies.
Chanel
Moschino does not have a monopoly on heart-shaped handbags. Karl Lagerfeld, the late creative director of Chanel, disrupted the French fashion house with dazzling plays on its bestselling staples (case in point, the quilted flap bag).
Chanel has incorporated heart-shaped pouches several times over the years, including as part of its spring 2022 couture collection. Candied colorways from this line had a viral moment, and as of 2024, they are still considered a valuable items on the resale market.
Loewe
Loewe’s current creative director JW Anderson cited Polly Pocket as an inspiration for his spring 2023 show. Leather tops, dresses and skirts were created from 3D printed models, and when paired with the collection’s buttery shearling pieces and trompe l’oeil dresses, complete the wardrobe perfect like a doll.
One of Anderson’s Loewe trademarks is his use of balloon motifs. In 2022, he also sent inflatables by sending cartoon-ish Comic pumps down the runway. Available in both matte and patent finishes, the foam heels have drawn comparisons to Barbie and Minnie Mouse, although they wouldn’t look out of place on Polly Pocket, either.
Miu Miu
In the fall 2023 season Miu Miu also took part in fashions inspired by Polly Pocket. The brand produced napa leather dresses, and although they only come in muted colors, the puffy frocks are reminiscent of the doll’s rubber clothes.
Back in 2016, Miu Miu made their own Polly flexible footwear. Platform sandals with patent leather straps and scalloped wedges walked the runway during the label’s spring 2017 fashion show.
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs played with dramatic proportions in both of his 2024 collections. During his spring presentation, the designer released puffy pieces made from leather and foam fabrics, featuring Polly Pocket shaped clothes.
Jacobs maintained this whimsical theme in his recent fall collection, which, like the spring ones, emphasized oversized paper doll-like silhouettes.
Sandy Liang
Sandy Liang’s heart-shaped marshmallow necklace was directly inspired by Polly Pocket plastic CDs. The designer released a newer version of the resin pendant called the Heels necklace in 2024 as part of her fall jewelry launch.
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