I’m a Barbie Girl, in a Barbie World; Life in plastic, it’s fantastic ! Who remembers the lyrics of the famous song by the group Aqua that came out in the 90s? The catchy melody still lingers in my head. Acidic colors where pink predominates, white Barbie dolls, blonde with blue eyes, that’s the image I have of Barbie dolls. But thankfully, times have changed. I myself am a doll enthusiast, especially those that resemble us, and as a mother, I have always tried to buy black dolls for my daughter.
It was during a conversation with a friend that I discovered the magnificent work of Prescillia MARGUERITE, a Martinican mother of two who customizes Barbie dolls to our image by creating very realistic and beautiful settings. Without hesitation, I contacted her to ask her how it works. I quickly understood that it was more than just a simple customization of Barbie dolls, it was a true passion.
Minuit Blue or the passion for dolls
But who is Minuit Blue? It is simply the alter ego Barbie of Prescillia MARGUERITE, a so-called hybrid Barbie (composed of heads and bodies from different categories or brands), an architect or interior designer in the world of dolls. The passion for Barbie dolls, also called Dolls, began for her when she wanted to give her daughter a black-skinned Barbie doll for her 4th birthday and realized that there were not many options. The story began in 2015 when she came across the “ My Froggy Stuff” page, which was a real revelation for her. She became a collector and recycled everything she could find (cardboard, brochures, fabrics, packaging, etc.) to create the settings for her Dolls, called “dioramas” (miniature settings). They are real universes crafted meticulously down to the smallest details. One can find a pharmacy, a CBD store, a hair salon, friends’ get-togethers over a drink, and of course a Barbie doll store. I then realized that far from simply customizing Barbie dolls, it is the creation of real universes. I also discovered the specific vocabulary of the Doll Community :
- “rerooting” or re-rooting of hair to give a different hairstyle;
- “face repainting” where the doll’s makeup is reworked;
- “makeover” where the doll is completely redone to make a unique or hybrid Barbie.
