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Skinny Disney Characters Take On The Runways

The classic Disney characters–Mickey, Minnie, Donald–have never been drawn as what one would call “skinny”; while their princess counterparts are a different story, our favorit...
Skinny Disney Characters Take On The Runways
Written by Amanda Crum
  • The classic Disney characters–Mickey, Minnie, Donald–have never been drawn as what one would call “skinny”; while their princess counterparts are a different story, our favorite mice and their friends have remained largely the same over the years, with a few tweaks from the original black-and-white incarnations.

    All that is about to change, however, as Barney’s New York has teamed up with Disney to give the iconic figures a makeover for an ad campaign called “Electric Holiday”, which includes a 3D film in which the newly waif-like characters head to Paris for fashion week. High-end designers Lanvin, Dolce & Gabbana, and Balmain have all offered up their threads for the new models to wear, which can be seen below.

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    The changes have some people wondering whether or not it’s a good thing for children, who are used to a much different body-type on their beloved Disney friends. But the creative forces behind the project say they had a long discussion about how to pull off the ad campaign.

    “When we got to the moment when all Disney characters walk on the runway, there was a discussion,” Barneys creative director Dennis Freedman said . “The standard Minnie Mouse will not look so good in a Lanvin dress. There was a real moment of silence, because these characters don’t change. I said, ‘If we’re going to make this work, we have to have a 5-foot-11 Minnie,’ and they agreed. When you see Goofy, Minnie and Mickey, they are runway models.”

    The holiday campaign will premiere in the windows of Barney’s Madison Avenue store and will feature a moving light show as well as the film.

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