‘I’m Wearing Carlyle Nuera’ is a look into the Fil-Am Barbie Signature lead designer’s process
Carlyle Nuera’s solo exhibit is a look into his Fil-Am Barbie Signature lead designer process | Photos from @carlylenuera/Instagram
Barbie fashion—that is, the iconic Mattel doll’s extensive clothing collections—has garnered wider appreciation in the past few months with the help of the 2023 “Barbie” movie and stylist Andrew Mukamal recreating iconic Barbie looks for Margot Robbie’s appearances.
Dressing Barbie has been a dream for many and queer Filipino-American designer Carlyle Nuera is living it.
In celebration of the 65th anniversary of the Barbie doll, Belfast’s The Naughton Gallery invites the public to an exhibition called “I’m Wearing Carlyle Nuera” featuring “a selection of Nuera’s personal fashion designs, drawings, and writings on display alongside a wide variety of Barbies—from collector’s items to playline dolls.”
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As Barbie Signature’s lead designer, Nuera has been taking charge in designing premium fashion pieces for collector’s dolls with unique face sculpts and articulated bodies.
Vintage Barbie doll garments aren’t the only ones worth excitement. Nuera is known for his love for dramatic silhouettes and bold colors, probably best shown in his Chromatic Couture collection. He’s been taking inspiration from his Filipino roots as well as the Mutya Barbie serving as an example.
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He’s also designing for the Inspiring Women series, creating doll versions of the likes of Anna May Wong and Eleanor Roosevelt and really paying homage to the style of their eras.
You can also thank Nuera for some of the “Barbie” movie dolls like the one for Mojo Dojo Casa House Ken in his massive faux fur coat. “We received unit photography of Ryan Gosling in this costume designed by Jacqueline Durran, but no context as to why Ken was dressed so… insufferably. It wasn’t until I watched the movie for the first time that it all made sense for all the emotional turmoil Ken was going through, for why there were so many horse icons in [his] outfit,” Nuera wrote.
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As Nuera’s first solo show, fans finally get to take a deeper look into his creative process. Early sketches and design illustrations show each doll’s journey from initial concept to final product.
“I’m Wearing Carlyle Nuera” opened on Jan. 11 and is free admission.
