Every Nigerian girl will tell you that they once dreamt to be a Barbie doll, and while Barbie over the years has gone on to be more inclusive, there has yet to be an African doll representation, so to speak. However, with the extensive promotional tour and global red-carpet premieres, we may have finally gotten the opportunity to meet our long-awaited muse.
Meet Muniratu Abubakar, aka moo_nhee, who took the internet by storm with her very Nigerian interpretation of the Barbie doll. She tells us, “Since I found out that there was going to be a Barbie movie, I just knew I was going to do a shoot, whatever it took,” she says with a smile. Now everyone needs a source of inspiration, and while the star of the movie, Margot Robbie, with the help of her stylist, took thematic dressing to new heights, making reference to the Barbie doll, for Miss Abubakar, it was Bimbo Ademoye’s look at the “Gangs of Lagos” movie premiere that did it for her: “Sometime in April, I saw a reel of Bimbo Ademoye’s look from the Gangs of Lagos premiere, and I just fell in love with the look.”
And yes, Bimbo’s look was spectacular; to create this look, creative design and production were undertaken. “I created and shared my mood board and started thinking of ways to make it my own version with the help of my sisters and friends. By the end of May, I was looking for ways to make my Barbie box. I watched a couple of DIY videos on Youtube and just saved them for when I was ready to source my material.” With the help of Daniel (the photograher), however, the barbie box was made, “Daniel brought the idea of getting his carpenter to do a makeshift box and we pinted the barbie sticker to cover the box with and that’s what we went with.”
The look, all pink, of course, featured a satin 2-piece cropped blouse and a miniskirt set with embroidery detailing on the hem. ” I used bridal satin with lace trimmings. Initially, I wanted to go with ankara prints, but since it was last minute and I wasn’t sure I would get the right ankara print with the shade of pink I wanted, I just went with the bridal satin. The shoot was scheduled for June 20th. I got my materials on the 18th of June and gave them to Chio that same day. That was on a Sunday; my outfit was ready by noon on the 20th, no fittings done. I was like a superwoman because she had work in-between the sewing.”
For the gele, Muniratu went for a dramatic theme; according to her, “I wanted something dramatic and high, that when you see it, you’ll be like yass! Container don’t land.” In fact, with the perfect outcome of the gele, she tells us the piece is still untied, perfectly sitting in a wig stand on her drawer—and yes, we fully understand because why not?
Like every rich auntie, she accessorized with multiple gold pieces, completing the look with matching sunglasses, pumps, and black sheer leggings. At the end of the day, the whole look and prop were a success, and we can’t wait to see what this creative star comes up with next.
Every Look From The Nigerian Barbie Movie Premiere
