Will Polly Pocket be the next viral trend?

A doll war looms on the horizon. Although Barbie has dictated trends so far thanks to the return of the colour pink, the upcoming live-action film adaptation starring Margot Robbie, and the Barbiecore aesthetic, her reign may soon be undermined by another plastic heroine of our childhood: Polly Pocket.

Let us go back to 1983, when a certain Chris Wiggs, looking for a new toy for his daughter Kate, came up with the idea of designing a doll small enough to fit in a pocket, along with a micro-house made from an old compact. The original Polly Pocket toy was launched in 1989, with plastic cases in different shapes such as a heart, a shell or a diamond. Each case could be opened to reveal a hidden, dazzling interior with moving parts. The British company Bluebird Toys recognised the marketability of the brand and bought the licence. in 1989, the first Polly Pockets hit the market, delighting millions of little girls who wanted to collect the microscopic dolls and all their houses, from the heart-shaped to the fancier versions. In the late 1990s, the brand was sold to Mattel, which redesigned the original Polly Pocket, increasing her size to about three inches and launching a range of new gadgets that made her more like Barbie and other fashion dolls, with her own animated series TV to boot.

Although many decades have passed since her heyday, Polly has remained in the hearts and collective memory of many, who celebrate her on Instagram and TikTok with videos recreating looks inspired by her or showing off all vintage versions of her, as @polly_pick_pocket. A few years ago, it seemed like this nostalgia effect would be multiplied when a movie dedicated to the mini doll was announced, directed by Lena Dunham and starring Lily Collins. Some four years have passed since the first rumours, confirmed by the leading actress of Emily in Paris herself, but there has been no further news about the film, disappointing fans who were already dreaming of seeing their childhood heroine on the big screen. The project, which had stalled for whatever reason, was overtaken by the film dedicated to Barbie, which contributed to the explosion of the Barbiecore phenomenon.

Despite the fact that cinema has turned to another Mattel product, the fashion world does not seem to have forgotten that Polly Pocket was also a fashion doll with an interesting and enviable wardrobe, just much more "plastic"," colourful, cartoonish and sophisticated than Barbie's. Among the kids who grew up with Polly must have been Jonathan Anderson, who presented some looks in Loewe's FW23 collection that seemed stolen from Miss Pocket's collection of tops, dresses, shoes and accessories. The structured peplum dresses, pumps and sunglasses with the bulging silhouette, but especially the outfit of a lime green pleated skirt and a pink pepto bismol crop top literally screamed "Polly Pocketcore". Miuccia Prada, on the other hand, seems to have dressed the more mature side of Polly's personality with Miu Miu's FW23 show and a series of mini dresses in shiny leather.

What's on the shopping list of a modern Polly Pocket? Funky trousers, crop tops, fun t-shirts, little dresses, colourful garments with a "shiny" finish that combine the flirty aesthetic with lots of vintage pieces from the year 2000. And the accessories? They are fun, juicy, cartoonish like the Jacquemus Le Chiquito mini bag, the Coach Pillow Tabby shoulder bag, the Bubble Jelly Slides by Tory Burch and the PVC models by Melissa, the colourful patterns by Poppy Lissiman, the bow handbags by Forbitches and the jewellery by Bea Bongiasca.