Barbie Makeovers, Community, Play Balance and Diversity

This transcript was generated from the episode captions and lightly edited for readability. Names and product terms may occasionally be imperfect. Quoted dollar amounts retain the wording of the interview; the currency is not always specified.

0:00Hello dolls and accessories. I'm your host Kelly and this is Barbie Talk. [music] Barbie Talk with Kelly in Pink. What I love about the doll community is how different everyone's perspectives can be. Today's guest really challenges what people think collecting and playing with dolls is supposed to look like. When I came across the dollhouse on Instagram, it wasn't just his transformation makeovers or his beautiful photography, it was the intention behind it. He's not just showcasing dolls, he's reshaping the conversation around them. Please welcome Giovanni. Hi everybody. Hi Giovanni. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, too. Thank you so much for taking the time to be on Barbie Talk. I appreciate it. Oh, it's my absolute pleasure. I'm glad to be here. Oh, it's such an honor to have you on. So, let's get straight to it. Tell everybody a little bit about who Giovanni is and how your relationship with Barbie started.

0:55Well, I am a hair stylist and Barbie enthusiast. Um, I reside here in sunny California. Um, my passion for Barbie comes all the way back to my childhood. Um, my very first Barbie was Sensational Malibu Christie, um, following Crystal Barbie from 1984. And I think the way I can describe my connection to Barbie was, uh, relating it to the movie Toy Story. I incorporated Barbie, He-Man, My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake. It was a hodgepodge of everything and I think that's kind of what created the creativity and the imaginational flow uh, with enjoying Barbie. Um, and then as I got a little bit older, it kind of just became a, uh, obsession of who she was, how she started, her fashion, her glamour, her hair.

1:51Um, and the inspiration behind her. I think she really just became my muse throughout my entire life up until now. That's a really great comparison like the Toy Story movie. I've never heard anyone explain it that way. Um, and that's great. So, you talked about one of your first Barbies. Do you have her there by any chance? I don't physically have her next to me, but I still have and I have her featured on my Instagram. I've given her a couple, um, solo shots, um, out in the pool area. So, if you follow my Instagram, you can check her out. Um, she has been re-updated with a new fresh re-root and, uh, re-glamified. So, I've updated her bathing suit since she's pretty much lived 41 years by my side. She does not as when I first got her, um, which is actually a another fun part of collecting Barbie is just reimagining them, um, as an adult now into a different perspective that we did when we were in our childhood.

2:47Exactly. I think you hit the nail on the head and you kind of segue really nicely because, um, I think it's perfect to talk about, like knowing that you're a hairdresser, it all comes full circle in terms of like how beautiful you transform your dolls and how you make them look, I want to say like like original good as new, maybe even better. Now, you are the host of the dollhouse [snorts] makeover Mondays on Instagram, which I look forward to every Monday. So, tell me a little bit how that started. Is that derived kind of from your, um, you know, your hairdressing background and your fact or your beauty background? Is that how it started? Well, I'll kind of rewind the tape a little bit. Um, when I was a teenager, um, I kind of connected Barbie differently than I did as a child. Um, and my mom is also a hairdresser and so, um, as a child we would, uh, go to, uh, estate sales and flea markets and, uh, thrift stores.

3:44And here in Southern California back then in that in that time when I would say this was kind of like the early '90s, um, you know, people were not really collecting Barbie second hand. It was more Barbie collectibles when the catalogs came out. It was, you know, before the internet. You would order in the back of the magazines and, you know, Mattel would send out the Barbie catalogs and you would choose from then. So, the, uh, availability of her second hand was not kind of the way that it is in current day. Um, so a lot of dolls were actually much more available back then and you would get them for like dirt cheap. And when I say dirt cheap, like US dollars 25 cents, a dollar. Um, and my mom worked with doing wigs, um, and incorporating that perspective of knowing synthetic hair fibers and kind of connecting that with Barbie, there was ways that you can navigate and, uh, work through restyling the hair. And so, my mom said, "Let's try the perm rods." I've known that when I used to curl wigs back then and they were synthetic, we would use steamers. So, uh, my mom taught me how to roll Barbie hair and I was probably like 12 years old at the time. Um, and she taught me using the tissue and the small perm rods and from there we boil washed them. And when that kind of flourished around into current day, it's really nice to see that people were

5:07still utilizing that concept. Um, and until today I still kind of use that still same like perm rod boil wash method. To me, it seems what works best for my era of Barbie. Um, I primarily, um, enjoy the Superstar Barbie the most. I think it's because it's my childhood. Um, and so, later on, fast forward, uh, I decided, you know what, I like to incorporating finding really dolls dolls that are kind of like in really bad shape and giving them a second chance of life. Um, and by doing that, I would do makeovers and kind of just restore them to their natural not natural, I'm sorry, their their original look. Um, and then that inspired creating different looks and different hairstyles and incorporating my technique as a hair stylist and kind of marrying that all together. Um, I said, "Why don't I create something fun that will connect people to my following and which is where I brought out the dollhouse makeover Mondays." And people started enjoying it and, uh, participating it and I think if we are going on, I think our fourth year now.

6:17So, um, it's it's been quite a nice journey with seeing everyone's makeover and creativity. There's so much creativity out in Dollstagram and I enjoy seeing everyone kind of participating and bringing their dolls to, um, looking glamorous and beautiful all over again. Definitely. And I think you do a good job of pulling creativity out of people, right? And I think you've definitely created quite a community. What would you say is your favorite doll? I know you've got some dolls next to you. Is there a favorite doll that you have that you'd love to share? Um, I kind of laugh at myself when I say and use the word favorite because it's kind of like whatever mode I'm in. Um, I think like my favorite iconic dolls that I think resonate with my childhood. Like, of course, you know, Crystal Barbie, Great Shape, Day to Night, Dream Date, and the list goes on and on, Peaches and Cream. And those are always going to be like special icons, but I'm kind of like whatever I'm feeling. Like, sometimes I'm feeling a little sporty, sometimes I'm feeling a little sassy, sometimes I'm feeling a little like cute and demure. You know, it it really kind of just depends on my mood and that's the benefit of being able to collect and having the privilege to own, you know, several different Barbies in your collection and having different ethnicities, um, and being able to showcase diversity. And I'm all about diversity. Um,

7:41on my Instagram, one thing I, uh, like to focus on as well in my Barbie collecting is diversity, knowing different cultures, knowing different perspectives of people and how they collect Barbie and where they where it originated from from them. Um, I'm really big on international Barbies as far as dolls that were made in other countries. Um, I don't really showcase it as much, um, as I should on my Instagram or on my social media platform, but I love [snorts] collecting Barbies from, uh, Brazil. They created the Estrela Barbies. Um, Barbies from Mexico had Irimat. Um, Peru had Basa. Argentina had Top Toys. Um, and those dolls are very rare. Some of them are not as beautiful as dolls that were released here in the US as far as and materials that were made from them. So, they have not aged well. Um, but I enjoy that history of them. So, that like little historian in me as well kind of is another side of Barbie that I love to, um, tap into besides just making them over and collecting them is finding dolls that are, you know, unique to your collection that are kind of special and rare to your connection. Definitely. Definitely. So, do you have one there that you feel like,

9:01what's your mood today? What would be the one you say is You know, I don't want to say favorite because, I mean, if someone asked me, I'd be like, "I can't choose." Like, I've got a favorite within my Mackies. I've got a favorite within my Superstars. I've got a favorite within, you know, for whatever different reason. So, if I asked you today based on your on Giovanni's mood today, which one would it be? Um, I brought out a couple of my Barbies and this is kind of, um, one that I have that was introduced in, I believe, 1986. Um, and she has like these Beauty Secrets body. So, she has the bendable arms, which is very common with dolls from Estrela. And then, um, she has the Superstar face and then she has a Peaches and Cream inspired dress, um, which kind of plays not to Peaches and Cream from the US, different type of bodice.

9:50Um, and it seems like they use a lot of like just the same face screening on these dolls, just enhancing their hair colors and obviously their outfits were a little different than the ones here. And yeah, so I'm kind of really just feeling these dolls right now. Um they her hair. I love her hair. I just love that color. Um I don't know the name of this doll, but she is also another one. She just I think that the uniqueness of their outfits I got to say that Estrela really gave top quality when it came to like their outfits and the dolls like the unique of the hairstyles compared to the dolls here in the US and maybe that is kind of just my biased opinion because we have so much saturation with them and these are so rare to come across, but I just think there's a uniqueness and sophistication that came with them for that decade. Um that's kind of always going to be my vibe is I just love that decade pieces.

10:47these outfits are amazing. You can just see the quality like it's just so it stands out. It's not what we see here in North America. Right. Right. Exactly. So um I just really enjoy uh creating these unique pieces and they're not easy to come by. So you know, you have to have some kind of you know, source or connection to someone out there that can find these dolls and also being in really good condition because they um are very rare and I think like some some quantities were even up like in the 500s that they've made per doll. So you're not going to really find them in you know, dolls don't really hold up within time as well, especially if they're intended to be played with. And I'm I'm going to assume even if you do find one, it's a pretty penny. It is a pretty penny. So finalizing a favorite my favorite doll that I'm always going to love is Vicki who is one of Barbie's friends from Brazil and she was a redhead. I'm for some reason partial to the redheads. I just love red-headed Barbies.

11:54Um but I just think her outfit is just very whimsy and really sweet and of course she uses the Steffie face mold with freckles and the red lips. There's just such a sweetness about her that I just absolutely love and she just always just makes me feel kind of good. She's beautiful and she looks like she's got the she has some high like it's is there some highlights in her hair? Like I see some almost like a grayish or white Uh so she's got a little bit of highlights in there and it it they look like white actually. Almost So So nice. Those are her natural curls and she was one of my very first Estrela Barbies to get. So she's very special and I do own two of her. [laughter] Of course. Of course you do. Not enough. [laughter] I just really love her. So going into Barbie collecting and I just kind of made a statement about like what makes you your favorite doll and how do you connect to them? I think it's the way the dolls make you feel. It just makes you feel really good and you know, we always resort to things that make us feel really good in life. Some people use food as like oh my god that reminds you of my grandmother. She used to make the most delicious cookies etc.

13:10Or you know, you smell perfume or cologne that reminds you of loved one who's no longer here. I think Barbie just really connects me to so many wonderful things and I think there's so much positivity that comes from her and about her um on a personal level and then just on a secondary level is that like I've met so many wonderful people that I can now call like great friends like you're all the way in Canada and I'm here in Los Angeles and how are we connected? It's because of Barbie and so for me that that connection is so deep. It's so real and I'm one of those people I love to keep it real. I am not a horse and pony show. I'm not here for the gimmick. I am just try to be 100% authentic with imperfections and that's okay because Barbie's also not perfect, you know? And so it just makes you feel like you literally can be anything you want to be with her and connecting that mood aspect. Like I said, if I'm feeling sporty, I'm going to go into something a little bit more, you know, like Great Shape Barbie and if I'm feeling fancy, I'm going to pull out my Mackies and my holiday dolls. You know, it's just whatever you want to be and that's Imagine us as adults if we experience that. How do kids feel and how did that how does that open and unravel their imagination? And so that's helped me so much with what I do on a day-to-day basis. Um

14:33I know that I mentioned that I'm a hair stylist, but my hair styling job is a little unique from the average hair stylist. So I have the pleasure of working with people that have dementia and Alzheimer's. So I work with a population that is geriatric. They're in you know, kind of in their final stages of life and that can be really heavy and life can sometimes be really heavy and not to make the mood kind of dark, but Barbie man, she brings that that sunshine, that that excitement, that motivation and she she kind of keeps me going. She gives me the gas to be creative. Um and so whenever I tap into my little world and I check into the Barbie fantasy, it definitely happens where I am evolving into this creative space and this energy just keeps flowing and it it it just creates a connection and that's what I'm ultimately looking for from her.

15:29You have said so much and I have to say I had moments where I literally had to like not choke up. You just said it so beautifully Giovanni. Like everything you said about what Barbie brings, it's not just like a toy or a hobby and you know, talking about your childhood, you talked about your grandmother or a scent. Like I mean I've lost my father. There's a lot of dolls that remind me of him. A lot of my Christmas dolls I got from when I was a kid. My first one was my parents that got it got it for me. And then you also hit on another uh point that I can relate to really well is my mother unfortunately is in long-term care. She's suffering from dementia. So it's just that everything you're saying here, it just touches on my heartstrings and this is why I think so many people are just drawn to you are really um you know, I think you just have such an impact on people because this it just it comes through this this authenticness and this rawness comes out through your your your work. It really does. So I'm not going to get all emotional and whatnot, but I just wanted to say I was trying to hold my emotions there cuz I was like Oh my goodness. Everything you're saying just touches it just relates and this is all because of and you know, you being where you are and where I where I am on on the world.

16:40This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you know, social media of course, but also for the love of this of this doll. Absolutely and I it's it's really interesting like when I said like I keep it real that that's what it is. It's that it's creating really a connection with people and you know, we sit here and we post doll photos and we do makeovers and we have you know, this public image that people like to create, but also it's just like that really deep real connection that you have with people and that's the route that I like to take because I like true authenticity and I want people to have a connection with people that can understand maybe my world of Barbie and how I navigate through it and how it means to me and kind of sharing some kind of deeper topics that are you know, probably not always uh related in the Barbie world. That's where the connection happens and that's really what this community is about is creating a connection. It's No one in this community is better than anybody and no one's social status, no one who has you know, millions of followers or 10 followers, no one is better. It's really the connection that you make with people and that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for people that are going to have some kind of connection and if I can share that through my love of Barbie and my passion through Barbie, that's what I post on Instagram for. I'm not looking for people to you know, give me redemption

18:03or glorify me or make me feel like you know, I'm better than them or this and that. No, I I I want people to enjoy what I'm envisioning and create a connection. And you know, when we do podcasts or we do um you know, events, you know, it's it's being graceful and being gracious and kind. That's really what we need in this world. You know, we all have our own journey to follow and I want to be that that leader amongst my community or amongst even in my own world um and be be able to kind of create that space for people that one person that who maybe isn't as outgoing and maybe sees my videos or my post or my makeovers and it's like I want to join something that I can kind of connect with and that's what makes having a community feel special. That's the true authenticity of it and if that's what's available, then sign me up cuz I will be there at any time, you know? And you definitely are a leader. I know you're very humble, but I do see you as a leader in the doll community and you've made huge contributions to it. I do want to talk a little bit more about your makeovers and you know, maybe see some of the dolls, but before I do, how would you describe or what does playtime look like to you now as an adult versus when you were a child?

19:21Um well, it's uh one I have the the the funds to contribute to the playtime. [laughter] So I guess what your you know, your change you know, pocket change you get from doing chores isn't isn't going to help you get a doll. So that that uh limitless option of being able to buy things that maybe you didn't have when you were a child or that you wanted or weren't available to you, can now get. Um that's fun. That's fun. Just being able to shop and search for things that you like that cost 50 cents or $100, whatever may be. That's one. Um two, I think it's another way for me to decompress. Um you know, if I've had a stressful week or a stressful day and I just kind of want to like slip into my own world and kind of just escape. You know, I think that uh that's my way of uh working through uh just kind of creating a happy space for me, whether I'm having, like I said, a good day or a bad day or I just want to be creative. Uh you know, slipping into my my Barbie world, into my Barbie room, which I call the Barbie lounge. Um It it just kind of is I want to say like my free therapy. I don't I mean, technically I have to pay for it cuz I'm buying the Barbies, right? So, I'm still paying for it, but it's the process is

20:41free and it really just feels good to be creative or I'm like, "Oh, I'm Like I said, going into the flavor of the day. I'm feeling kind of fashionable and I'm pulling out like my Barbie style dolls or, you know, I'm kind of rewinding back into history and going into my mod era." I mean, I do collect a little bit of everything. Um I collect truly what I like. So, I don't just go out and buy whatever comes out or whatever is available. I just buy what I like and so kind of my collection is a very diverse from, you know, the early '60s up into current day. So, my my collection has a variety. People go to go to the gym to escape to kind of kind of work off their, you know, their their steam and uh I enjoy that as well, but also just going into a creative space, you know, your your juices start flowing and your mind gets gets worked up and then you just kind of go into that that space of creating and incorporating that into a social media realm. Um you know, I like to capture an image because that Barbie is speaking to me at that moment. I'm like, "Oh, who I'm feeling today or who I haven't photographed." Or some Barbies I I love and I photograph them.

21:49I'm like, "Yeah, just just not working." And that's okay, too. Of course. We all have our days, but Barbie can have her day, too. Therapy costs money and like you said, it's I guess you're still spending money on your therapy, but there's no time limit. They don't clock you out after an hour and be like, "Time's up." So, whether it's going to the gym or going to like to a therapy session, uh especially with what you deal with, Giovanni, like you deal with some heavy stuff, right? So, um it's just a way to escape and, you know, go back to a place of comfort and and all that. So, I think everybody can relate to that. Um do you have any makeovers that you've done that you want to share? Like maybe a doll that you were really proud with how she turned out? Yeah, I have a couple dolls here that I put aside. Let's see. Most recent um uh line of dolls that I've made over. Um like I said, I really enjoy getting dolls that have kind of looked really terrible and then bringing them to life um and show on Instagram. This is a day to night No, I'm sorry. This is Dream Date Barbie. And I wanted to kind of show an up close of her hairstyle.

22:54Um and that is all just through like kind of sculpting and um utilizing uh techniques that I have as a hairstylist um to kind of give her like a very glamorous 1980s look. Um if you're familiar with that show Dynasty, they used a lot of updos in that time. Um and also I'm a little inspired by like the early '80s Barbie catalogs. If you look back at some of those those um you would get when you would get uh the Barbies, they have these really fun hairstyles that we never got to see on Barbie. So, this was one um and you could see her featured on my Instagram um what her before look like. Um and so I put her in a very um This is a a rare Kmart fashion.

23:39Do you guys have a Kmart in Canada? We used to, not anymore, but yes, we used to. Same here. So, yeah, this was a Kmart exclusive and I I thought she just looked really good in that. Um And then another one I did was uh the Japanese Dolls of the World. Um I did this kind of like updo on her, a lot of French twist. Um and this I kind of played a little homage to my mom because she My mom could like slam down a French twist like nobody's business. [laughter] Do it just so effortlessly and so um I can't do them. And so and I showed this to my mom, she goes, "My gosh, your your French twist is just as good as mine, but how do you do it on the Barbie?" And there's little [snorts] techniques that um I use to kind of create this look and I just always want her to look her best. Oh, beautiful. So, this doll again, she was very played with and when I brought her into my makeover, I just wanted to give her a second chance of looking glamorous and because of her eye makeup, I kind of matched her up with this good.

24:47Beautiful. And these fashions are fantastic, Giovanni. Like you don't see stuff like this anymore. Like it's they're they're just beautiful. I don't know where to look. It's like the dress, the hair. Listen, I'm going to put I'm going to throw a box together of all my thrifted dolls. They're going to uh Giovanni uh uh Casa Giovanni Salon and you send me you send me the bill because these are just beautiful hairstyles. Thank you. face. And then this is Angel Face who is an iconic classic. If you grew up in the '80s, you probably had her, got her for a birthday party or a birthday gift, I meant. And um she is a very sweet and whimsical looking doll. Um she was a mess when I got her. She had like lipstick all over her face. She had cuz she does come with like a little uh makeup kit that you can open up and kind of powder her down. So, she had all that on her face. Um again, you could see her before on my my Instagram, but she came out really lovely and I uh wanted to showcase just a very simple hair flip. Beautiful. Actually, I didn't I kind of want to look at my Angel Face cuz I don't remember her hair being two-toned. No. Yeah, and you know, they all come differently. I have a couple different ones of her and uh some of them have less brown in them, some of them have more blonde. Uh there's

26:07there's quite a mix of hairstyles. And then this was my Dream Date PJ that I recently did, who I gave a nice photo spread on. And I just gave her some like simple curls and she was also a mess. I'm going to ask a fashion. Where's that fashion from? Uh this is I believe from like the late '70s, so like superstar. I want to say it's Best Buy. Um Beautiful. me. Uh it's not I like to dress them in their era. For some reason, I'm I'm not big on them out of their era. Kind of like to keep them into those locked into those those uh years that they kind of came out or either before and after a little bit, but um I felt this just really popped her eyes and she also has that like two-tone hair. Um one of my favorite dolls that I like to buy every time I see one out in the wild. Yeah, the two-tone is beautiful. I actually got a hat my hands on my Angel Face. She does have the two-tone hair. Yes. She just needs a makeover. So, she'll get that makeover. She's [laughter] She's still very cute, but yeah, she does need her hair fixed. And I'm always motivated every time I see Now I'm seeing your hairstyles, I'm like, "Man, I got to get all my dolls and fix up their hair." And you know what? I'm a little bit like you in terms of like I like to keep I've even when I was a child, I liked to keep them in their original clothing. You know, like if they had crimped hair, I didn't want to comb that out. Their jewelry,

27:27I wanted to keep it on. Like I seldomly, if it was like you know, like uh earring magic, like I seldomly took this dress off. Plus, it also makes a mess. Like I rarely took it off. I wanted to keep them in original. So, I can kind of understand keeping the fashions with what era they're from. I can I can understand that. Yeah, I just feel like it it goes with them. Um and and whoever wants to do that, that's okay, too. There's no guidelines or no rules. The rules are only what you make of your collection and how it works for you. You know, some people are out-of-box collectors and some people are in-box collectors and some people like to keep their dolls in the closet, some like to keep them in, you know, a display room. Whatever works for you and puts a smile on your face, I just say go for it. Yeah, there's no rules with collecting.

28:15It makes sense to you and that's all it needs to make sense to, really. That that That's it. Yeah. You don't judge when it comes to specific eras or face molds, like you collect everything. Yeah, and I kind of just really collect what I like and I've um have been able to like weed out dolls as I uh as I as I've gone through life, I found maybe a better version of a doll or one that has better face paint or whatever. You know, sometimes they break over time and then you're like, "All right, I need a body." Or whatever it may be. So, it's always fine-tuning. Um there was a time in my life where I was just like, "I need to collect everything because, you know, I just love Barbie so much." And it was just a different time, but now I really am at a place where like less is better. You know, I guess it's just about um what makes you feel good. And you go For sure. Do you have a mini me? I do. I don't really utilize him because he he just so has hair and um he's got gray eyes. So, he's a little like a delusional mini me. And okay, um but I don't really utilize him because I think I incorporate me into my dolls um and I'm okay with that. So, Yeah. Winning is not always uh the route that I've taken and, you know,

29:38Yeah, for sure. It's kind of hard to find a bald Ken doll, you know. That's true. Like Mattel, what's going on? Like there's bald men out there. Come on, Mattel. Come on, You got to get on it. Right. I'm writing a letter tomorrow. [laughter] What? You should. And you know what? You may have an influence because you were featured on Mattel's Shape of Play documentary. Yes. So, I mean that's quite the opportunity and the honor. How did that come about? How did Tell us about the day you got the call? At first I thought, I'm like, what? Is this a um is this like a spam email? Is this trying to like hoax me or something? That and um I got an email from them saying that they were interested in meeting me and uh talking to me over the phone and there was a questionnaire that I filled out. Um and then um it moved on quite quickly and it was kind of like uh you know, post-COVID times, so things were kind of just like, you know, a little bumpy and unsure and um it was it was quite a it uh it was quite a big process behind the scenes to get to the actual documentary, but it was so much fun because I got to be a part of something that really just like was designed to feature how I feel about Barbie and really creating that Shape of Play and I really stand by that statement because she is a doll, but my gosh, she's brought me so much

31:01joy. At 45 years old now, I feel like she has really impacted my life in a lot of great ways and there's been so many fantastic opportunities. And then just as a male doll collector, I think um there's someone out there that can kind of connect with me and yes, she's available for uh for everybody, but um I think publicly coming out as a male doll collector is a little uh bashful and shy because it's not the ideal stereotypical toy that people were made available to as kids, especially as male doll collectors. Fortunately, my family was very supportive and loving and made me a uh safe space to kind of create um imagination through Barbie and toys. Um but it wasn't always easy. I mean, I was made fun of in school and you know, as a teenager, I still collected Barbie and as an uh high schooler, I still collected Barbie. And so when that gets out publicly and you're not the uh cookie-cutter person to fit the mold of something like that, it you know, you you get made fun of and that that affects your spirit. So, um I think when Mattel reached out to me and asked me to be a part of this uh amazing documentary, I felt truly honored because I felt that I was speaking for so many people out in the world that

32:21um that can connect to my perspective of Barbie. Um and as well as adult collectors, too, because I think sometimes people get shy and bashful, like they don't want their coworkers to know that they collect Barbie or that she is a part of their day-to-day life. And and now it's become much more normalized, especially after the movie. Um But it was just really a wonderful opportunity I got to meet so many of the wonderful designers behind um Barbie at this Mattel uh headquarters. Um I got to see a lot of behind the scenes and then, you know, uh I just think being able to represent that for other male doll collectors was really important and then as well as adult collectors that uh enjoy Barbie and that I mean, I think that just put a stamp on it for me to feel like, okay, you know what? All those times and moments you you were made fun of of something that was not normalized, it was very validating as an individual and it was very emotional, actually. Yeah.

33:22I can imagine. I mean, I'm getting emotional listening to you. Matt, you got to You're making me emotional, Giovanni. Stop with this. No other guest has made me emotional, okay? We all touch, but this this is but you're you're absolutely right and you're definitely a cheerleader for all us collectors. In addition, male collectors as well. You know, there's only certain people in my inner circle, my really close-knit friends, family that know about um my collection and you know, there's some outsiders, like coworkers and stuff, that don't just because I know that there's the judgment. I'm now getting to a place where I'm starting to not care and I'm a more much more confident in sharing that, but it did it takes a while because you definitely get people being like, I'm sorry, you're 40-something and you're what? Playing with dolls? So, we talked a lot about judgment within the doll community, family, friends on other episodes. So, don't want to kind of go down that path, but I mean, all of us have been plagued with the judgment from peers and family and friends and and whatnot. And at at the end of the day, you know, it's like I say, like if you've got, you know, a 50-year-old friend or, you know, cousin who plays video games, why? Is that your way to unwind and to kind of take your mind off work? This is no different.

34:29You know, people who like to adult color, like, you know, coloring sometimes can be really relaxing. So, I'm really getting better at that, but you know, it must have felt so amazing, Giovanni, to see like Mattel, you know, recognize your your passion for Barbie at that level. And had Had you been in touch with them prior or was this kind of just out of nowhere? Um like I said, they had reached out to me and asked me uh you know, to be a part of this documentary and they didn't know where it was going to go and then when it got picked up, um it actually got picked up by CBS at the end of the feature of docu- uh the documentary. So, I got to uh be interviewed by Michelle Miller, who was a part of CBS and she was fantastic. It was, like I said, just such an amazing experience. Um and you know, I went to work that week and people were like, I saw you on the news. You were on CBS on Saturday. And I was like, I was? Like, I had no idea. Like, I just know I did the interview, but you know, they didn't [snorts] tell me when it was going to be aired and then it just it just felt great. Like I said, it it's not about putting my myself individually. It's just I feel like I'm like here cheering for everyone that is [snorts] that little you know, that wasn't seen and I felt I felt seen for myself and for everybody, you know? It was It was definitely experience to be a part of. And did that experience,

35:51you know, change how you view your role in the Barbie community, you know, having that honor? I really feel like it enhanced it enhanced it um because I felt like other opportunities opened up after that that I got to be a part of and um you know, it wasn't even though it was me that was featured, I wasn't really just about me. It was about everyone that that represent that I represented in that moment. Um and it it just allowed people to kind of be seen and and it's really nice to see other collectors have their moments of uh of shine and be represented out into the world because, you know, we're we're here. We're there, you know, and and we're all around the world. Um and like us here today, we are connecting from two different sides of the world and I have other friends that are, you know, on the opposite side of the world and you know, you Like I said, you're creating a connection. Um and I didn't mention it, but I also got to include my husband in part of the documentary, which was amazing because he's been extremely supportive uh with my Barbie collecting, not judgmental, you know, he's contributed to my Barbie collection with Christmases. So, you know, he has been super supportive and um having that support system can go a long way. Um

37:11and it makes you feel um it makes you feel really validated. It makes you feel like it's okay for something that has not always been normalized. So. And this is why I started this podcast. I mean, this is episode four. So, it's something that I felt like I talked to a lot of people on social media. I'll participate in like, you know, the Doll House Makeover Mondays, but we're not really speaking, right? Like and I'm like I talk to these people from time to time just on social media, but I don't really know them. So, this is why I wanted to start this podcast and also build some knowledge. Like there's a lot of stuff I'm learning. You know, I'm not a 70s mod. I know nothing about it. So, you know, this is kind of why I wanted to start this is to build that sort of connection, the more of a personal connection and also learn along the way about who's behind the screen, you know? Like, who is it? Why did Why do you do what you do? What motivates you about Barbie? That's really why I wanted to start this. How do you balance being a collector, a creator, um and everyday life, especially with, you know, work and and whatnot? How do you kind of manage all that together and still make time? Do you ever feel like the content creating is overwhelming and if it is, how do you kind of balance that? You know, that's an excellent question. Um there are moments that I am a little bit more troubled than others. Um you know, if you have a long work week, I I guess the best guide that I can go with is do what makes you happy when it makes you

38:31happy because if you are tired and you've had a long day of work, doing a post at like 12:00 a.m. is not going to make you feel good. It's not going to make you feel inspired. And if you wake up and you're like, oh my god, I have this idea and you have time for it, do it. And I think it's about prioritizing. I mean, we we have to do that with everything, you know, our jobs are 8 hours a day and we have to prioritize things in there. And so, you know, some of us have, you know, kids or animals or, you know, a livelihood that you have to attend to, a home or a house or whatever it is that, you know, you're you're um living in in your four walls. So, I guess it's just really kind of making time on purpose. Um so, if you're like, okay, when Susie I tell my husband, I'm going to spend like an hour just content creating and I might do like multiple things. So, I might, you know, photograph a couple different things. Or if I do my makeovers, I do them in stages. I just photograph the dolls all when I first get them that, you know, look kind of like toe up from the flow up and then I'm like, you know what? This is the before. And then if I have time to start the after, I'll start the washing process. I'll, you know, um photograph that and then once the doll's ready, her hair is dried, maybe like four or five days after I did that, um then I'll photograph her with her final look. And if you don't show up and you don't make it,

39:53it's okay. It's okay. It's all right. It's not that serious. No one is going to notice. It's what makes you feel comfortable and what makes you feel shine uh makes you shine the best in those moments. So, um if I can give anyone advice on how to balance it, I would just say do what makes you happy and how it makes you happy because if it becomes a obligation and overtakes your day or your time and you're tired or exhausted, don't do it. Just leave it for another day. No one's going to lose sleep over it, just you if you if you uh don't give yourself that that amount of time to enjoy what you're doing. Yeah, and that's great advice cuz I think a lot of people feel the pressure to like make the content, build the content, and then, you know, you don't want to face burnout. It just it's not fun anymore. We should be doing this because it's fun, not because of we have to do it, you know what I mean? Is my hair okay?

40:46So, tell me a little bit about your experience. I think you I saw you were at Sherry's Doll Show recently. Is it Sherry? Yes. So, Sherry's Doll Show happens a couple times a year. I know there's been new added dates um due to the popularity of it. It is hosted here in Orange County um and not far from Knott's Berry Farm, so it's a very destination place if you have been. I've been at Knott's Berry I actually have family in Los Angeles. I've been to Knott's Berry Farm. Yeah, so [clears throat] it's literally down the street, like a light down from Knott's Berry Farm. Um and it's uh it's, like I said, hosted a couple times throughout the year and I've had the privilege of being a seller as well as a buyer. Um I I sell um and downsize my dolls. I've partnered with one of my really good friends, Roly, who we share a table and we kind of have just fun doing it while we're selling our dolls and then it's dolls that we've maybe no longer connected to and we want to make available to other collectors. Um you know, and you get to engage again. It's it's all about creating a community and so many people come in and we're having fun and laughing and we're they're shopping, we're selling, you know, we're doing a little bit of buying, too. Um and so it it really creates a sense of community and you see people that come and now that it's

42:08kind of gained a lot of popularity, I mean, it's been happening for many years now, but within the last, I would say, four or five years, it's uh gained a lot of popularity where people are flying in from out of town just for the doll show and there are people that you follow each other on Instagram that you've never met and you're like, "Oh my god, I follow you." And you don't even know them by their name and they introduce them, you're like, "Oh, hi, so nice to meet you." So, it is such a fun experience because it's like a shopping {slash} like meet and greet with everyone and and that's what makes it fun. That's really nice. I mean, I wish we had a little bit more of those here in Toronto. We don't have enough. We have like some toy shows and whatnot, but it's like a few booths. But like something like Sherry's, I would love to attend. Is there like a doll club in your community? Doll clubs, um I have not um joined them due to my like uh personal commitment and my availability with, you know, my job and my volunteering and like I said, I am a very big animal advocate, so I have five dogs and three cats. [laughter] So, I have like a little mini sanctuary um in my home. Um I love rescuing animals, so setting aside um a meeting, I just haven't had really time to make that commitment, which I would love to. I just have not. I've joined as a guest um and have been invited to a couple of them, but not officially joined, which

43:31might be something I could consider in the future, you know. You're like the rescuer of of the Barbie community. And look at look at this little guy. Oh my god, I love him. He's so cute. This is Mustard. Mustard, I love it. It's the wiener dog, yeah. So, just just the one. I don't have a full Yeah. And you just you you're like the uh the rescuer from above. You rescue dolls, you rescue animals. You're an angel sent from above, Giovanni, you really are. In your experience, have you seen Barbie bring people together in ways that maybe you wouldn't have expected? Barbie is all over the world and she connects to everyone differently. And so when you kind of pull that all together and you you tie that drawstring, I mean, you have a full like variety of collectors and um uh creators and seeing all of that pull together, it it's kind of an explosion of fun. And um [clears throat] I would have never thought in my lifetime that it would be such a big deal because she was such a staple for me as a child and now as an adult, she's just like kind of everywhere. And with um having uh social media and different platforms to kind of navigate us through this

44:54this world of Barbie, it really kind of creates a sense of community and I just love that and um I don't think without her there would be so many possibilities for people to to to be connected in that community, so. Yeah. What do you hope that people get or feel when they come across your content? Um I hope they I and I use this word a lot in um in our interview. I think it's connection. I hope that someone connects with something that I post. I had that Barbie growing up or oh my god, I remember that song. I I really incorporate music into my post as much as I possibly can because I think like when I am posting a Barbie and her her look, like when I'm doing my makeovers, I think what is she listening to in her Corvette, you know, like what is she while she's driving and um I like to keep that look or that um outfit kind of like uh genre related. So, if something in the '60s and I'm photographing a '60s Barbies, I'll listen to the Beatles or if it's something '70s or uh early '80s, I'm like Teena Marie, Donna Summer, you know, and then it just it really depends. And as I go down the line, it's like Kylie Minogue or,

46:14you know, whatever it is that I'm that Barbie is feeling, I try to connect her to that as well, too, because I think the word that, you know, like in Pee-wee's Playhouse, the word of the day is connection. And so when people are looking at my content, I want them to be able to have a full connection. I want them to be able to be like, "Yeah, that's the vibe that I'm feeling." I'm not ever aiming for perfection. I'm aiming for a connection and so that's what's important. As somebody who views your content often, it's also a feeling I get. So, exactly what you're saying. You may post a photo of an '80s Barbie and you've the song hits. And I'm an '80s baby, so I was born in the '80s, so I'm mostly a '90s kid. I do have a sister who's like 8 years older than me. So, some of these '80s songs, I'm like, this it brings me back. Like I suddenly have deja vu because I remember her playing that stuff. Right. It's really like my first Barbie, I was four.

47:08Like I was really young and it's because she got one, so I got one. And a lot of the stuff that you that you play, I'm just like, "Oh my god, I forgot about this song." And it's just it's it's fantastic. And it's a feeling, right? Like it's it's just it was a different time. Never get that time back, but it's just so nice to be able to go back for just a second, you know, to just Yeah, to just, you know, sink in it. How many Barbies do you have if I asked you? Do you have a number or do would you have to just guess? I would say I have over 2,000 Barbies. Yeah. I have quite a collection as and and the only reason why I say that number is because I've been collecting my whole life. It's not like you paused and then started again, which is a little bit like me. There's a couple years in there, just mortgage, things like that. I just kind of stopped, but I really it was gifted or you know, I got a bonus at work. I'm like, "I guess I'm going to get myself that doll, you know?" So, so two 2,000, that's that's quite a number.

48:02I too I've had, luckily, like the privilege of people like giving me some of their collections. Like I've had people like co-workers say, "You know what? I'm not going to um use these dolls and I'm not going to have kids, so or my kids aren't interested in Barbies. Um do you you will you take them for me? I think you'll give them a good home." I'm like, "Um yes, absolutely." Like um my husband's uh old boss invited us over for brunch and she surprised me and I had no idea, but she pulled out this big tub of all Barbies from like the 1980s. I was like on the floor. And yes, maybe I had a couple of them, but who why not have a double? I I love doubles. Like just redress her or put her in a fashion. And it was literally just a moment and I guess this circles back to the whole word connection. Like we had a connection and we sat there, had brunch. We had like mimosas, fruit, you know, with bagels. And then we're like, "Let's play Barbies." And we all busted out her Barbie cases and we're playing Barbies. And then she was going over um how she played Barbies as a child and each Barbie had a name and she had post-its for all the um the dolls that she had and each of them had names. And so she would write down, like for example, she had like Barbie and the Rockers and her name was like uh Betty or the other one was like Patty or what I don't know. Those are just fake names, but Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, she gave them all

49:22names and all the storyline behind them. And so uh it was quite it was kind of moment because it was it was funny. We were laughing. We were crying. We were just it was just it was good. It was it was such a connection. I I it. And that's what it's that's what it's all about, really. So, before we wrap up, Giovanni, is there a doll that's maybe like a one-of-a-kind or a doll that like was really hard to get or something that you may have that you want to share? Yeah, sure. I'll share a doll that uh I got off Facebook Marketplace and I had to meet up with a a seller in a really sketchy neighborhood and it was a funny experience because it was like kind of like, "Okay, here's your money. Um here's the doll and boom and bye." It was like such a funny moment, but I finally got her and I got her for such a good price and I've been wanting her for um a really really long time. Should I do a drum roll?

50:19[gasps] Down. Goodness. Um who was designed by Bill Greening and she features the Steffie mold. Mhm. Beautiful lashes, beautiful. New in the box. And I've been just wanting her. I just think she is simply beautiful. Um I love the red and the denim. Hello Kitty was a fun part of my childhood. And um I just thought she was something really great to have and she's so expensive now. Um and so I got her such a good deal and it was just a funny story because I uh had to go get her in a really sketchy neighborhood. [laughter] In like a dark alley where there's like a a secret exchange.

51:05Yeah. [laughter] You know? It was quite a journey. So, be safe out there when you're going out there, people, but um it was well worth it because uh she's a beauty to have in my collection. That reminds me of that episode of Married with Children. Not sure if you're familiar, but they sell her doll and then Al and Steve got to go into like like we belong to this That song's playing. They have to like go get from a bunch of bikers. Yeah. I had this vision when you're like, "I have to go down a dark alley." I'm like, it just reminded me of that episode. Exactly. That is such a funny episode. I totally feel that that similarity to it. Yeah. Ooh. I dyed her dress and um she was one of my makeover Mondays. I did this traditional hair bun which is also featured Is she Yeah. Is she a repro? She's a reproduction uh Enchanted Evening Barbie and she's wearing a reproduction wedding dress and so I used Rit dye to uh color the dress and it was originally white and it was long and so I cut it and made it a short um holiday dress kind of uh um emulating some of the Dior 1950s dresses and so that was my inspiration and then I gave her a traditional

52:29bun and redid her hair. Oh my goodness. She's First of all, she's stunning. I'm learning a lot about like I was predominantly a box collector, but like you know, re-rooting, switching you know, kind of popping heads off, switching bodies and I didn't and I haven't really entered into dying the clothes like dying some of the fabrics. So, that might be something I'll start. Yeah. I'm trying to be more of like fixing up dolls and you know, maybe not keeping them as in their original states, which is what I'm used to. Trying to get get outside my box. So, Right. I've just actually learned about dying dresses. So, that's beautiful. That just motivated me even more to to enter that new world. Do it. A lot of fun. You can find a lot of vintage fashions or things that are like not in the best shape and that's where like the color comes in and you can just be so creative with um giving it a second chance. Yeah, and it becomes a one-of-a-kind. Thank you so much, Giovanni, for being part of the show today and sharing your perspectives just so openly.

53:24I think what you're doing goes far beyond just collecting and creating content. You're really helping reshape what play looks like and creating a space where people feel included and seen and comfortable. I know you've made me feel like that already and today with just being themselves. Thank you for your contribution to the Barbie community and I'm so honored that you were part of the show. Thank you so much for having me. It was an absolute honor and pleasure. Thank you so much. You've always been so positive to um I'm really glad I've got to get to know you and be a part of this and um I just really wish you all the success in the podcast world and there's nice nation and I love it. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Bye. Bye. [laughter] It's amazing how one doll can show you that you're never too old to do what you love. Make sure to like, subscribe, and hit that notification bell if you love all things Barbie. Thanks for [music] watching.