Stop what you're doing and look at this Ken.
This is the first Ken in the Ken Kouture line, announced by Mattel this year as being an ongoing series celebrating Ken.
For the longest time I didn't know what to say about this man. I just wanted to look at him. Look at him and wonder what was happening. Why does Ken look like this.
Then gradually I started to realise this is Mattel branching out into the Ryan Gosling Ken fanbase. Note this isn't a Ryan Gosling Ken - the movie Ken wasn't high fashion like this. But notice how they're marketed with words like Ken-rgy and Kenaissance.
This is a high fashion Ken aimed at people who already loved high fashion Barbie, but who were charmed by Ryan "I'm Just Ken" Gosling and wanted to show him some love too.
Incidentally, if you think this Ken looks kind of similar to the first new Barbie in the freshly revived Barbie Fashion Model Collection, I saw it too and that's no coincidence.
2024 is the 65th anniversary of Barbie, and both these dolls are themed around the traditional gift for a 65th anniversary: blue sapphire.
Side note, I should be better about shouting out the designers of Barbies I talk about, so do take note that this Ken Kouture doll's design was credited to Carlyle Nuera.
And Nuera has some really interesting things to say about him on Instagram.
