Barbie World

The thrill of her plastic stilettos, the charm of her polyester blazer and the sparkle of her glitzy gown. The only thing better than owning a new Barbie was dressing her. Students at the International Academy of Design & Technology Las Vegas (IADT) took their final wardrobing turn for the iconic doll last weekend at Fashion Show mall.

To celebrate her 50th anniversary, students were asked to design outfits for Barbie as part of a school contest. Selected designs were then crafted into two versions: One for a Barbie doll and one for a size 8 woman. In the end, 45 looks -- ranging from fun sportswear to lingerie to a bridal gown -- sashayed down the runway in Fashion Show's Grand Hall.

Little girls tugged on hurried mothers' sleeves and groups of girlfriends holding shopping bags all stopped to take in the sight before them. Life-size Barbie dolls holding the miniature rendition of themselves trotted about to the tune of such favorites as "Barbie Girl" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." For passers-by, it was a brief moment of nostalgia. For the student designers, it was a rare opportunity.

"It's not every day you get to be so fantasy, so pink and fun," says Rebekah Baumgardner, a 28-year-old junior at IADT. "This was unique because we got to let go a little more."

Baumgardner designed a sequined fuschia top and tulle skirt that looked like something straight out of the hot pink cardboard boxes the dolls come in. Her peer, Aurora Martinez, 26, crafted a baby blue cropped jacket and pleated, full mini skirt. Martinez says if her outfit were really sold with a doll it would come accompanied with a small dog and carrying case.

Students join the ranks of Diane von Furstenberg, Cynthia Rowley, Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, Juicy Couture and a slew of other high-profile fashion designers who've dressed the doll. Although Barbie has enjoyed 108 different careers that have seen her accessorize with stethoscopes, briefcases and airline wings, most students opted for ultra feminine frocks and girly garments.

Thirty-seven-year-old Svetlana Failla, a tall slender blonde herself, discovered a designer's challenge when it came to the footwear for her Barbie doll. Students were given a doll that was originally bikini-clad and shoeless, which meant for a flat-footed model that couldn't comfortably fit into a pair of pumps.

"I chopped her feet off to make the shoes work," Failla says. "Poor Barbie, but all women love beautiful shoes and suffer. So did she."