Lars's Last Sold Out!

Mackenzie Fenella Layla Barbie Mattel stock photo

Based on the mismatch of the fashion, this is the last doll I would have predicted to sell out in three months' time.  My discovery that the doll was only inspired by Byron Lars and actually designed by Mattel designer Ann Driskill helped formulate this opinion and my refusal to pay retail for Mackenzie Fenella Layla Barbie (MFLB).

I incorrectly assumed, if I truly decided to purchase MFLB that it would be easy to do this at a reduced price, in combination with the use of a Barbie Fan Club reward (which is usually a $20 discount).

A reduced-price purchase will not be happening for me because MFLB is now listed at BarbieCollector.com as "Currently Not Available From Mattel." 

I suppose collectors who own the doll found her fashion more interesting (translation = appealing) than I ever could or will.  Or perhaps the fact that she is supposed to be Lars's last Barbie, influenced their purchase.

The doll's fashion continues to have a vertiginous effect on me, but tam's off to those who were able to purchase MFLB.

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MacKenzie Fenella Layla, Byron Lars's Last, and...

... the real designer has stood up.

Barbie enthusiast, Romona J. shared image links to the doll she describes as Byron "Lars's last doll for Mattel."  I have not been able to confirm this information and Romona did not share her source.  She did give me permission to share her wonderful images of  "the last Lars" here and wrote, "I hope he comes back for a 20th anniversary doll to mark his work with Mattel." 

Byron Lars and his design-inspired Barbie, Mackenzie Fenella Layla from the Passport Collection

(photograph courtesy of Romona J.)

Mackenzie Fenella Layla joins the two dolls that preceded her, left to right, Lars's Ayako Jones and Charmaine King (all photos are courtesy of Romona J.)

The real designer is exposed:  At the bottom of MacKenzie's description page on BarbieCollector.com, the designer is shown as Ann Driskill.  A big question mark in my head prompted my inquiring mind to investigate this further.  I discovered that Mattel designers "consult" with celebrity designers like Lars, Mackie, Vera Wang, etc. and bring their fashion concepts to life in doll scale. The celebrity designers do not actually work for Mattel, but lend their concepts to Mattel (and of course their names) for these particular dolls.  So while I imagined incorrectly that Lars designed "his" entire collection of Barbies from start to finish, head-to-toe, the dolls were in fact designed by Mattel's designers using Lars's concept (and again, his name). 

Did you know this?

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