Ken (Ryan Gosling) also undergoes a makeover (albeit a more controversial one) after returning to Barbie Land and ditching soft pastel looks for a furry coat, paired with boxing gloves and Adidas high-tops, a look that was inspired by a photo of Sylvester Stallone, as well as Ken’s newfound interest in sports, which Durran amplified by sourcing vintage sportswear. To add to the over-the-top display of his new aesthetic that also leans into Western and Americana, in one scene, Gosling comically sports several wristwatches at the same time. “[In the real world in the film,] a woman has asked him the time. He thought that was so great so then he wore four watches,” explains Durran. As for the Ken-branded underwear that sent the internet spinning? “That was Ryan’s idea,” says Durran. “About a day before we shot, he said, ‘Don’t you think it would be funny if I had Ken underwear? And I said, ‘It would be really funny!’ And so we just ran and got it made.”
