Dolldom: Bananarama

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Bananarama

When costume designer Bob Mackie regaled the Barbie doll with his sequins and rhinestones extravaganza, Mattel’s star was hanging out with the likes of Cher and Diana Ross. In the past were the days of Charlotte Johnson’s Parisian couture aspirations as well as the years of disco wear, and Barbie, now a de facto collectible, was donning Bob Mackie goddess wear, lavishly adorned with lots of beads and embroidery. The line was hugely popular and maintained an aura of fabulosity for almost 32 years.

Fast forward to 2026 and Atomic Lab redefines the concept of glam-bang superstar couture worthy of a queen, in this case the queen being the queen herself, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 winner Nymphia Wind.

Atomic Lab, under the direction of designer Jason Wu, has achieved a level of design and production elevation with "Banana Extravaganza" that makes it hard to believe the 500 created were offered for a fraction of what a comparable OOAK creation by an independent creator would have cost.

A miniaturized version of a look worn by Nymphia Wind on the last episode before her coronation, the gown is beautifully and ingeniously constructed allowing for easy undressing and redressing with three ultra-discreet silver tone snap closures in the back. The bodice is a veritable work of art that combined with her enveloping skirt boasts 1,000 hand applied crystals. To add more glitz, the doll features 18K gold plated drop earrings and a rhinestone choker necklace.

Banana Extravaganza’s sculpt captures the beauty of Nymphia Wind and the Glam-Flex 2.0 body provides queen-like realistic posing in beautifully rendered matte vinyl. Rooted and curled eyelashes, high impact face-up (a vividly vivacious yellow palette with a touch of glittery brilliance) and an up-do in variegated yellow Saran replicate the artist’s unique aesthetic. And there’s more! Banana Extravaganza also comes with three separate set of hands – one extra set in yellow with applied stones for the gloves and two sets of hands and a pair of flat feet in flesh tone. Translation: I’m ready to play Eleganza Extravaganza! And that is what this exclusive portfolio aims to record!

Dolldom welcomed Nymphia Wind to its studios to celebrate the fact that this inspiring drag queen is also reigning queen of high-quality fashion dolls.

Vintage Miss Fashion brand dress made in Hong Kong was a delight for Nymphia to model. Yellow and gold and vintage – oh, yes!

Integrity Toy’s Fashion Royalty "Faces of Adele" gift set's high-voltage fuchsia gown produces a fab contrast with Nymphia’s yellow hairstyle.

"Le Nouveau Théâtre de la Mode" Barbie by BillyBoy*!

Nymphia expressed interest in BillyBoy* style for Barbie and quoted Fran New’s blog The Fashion Studies Journal stating that “Billy Boy became the first designer and queer person to have their name on the packaging of a Barbie doll” and twice! Nymphya loves the chunky gold Surreal Bijoux-like jewelry!

“Voilà, Instant Asian Elegance!” - Franklin Lim-Liao

Nymphia was mighty proud to model brocaded two-piece dress by the one and only Franklin Lim-Liao, Barbie doll designer extraordinaire and drag performer phenomenal!