The return of Barbie as a major player in the pink 'n purple aisles of toy stores worldwide shouldn't have been a big surprise - after all, she's in good company with Strawberry Shortcake and the Cabbage Patch Kids making similar comebacks in the last few years.

BUT - are you ready for Big B to make her presence felt during FashionWeek? According to some people in the know, Mattel will be sponsoring New York FashionWeek for the next three years.

"But wait, there's more...."

Soon to follow will be couture Barbie for me 'n you (remember the matching necklaces we used to get in the box? Yeah, that's sooo last century), boutique stores worldwide (they already have them in Asia), and a signature makeup line that'll go by the eye-rolling moniker of Plastic Smooth.

What does this mean to the modern woman? Are we ready to accept what is the logical progression of the fashion industry that, let's be honest now, we justify their anorexia-lovin', body-image-skewing ways in the name of art? Or do we boycott the stuff for the sake of feminism?

What do you think?