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Barbie designers Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi were killed in a car crash Sunday with the doll brand writing in a tribute, “Barbie is better because they loved the brand.”
The business and romantic partners died after 82-year-old Egidio Ceriano, driving the wrong way on Italy’s A4 Turin-Milan highway, collided head-on with their car in Lombardy, according to Italian news outlet ANSA. Ceriano is accused of driving about four miles in the wrong direction before the crash.
Amodio Valerio Giurni, a bank employee, and his wife, Silvia Moramacro, were also in the doll designers’ car, according to the Italian outlet. Giurni died and Moramacro was hospitalized.
Ceriano, who also died in the crash, had renewed his license two years ago, ANSA reported.
In the wake of the crash, Mattel, the maker of Barbie, released a statement on Instagram: "The Barbie team is heartbroken by the loss of Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi, two treasured creators and Mattel collaborators who brought joy and artistry to the world of Barbie as Magnia2000."
Paglino and Grossi’s Magina2000 company specialized in custom dolls. Their work earned them the Barbie Best Friend Award from Barbie fashion designer Carol Spencer in 2016, according to the duo’s website.
The two are known for their celebrity dolls, which included singers Cher and Lady Gaga and actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Sophia Loren.
But the most notable celebrity dolls they created were dedicated to Madonna. After being part of the London “Simply Madonna” Exhibit in 2009, Paglino and Grossi met the singer in person on “The Graham Norton Show.”
"Their generosity was boundless, creating countless dolls to be auctioned to benefit charities close to fellow collectors’ hearts," Mattel’s statement read.
In 2015, the pair auctioned one of their dolls at the National Barbie Convention for $15,000 for charity.
Mattel concluded its statement by writing: “Barbie is better because they loved the brand, and our beloved collector community is richer for having known them and shared in their passion. Barbie honors their memory with deep gratitude."
