Mattel, the maker of Barbie, has partnered with Christian Louboutin for a multifaceted program under which the shoe designer will serve as a yearlong godfather to Barbie, not just rethinking her fashion wardrobe and physical attributes, but also art directing her in different lifelike situations.

“Barbie has a long history of working with various designers and artists who use Barbie as a muse,” said Stephanie Cota, senior vice president of marketing of Barbie brands at Mattel. “It was a natural for Barbie, not only with her fashion heritage, but also because of her passion for shoes. She has a billion shoes and we needed to do something special for her shoe collection.”

Louboutin knew there were certain changes he wanted to make to his three customized dolls, which are inspired by Nefertiti and Marilyn Monroe.