The Barbie and doll enthusiast community is left reeling after two famous doll collectors and designers and a passenger were killed in a violent car crash on Sunday by an 82-year-old who was driving the wrong way on the A4 motorway in Lombardy, Italy. 52-year-old Mario Paglino and 55-year-old Gianni Grossi were a couple who were the creative minds behind Magia2000, effectively a specialist fashion house for merging haute couture with the doll world that frequently collaborated with and consulted
with Mattel.
According to Sky TG24, the couple was driving a Peugeot 3008 compact crossover with two additional passengers, 37-year-old Amodio Valerio Giurni, a banker who was also killed, and his 36-year-old wife Silvia Moramarco who was airlifted to Niguarda hospital in Milan in critical condition as the sole survivor of the devastating crash. According to the Daily Mail, the 82-year-old who died at the scene was identified as Egidio Ceriano. He realized he missed the Marcallo-Mesero toll booth and turned his Peugeot 207 around to re-enter the motorway without realizing he was going the wrong way. It is believed that he was driving the wrong way for over four miles before colliding head-on with the couple's 3008, with both cars traveling at approximately 80 miles per hour.
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The Victims Were Pioneers In The High-End Doll World
Barbie's official Instagram account shared a heartfelt tribute to the fallen creators, citing their generosity, passion, and talent. ""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 [the couple's company] Magia2000," a statement read."
The couple created a series of dolls inspired by pop culture icons like Madonna, Lady Gaga, Cher, Sophia Loren, and Victoria Beckham, and they founded the Italian Doll Convention, the largest fashion doll event in Europe in 2011. According to the Magia2000 website, Pagliano and Grossi were the first foreign designer duo to create two Barbie convention dolls, in 2016 they were awarded the prestigious Barbie Best Friend Award by American fashion designer Carol Spencer to recognize their promotion of Barbie culture across the world. The couple donated their creations to charity auctions, one selling for an impressive sum of $15,000.
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