Italian Barbie designers Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi die in car crash

Mario Paglino (52) and Gianni Grossi (48), founders of the fashion doll brand Magia2000, died in a head-on collision on the A4 highway between Novara Est and Marcallo Mesero. An 82-year-old driver entered the wrong way and struck their vehicle, killing four people total. Paglino and Grossi, partners in life and business, founded Magia2000 in 1999, combining their names (Ma + Gia). In 2006, they won a Mattel competition and created the Barbie Film Noir, produced in 1,200 copies and presented at Mattel's US convention, making them the first foreign designers selected by Mattel for an official edition. In 2009, they left their jobs (Paglino at TIM, Grossi as a graphic designer) to work full-time on Magia2000. Their handmade dolls, featuring intricate embroidery and couture details, often drew on Italian fashion and cultural references, such as a Harlequin-inspired Barbie. In 2015, one of their dolls sold at auction for €15,000 for charity. They also produced limited-edition dolls of celebrities like Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, and a series of 30 Simona Ventura dolls gifted to figures including Giorgio Armani and Mara Venier. Since 2011, they organized the Italian Doll Convention in Milan, Europe's largest doll convention. Mattel officially recognized them as external designers for the European market.