Two of Barbie's leading designers are killed in horrific head-on road smash in Italy after 82-year-old drove the wrong way down motorway
Artistic duo Mario Paglino, 52, and Gianni Grossi, 48, were travelling in an SUV on the Turin-Milan highway near Mesero when the elderly man driving a Peugeot 207 collided into them, with both vehicles travelling at approximately 130 km/h.
Four people were killed in the incident including the 82-year-old driver, Egidio Ceriani, designers Paglino and Grossi, as well as a 38-year-old banker who the pair were travelling with, Amodio Giurni.
Giurni's wife, Silvia Moramarco, 37, who was also a passenger in the SUV, was the sole survivor and was airlifted to Niguarda Hospital in Milan in critical condition.
The elderly man realised he missed the toll booth on the Turin-Milan highway, so turned around and re-entered the motorway in the wrong lane, before colliding with the SUV at high speed, according to traffic police officers.
Barbie's official Instagram account paid tribute to the visionary designers, who in 1999 founded the Magia2000 company that creates custom Barbie dolls inspired by art and pop culture and often collaborates with Mattel.
'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 Magia 2000,' the tribute said.
'As passionate and talented designers and lifelong collectors, their spirit and love for the brand turned every creation they touched into a masterpiece. Beyond their remarkable talent, they shared an energy that lit up every space they entered.'
Both residents of Novara, northwest Italy, Paglino and Grossi were the first ever non-American artist duo to ever design a souvenir Barbie doll manufactured by Mattel USA - the 2006 Barbie Film Noir doll - produced for the National Barbie Convention that same year.
At the 2015 National Barbie Convention, one of their creations was sold for charity for €15,000 (£13,000).
The pair design one-of-a-kind dolls inspired by famous paintings, from Van Gogh's Irises and Piet Mondrian's Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow to Frida Kahlo's The Two Fridas.
In 2016, they were honoured with the prestigious Barbie Best Friend Award by American fashion designer Carol Spencer, for their dedication to the promotion of Barbie culture throughout the world.
In 2011, Magia2000 founded the Italian Doll Convention, which the designers described as 'the largest fashion dolls event in Europe, promoting the passion for Barbie and all fashion dolls'.
This year in June, to mark the brand's 25th anniversary, the duo unveiled the centerpiece for the National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention: the ICON Barbie, complete with a pink sequined dress, and 25 'special dolls' available only at the annual event for doll enthusiasts.
Paglino and Grossi revealed the playful meaning behind their brand name in a interview with gtGdollwear, saying: 'It's quite simple, Magia means 'Magic' in Italian and we built it with our names.
'It's the anagram of the initials of our two names. MA-rio and GIA-nni, MA+GIA and the game is done, MAGIA.'
Paying tribute to the dollmakers, the mournful post on Barbie's Instagram account continued: 'Whether leading the Italian Doll Convention in Milan or showcasing their talents and love for Barbie at doll shows all over the world, their presence brought warmth, laughter and a sense of belonging.'
Following the horrific head-on car crash on Sunday at 11:08 am on the border between Lombardy and Piedmont, the Highway Police investigation lasted approximately six hours, with the motorway closed and long queues for members of the public heading to Milan and Malpensa Airport, reported La Repubblica.
Firefighters, ambulances and an air rescue arrived at the scene to extract the bodies from the vehicles, but 37-year-old Moramarco was the sole survivor.
The designers were travelling with friends and were reportedly on their way to the Lombardy capital or to the lakes for a day trip, the newspaper added.
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