Barbie: Is Beauty a Talent? – With Candice Gauch (Miss Paris 2025 and Senior Consultant)

Talent and beauty… what if the two were connected? Could that explain why this iconic doll, though criticised at times, has sold over a billion copies worldwide? Could beauty itself be a talent? What makes it so? Is it more than a perfectly shaped nose or a pair of long legs? What kind of power does it hold? What about the “halo effect”? And what if beauty were an actual skill, like it is for Barbie? What if becoming beautiful was something you could learn?

Well, I certainly intend to try! That’s why, for once, I haven’t invited a researcher, but a true specialist on the subject: Miss Paris 2025 herself! Please welcome Candice Gauch. A graduate of the Master in Management (PGE) and the MSc International Strategy and Influence at SKEMA Business School, she's also a Senior Consultant at one of the Big Four. Drawing from her consulting background and pageant experience, and inspired by figures like Barbie and Lady Gaga, she connects her personal journey with the theories and research behind the topic.

Welcome to “Makes Sense?”, a leap in pop culture to explore global societal challenges.

“Makes Sense?” is a podcast by SKEMA Business School, hosted by Kevin Erkeletyan.