With Barbie breaking film box office records, a charity shop in Machynlleth has been getting into the spirit.

Credu has set up a Barbie display in its front window, awash with pink and is the brainchild of store employee Owen Herbert.

What started with a display designed to ‘match the vibes’ of the comedy festival when it came to town, quickly turned into the employee making new displays every two weeks.

Owen said: “It all started with a comedy festival in Machynlleth. I wanted to make a display that matched the vibes of the festival.

“It was inspired by Keith Heron’s artwork, we had two cuts out of the stickmen he does and his signature dog at the bottom, and then scribbles of his art around them on the window. It embodied the comedian in a way. I like the vibrancy of his art, and I felt that it reflected the feeling in the town when the festival came.”

Owen studied filmmaking at Aberystwyth University, but “without a job in that area, the displays in the window are the only way I can bring that creativity to life right now”.

“I’ve kept doing them since then, and have tried to make them better each time,” Owen added.

Ceri Herbert, who is Owen’s mum and manages the store, said: “It’s brilliant to have Owen working here, he’s super creative.

“He started off volunteering in the shop as a child, having him here now has brought a new dynamic to the shop, a young person’s dynamic. It’s made all the difference.”

“Ever since he was a child he’s been super creative, he’s really good at what he makes. I was so impressed with the display he made for Mental Health Awareness Week back in May, the displays have just got better and better since then.

“He pulls it out of the bag every time, and has planned all the way up to Christmas.”

Owen’s next display will use VHS tapes to create a ‘90s atmosphere.

He said: “I’ve got a few ideas for the future in mind. I think the next display will be using a lot of old tapes. We get loads of them donated, and I wanted to recycle them because no one uses VHS anymore.

“I’m imagining something like you’d see in an old Blockbuster where they’re all stacked and lined up. In the centre of the display I’ll have an old box TV with our charity’s logo on screen, drawn in a ‘90s style.

“With some displays I just use bits from the shop, but other times I go out of my way outside of work to try and find something.

“I’ve always been into art, you pick up things from lots of different artists.”

On how long the window displays take to complete, he added: “It depends on each display, but they’re usually up for about two weeks.”