AFP – Who would have thought it? After Barbie, now it’s the turn of Ariel – aka The Little Mermaid – to step into the limelight as the ultimate fashion icon.
From the runway to social networks and red carpets, everyone is clamouring for her cult looks, or taking inspiration from them.
So, get your seashells and fishnets ready, as aquatic references are where it’s at! Disney’s cult film, The Little Mermaid is itself based on a 19th Century tale by Hans Christian Andersen. So far, so unexceptional, except, perhaps, that more than 180 years later, suddenly everyone seems to be all over the essential outfits of the world’s most famous mermaid.
This may sound strange, considering that the tail of these mythical marine creatures is not particularly practical for city life, yet mermaidcore is indeed the fashion trend of the moment. And it’s expected to grow with the release of the live-action adaptation of the Disney film in May 2023.
Since life on land is a little different from life underwater – and we’re not mermaids in the making – this fashion trend translates primarily into a multitude of aquatic references. As a result, shells – in patterns or embroidered – are high on the agenda, whether on clothing, jewellery or accessories.
The famous fishnet material should make a resounding return in the coming weeks, as well as sequins and glitter, while ocean-inspired colours like blue will be the shades of choice.
On social networks, and especially on TikTok, the mermaidcore trend is already gaining a crowd of followers worldwide. The hashtag has been seen no less than 22 million times on the Chinese social media site, while its variation #mermaidcoreaesthetic has more than a million views.
So what does it involve? In a nutshell, pretty much every aspect of Ariel’s attire, from her hairstyles to her legendary outfits and her magical beauty looks.
Social network users aren’t the only ones to have adopted the mermaidcore trend, which is also gaining sway among designers and celebrities. This was seen in the latest fashion show of Ludovic De Saint Sernin, for the Spring/Summer 2023 season, directly inspired by the wardrobe of the legendary Disney character, in a sensual, if not to say ultra-sexy version.
