Myths about creatures from the sea that are half-human half-fish date back centuries. In 1837, Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, ‘The Little Mermaid’ was published. The story was so popular that the Danish government commissioned a bronze statue of the mermaid to be built in Copenhagen in 1909.

The movie ‘Splash,’ released in 1984, and starring Darryl Hannah, the story of a mermaid and a man who fall in love, has become one of the most beloved Hollywood movies of the late twentieth century. In the coastal town of Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, the Mermaid Parade of 2023 celebrates 40 years of people dressing up as sea creatures. Some people are even professional mermaids and mermen as evidenced in a documentary currently showing on Netflix called ‘Merpeople.’

The impact of Disney’s 2023 movie, ‘The Little Mermaid’

As predicted by e-comm retailer, Asos, and reported on by FashionUnited, the Disney movie,'The Little Mermaid’ is currently having a major influence on fashion, especially for 20-to-30 year-olds. According to Teen Vogue, “Once just a niche subculture of style, ‘mermaidcore’ is all about emulating the mythical sea creatures”

#mermaidcore - the statistics speak for themselves

There has been a 736 percent spike in recent Google searches for ‘mermaid style,’ and Pinterest search data has seen a 614 percent uptick in searches for ‘mermaidcore.’ On TikTok, #mermaidcore has amassed over 333 million views.

Mermaidcore at retail

According to Mashable.com, along with tutorials on how to dress and hairstyle ideas, “jewel-toned fabrics and crochet skirts dominate beach attire; pearl earrings and sequined blouses — reminiscent of fish scales — top it off. Eyes are coated with glimmering shades of blue; billowing skirts are adorned with seashell-strung jewelry.”

On the runways

Post-pandemic, many runway designers have delved into the aesthetic, arguably starting in the ss21 season when Donatella Versace showed dresses printed with seashells and starfish. Talking about the inspiration behind his ss23 collection, David Koma said, “I then had a vision of an underwater world with colorful sea creatures illuminating the darkness.” Louis Vuitton designer Nicolas Ghesquière held his resort 24 collection on a tiny island in Italy. Inspired by the surrounding lakes, he mixed neoprene tank suits with lavish courtly robes, and paired mermaid-scale sequin skirts with naval jackets. The baroque headgear was custom-made for the show by an atelier in Rome that works for the opera and movies. Mermaidcore includes a range of styles, fabrics and colors. Here are eight designers who made an impact.