The mermaid has been a perennial stylistic reference point for the past five years. Everyone from Paris Hilton to Lady Gaga and Katy Perry has co-opted mermaid imagery as a way of indicating both otherworldly glamour and childish innocence. But now a new (ahem) wave of “mermaiding” is upon us. And it isn’t just about looking a bit like Ariel – it’s more than that.
Instagram is filled with visually compelling nods to the beauty of the classic mermaid. Search the hashtag #Mermaidmakeup and you’ll find tons of pastel eyeshadows, and purple, pink and blue lips, while #Mermaidhair features intricately braided, bunched or waved hair in rainbow colours. In real life, the trend for hair dyed multiple ways can be seen in the popularity of Kylie Jenner as a lifestyle guru (including her Kylie Hair Kouture, a range of coloured extensions) and Bleach London (the hair salon that specialises in 3.0 colouring). Meanwhile, the dreaded flower crown looks as if it is about to be replaced with the mermaid crown, as popularised by Chelsea Shiels, a florist whose Etsy store sells bedazzled crowns made from seashells and shiny car-boot-sale jewels. Meanwhile royal wedding dressmaker Sarah Burton’s collection for Alexander McQueen featured mermaid crowns in the AW16 show, while accessory designer Sophia Webster’s SS16 collection had a Birth of Venus themed mermaid boutique.
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