Summer 2026 has feathers From fashion to beauty, the allure of winged sirens dominates the season
How often, while reading about summer trends, do we come across mermaids? After all, Mermaidcore, themed content starts flooding our algorithms precisely during this season. But the creatures inspiring us in 2026 don’t have swift fins and opalescent scales. Instead, we need to look to the past, or rather, to the ancient myths that form part of our epic heritage. “Part maiden and part bird”: this is how Apollonius of Rhodes described them in the fourth book of the Argonautica. In the myth, the Argonauts are saved by the musician Orpheus, who plays his lyre so beautifully that he overpowers and drowns out the Sirens’ song. We, however, surrender to the melody and allow ourselves to be wrapped in thousands of feathers. From fashion to beauty, everyone seems eager to transform into the Sirens of Greek mythology during the hottest season of the year. It’s not just us saying it, the landscape of pop culture, from major events and trends to red carpets, is proving it.
How fashion is embracing feathers
At the Billboard Women in Music Awards, Tyla wore a custom cut-out gown by Javier Callazo, featuring a dramatic waist-high slit and entirely covered in soft brown feathers. At the same time, others have opted for a slower, more subtle metamorphosis, much like the individual feather details seen at the Met Gala. From Tate McRae’s sculptural gold corset to Beyoncé’s white-and-gray cape, and even the feathered cuffs and waist detail on Nicole Kidman’s ruby-red gown, feathers were the guests of honor on nearly every outfit. The trend has also been embraced by some of the moment’s biggest it-girls. Alexia Demie, for example, wore a look fresh from the Chanel Fall/Winter 2026 Ready-to-Wear runway to the Euphoria Season 3 after-party. The outfit featured delicate powder-pink feathers along the straps. The effect was reminiscent of tiny sea anemones floating underwater and never felt excessive. The same elegant touch appeared in the bustier top worn by Sophia Laforteza in a promotional video for KATSEYEs Coachella performance.
Feathered makeup and accessories
If the Sirens of the Argonautica only had the bodies of birds of prey, their modern counterparts wear feathers on their heads and faces as well. At the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, feathered hats, a trend we’ve discussed before, made several appearances, while TikTok has become filled with tutorials on how to style colorful feather earrings. Makeup wants its share of the trend, too. A look through the work of makeup artist Lucia Pieroni reveals a beauty world obsessed with lashes ready to take flight. Pieroni also created the beauty looks for Chanel’s Cruise 2026/2027 show, conceived by Matthieu Blazy. One could argue that this perfectly captures the union between the Sirens of Greek mythology and the mermaid-like creatures that inhabit our modern imagination. The makeup tutorials taking over our feeds interpret feathers in different ways. On one side are those embracing dramatic, high-impact looks, using faux feathers inspired by exotic birds such as peacocks. On the other are creators opting for softer, more romantic aesthetics, placing tiny white feathers between the lashes, reminiscent of a dove or even an angel. Though they may seem like two distant worlds, makeup and plumage have more in common than one might think. Both offer endless gradations of color, both can express individuality, and both are constantly capable of reinvention.