I have always wanted to be a bird. When the inevitable “what superpower would you have” question met 8-year-old Cheyenne, she answered: “Flying. I’d like to fly.” I still have dreams where I’m flying and I befriend birds as my old-person pastime (I am 26).
But when did everyone else want to be a bird? And how can we use the increase in ostrich trims and wing motifs to read the room?
Who Wants to Be A Billionaire?
Nobody. At least not openly.
Ironically, quiet luxury’s death was loud. And it sounded like maximalism and Mark Zuckerberg memes. Ethically grey both in practice and t-shirts, many people are disillusioned with tech billionaires and are setting about distancing themselves from the digital hegemons.
One brand that I found littered across my social feeds is Taller Marmo. Given that I was writing a piece for Trulery at the same time about the psychology of dance motifs in mainstream fashion, I noticed the movement of their garments. Flouncy and elegant. As we try to inject some “whimsy” into our style, feathers have been a refuge for many, and London this summer was a cosplay convention where everyone showed up as Yzma.
Taller Marmo isn’t the first and won’t be the last. This trend unfortunately coincides with Bob Mackie’s passing. His work for Cher is the feathered modern fashion playbook.
Feathers do feel luxurious but in a caricaturish, nouveau riche way. I personally love that. Like a high vis at the back entrance of a venue, I’m sure you could sneak onto a stage in feathers without question.
The Angel
The paradox of Victoria’s Secret is that it isn’t a high fashion house, yet it generates hype of one. The very definition of a blowfish, it puffs itself up in such a way that makes us layfolk giddy.
The Summer Fever section was particularly interesting because it clearly drew inspiration from carnival culture. The colourways felt akin to exotic birds and the wings reinforced that image. Zara Larsson should have performed for the section but I digress.
This year’s Victoria’s Secret show also got people talking way before the runway with the Angels Among Us competition, comprising 5 US states and over 100,000 women. Solange Omon, winner of the competition, walked the runway in wings and was signed to IMG Models.
Bringing back the originals (Adriana Lima, Alessandria Ambrosio, Candice Swanepoel etc.) there is now an air of aspiration. Tiktok is inundated with Angel Halloween costumes and creators practicing their walks.
The Mockingjay
Perhaps part of the puzzle that we haven’t made sense of is how film is feeding our desire for avian opulence. Mckenna Grace wore Katniss’ wedding dress revived for the Sunrise on The Reaping press tour, alongside growing conversations online about how America is mirroring the franchise’s Panem more and more each day. The Pentagon planned to livestream an execution, which alarmingly brings the country to that same precipice where killing becomes entertainment.
In fears of a global cost of living crisis and the rise of fascism, part of us longs to transform into something of a Mockingjay figure. To bring about justice as we see fit. London’s Batman was recently spotted paying everyone’s bills at a fuel station to bring attention to high fuel prices. Perhaps our desire for wings is an artistic expression of escapism: if we really could fly, who would need fuel?
Will We Get Bored Of Birds?
I’d argue that public opinion started to change when JW Anderson dropped their controversial pigeon clutch. That was a while ago now, but I don’t think that bird-core is losing momentum. It’s just getting more abstract. There are so many ways to use feathers in fashion and as the opera coat gains momentum again, I imagine feathers will be one of the many contemporary twists.
There’s a lot of opportunity to take feathers in a sculptural direction. Furthering my point on film’s influence, Zendaya’s angelic Matières Fécales gown for The Odyssey’s press tour proves that. It will be exciting to see how colour comes into the conversation: I personally hope someone (with a lot of money and patience) makes a gown inspired by Kenya’s national bird, the lilac-breasted roller.
