Inspired by the sea; Mermaids, selkies and sirens in fashion films and books
I recently learned about the Ancient Greek goddess Amphitrite, queen of the Sea and wife of Poseidon and mother of fish, seals and dolphins. She is one of the 50 Nereids who are known for their grace and beauty. The more I read about Amphitrite, the more I craved a sea aesthetic filled with pearlescent shells, sea nymphs, mermaids and sirens. Here’s a list of movies, books and fashion shows inspired by the ocean and it’s mysteries.
While researching the fashion world for sea-inspired creations, I discovered the most captivating dress by Iris Van Herpen for her Spring 2011 collection where she worked with a range of materials (thermoplastic polyester, silicone, stainless steel, simax glass, organza, mylar, tulle) and a mix of traditional and cutting-edge techniques (handwork, glassblowing, 3D printing, laser-cutting). She also uses a sound designer to give the show a full body senses effect. You can read more about the collection and watch a video featuring the sound designer here.
Dresses inspired by the movement of water
Also of note is Kim Kardashians 2019 Met Gala dress by Thierry Mugler who came out of retirement to make his first design in 20 years. The dress took 8 months to make and sought to make her look like a "California girl stepping out of the ocean”. And how could I mention the Met Gala without it’s star– Anok Yai who in 2023 wore this Prabal Gurung piece oxidized with gold and silver hand embroidered degrade sequin paillettes and beaded bugle bead fringe to resemble a jelly fish.
In the past few years, I’ve become enamored with Dilara Findikoglu, Turkish fashion designer and Central St. Martin’s graduate. Her designs have a fantastical gothic romance feel to them. Her fall 2025 shell corset is no exception to her goth imagination but with an aquatic twist. Similarly, Alexander McQueens razor clamshell dress from his famously stunning show, Voss in 2001. To creae this collection, some four thousand seashells were sourced from beaches on the coast of Norfolk, with the rest coming from Billingsgate Fish Market in London.
As we continue on our mermaid aesthetic journey, we enter the world of film. The Little Mermaid made such an impression on me as a young girl. It is such a magical movie that’s hard to forget. Here’s a list of some other mermaid inspired movies:
The Shape of Water 2017: the film follows a mute cleaner at a high-security government laboratory who falls in love with a captured humanoid amphibian creature and decides to help him escape from death at the hands of an evil colonel.
The Secret of Roan Inish 1994: A young Irish girl with an unusual family history, including a long-missing baby brother. When she goes to live with her grandparents on the west coast of Ireland, Fiona hears stories about her ancestors, tales that involve mythical creatures called selkies.
Splash 1984: A young boy saved from drowning by a beautiful mermaid, falls in love with her 20 years later when she returns to seek him out.
Mermaids Lament 2023: A brilliant yet haunted psychiatrist finds her carefully constructed world shattered when she crosses paths with a young woman who insists she is a mermaid.
Ondine 2009: A ecovering alcoholic fisherman, lives with his daughter in a small village on the Irish coast. One afternoon, a mystifying and beautiful girl, Ondine gets caught in his nets as he wades along the water.
Mermaid Got Married 1994: A mermaid rescues a drowning teacher then is torn between marrying him or returning to the sea.
The Lure 2015: A horror flick about two mermaid sisters, who end up performing at a nightclub, face cruel and bloody choices when one of them falls in love with a beautiful young man.
The Little Mermaid 1989: What’s a mermaid movie list without The Little Mermaid? An absolute classic, Ariel is fascinated with life on land. On one of her visits to the surface, which are forbidden by her controlling father, King Triton, she falls for a human prince.
Mermaids 1990: This movie is not about mermaids directly but in an abstract sense of referring to the three unconventional female leads as "vagabonds swimming through life," rather than being about literal sea creatures. I had to add this to the list because I adore this movie
Once you’ve had your fix of mermaid movies, add to your list some of these fantastic works of fiction:
The Cure For Drowning by Loghan Taylor
Born Kathleen to an immigrant Irish farming family in southern Ontario, Kit McNair has been a troublesome changeling since, at ten, they fell through the river ice and drowned—only to be nursed back to life by their mother's Celtic magic.
The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan
Set on a mythical Scottish island where residents turn to stone on a cliff.
The Seas by Samantha Hunt
aAcoming-of-age novel about an unnamed teenage misfit in a remote, cruel seaside town who believes she is a mermaid
The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey:
A beautifully written literary novel set in 1976 about a mythological mermaid who is pulled from the sea by fishermen and falls in love with a local man.
Ever since we moved down the street from a public library, I’ve been interested in reading much more non-fiction books. It’s a nice change of pace from a typical novel and it paints a vivid picture of the subject I so happen to be interested in at the time. Here are a couple of non-fiction book recs on the lore behind mermaids, sirens and selkies.
Mermaids, Sirens and Selkies: Myths and Legends by Jean Menzies
Mermaids; The Myths Legends & Lore by Skye Alexander
Merpeople; A Human History by Vaugn Scribner
The Mermaid Atlas; Merfolk of the World by Anna Claybourne.
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Thanks for reading along and I hope you found some good recommendations from the mermaid world. If you enjoyed this blog post, you may be interested in signing up for my snail mail club where you’ll get an analog version of all the content here plus a postcard and bookmark designed by me. Check it out here.
Sincerely
Laura