These Fall 2023 Looks Were Practically Made for Halle Bailey's 'The Little Mermaid' Press Tour
Live-action Disney films are nothing new, but there is a uniquely palpable excitement in the air for the upcoming "The Little Mermaid" remake with singer (and now actor) Halle Bailey.
Audiences are understandably giddy with anticipation to hear classic songs like "Part Of Your World" and "Under The Sea" reimagined with her beautiful voice, but even before the film hits theaters (on May 26 to be exact), many of us are itching to see what the proven style maven will wear for the long-awaited press tour.
While browsing the Fall 2023 collections throughout Fashion Month, a thought continually popped into my head on several occasions: "Halle Bailey needs to wear this for 'The Little Mermaid' press tour."
This thought became only more amplified after the reveal of Bailey's cover shoot for The Face, in which she can be seen fully cosplaying as a fashion-forward sea-woman.
With plenty of mermaid and other sea-creature motifs littering runways and showrooms, it's felt as though the stars have aligned for this season's collections and the new film — especially given that actors and their stylists are increasingly choosing red-carpet looks inspired by the characters they're promoting,
Photo: Maddie Ivey/Courtesy of Jeofroi
At the Black in Fashion Council showroom, the design duo behind Jeofroi showcased one of their Collection 3 gowns, which features flowing powder-blue high-low tulle and a lavender sateen skirt with a cyan sheen throughout. For the bodice, a blue corset with satin boning recalls a sea-shell bra. Not only do the look's draping elements and high-low shape reference the essence of a mermaid, but the color scheme is all too similar to that of the original Ariel cartoon not to notice.
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Meanwhile, Ph5 made a quite literal statement on ocean pollution for its Fall 2023 collection, with co-founder and designer Wei Lin telling Fashionista that some looks were inspired by her experience as a scuba diver: "I saw what I thought was a white giant mammal floating in the middle of the ocean." Lin later realized she was looking at floating plastic.
Photos: Imaxtree
The opportunity to wear a piece reflective of the increasingly harmful issues within our oceans, whilst staying true to the spirit of Ariel's character, is more than perceptible through this Ph5 collection.
Similarly to what Ph5 did with its NYFW presentation, designer Bach Mai chose to present his Fall 2023 collection on actual mermaid-like models, who fluidly drifted around a venue intended to make show-goers feel as if they were underwater with them.
Photos: Imaxtree
Again, high-shine fabrics play a starring role throughout the pieces, emulating flowing water. A few looks in particular could work well for Bailey's red-carpet premieres. With just enough edge to reel in the actor's asserted personal style, Bach Mai's collection marries the aesthetics of the sirens we know and love with the modern cool-girl (a.k.a. Halle Bailey) wardrobe.
Another excellent resource for Bailey's stylists is Michael Fausto, a designer who has a fancy for the drama of eveningwear and also enjoys a bold mermaid reference.
Photos: Courtesy of Michael Fausto
For his Chapter VI collection presented this season, Fausto incorporated coral-shaped beads, actual seashells and, for one look, a bustier flanked by two mermaid figurines adorning its straps — not to mention the many pearls dripping from their tails.
A closer look at the mermaid top from Collection VI by Michael Fausto.
Photo: Courtesy of Brooke Frischer
While the designers above offer the most literal options for an under-the-sea-themed red-carpet moment, the Fall 2023 collections have also included an abundance of artful bustiers and pasties that could beautifully top off any mermaid-inspired silhouette.
Suffice it to say, Halle Bailey and her stylist will never be short of options for the much-anticipated press tour, but there is no denying that the movie premiere could not have been better timed with the themes of this season.
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