Feathers on the Runway! Why We’re Flocking to Fall’s Bird Trend

Be prepared for fall fashion to ruffle your feathers. When designers weren’t embroidering (Gucci), printing (Givenchy), or appliquéing (Rochas) birds on their garments, they were embellishing them with floaty feathers. Marabou, favored by eveningwear designers and showgirls, floated down runways, appearing on both cocktail and big-event dresses. Michael Kors upended tradition when he embellished a collegiate navy-and-white look with wispy ostrich feathers. Matisse-style doves swooped about a Libertine coat, while swans swam across a top at Carolina Herrera, and Riccardo Tisci conjured the royal peacock at Givenchy. Why this avian fixation? Feathers are an inspired way to add texture in a season where designers were obsessed with surface treatments. Not to mention that fashion, done well, lets the imagination, birdlike, soar.