Piratecore is fashion's newest obsession Pirates and bandits will be on next summer's mood boards

Despite the ongoing normcore epidemic spreading through contemporary fashion, designers sometimes attempt to soften the minimalism of basic looks with bolder pieces inspired by the past or by imaginary worlds. On recent runways, this intention has taken shape through the emergence of piratecore, a trend that reinterprets the clothing of historical or cinematic pirates in a contemporary way, aiming to break through the monotony of daily wear by rediscovering an imaginative and cosmopolitan fashion language.

Fashion’s fascination with outlaws of the sea is nothing new: in 1981, Vivienne Westwood titled one of her iconic collections “Pirate,” reimagining corsair garments and accessories through a punk lens. In the following years, Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano revived that imagery in more cinematic ways; the former drew inspiration from Pirates of the Caribbean, while the latter, with his Techno Romance collection in 2001, offered a deconstructed version of the famed “pirate jacket.” Today, that same anarchic pirate spirit resurfaces on the catwalks of the latest SS26 fashion shows.

Many brands have drawn inspiration from an image of pirates that evokes distant lands and exotic routes where, between plundering and cross-cultural exchanges, corsairs colonized and often transformed the traditional elements and ornamental codes of conquered peoples. In some designers’ creations, jewelry inspired by Sub-Saharan African and South Asian cultures intertwines with the pirate imagination: at Balmain, for instance, Olivier Rousteing envisions men and women as sea adventurers wearing trousers tucked into boots, rope belts, vests, and tops made of wooden nuggets.

In Ferragamo’s vision, meanwhile, Maximilian Davis seems—though not explicitly—to draw inspiration from this variation of the pirate aesthetic, sending models down the runway in blazers paired with long silk scarves wrapped around the waist, reminiscent of those worn by Blackbeard and Black Bart in the famous 17th–18th-century stories and portraits that immortalize them.

It is from this blend of fascination and appropriation that piratecore inherits its nomadic essence, which in many collections emerges through the frequent use of turbans of all kinds: Lanvin and Ganni, for instance, enrich their everyday looks with twisted lycra headpieces resembling those worn by the brigand Sinbad in the animated film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Christian Cowan and Talia Byre, on the other hand, feature bandanas and headscarves tied around the hair, similar to those worn by Jean Peters in the historical film Anne of the Indies.

Even Loro Piana references corsair iconography: in its latest summer collection, we find Arab-inspired headpieces reminiscent of those worn by Sayyida al-Hurra, the legendary Andalusian-born pirate queen. Staying on the theme of pirate hats, Jonathan Anderson in his most recent fashion show for Christian Dior presented classic black tricorns (crafted by milliner Stephen Jones), a trademark of pirates like Long John Silver and Captain Hook.

Contemporary fashion seems especially fascinated by certain female figures associated with the pirate imaginary. Ludovic de Saint Sernin, fresh off a couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier centered on the theme of shipwrecks, presents in his latest summer collection lightweight ruffled dresses cinched at the waist with leather corsets, subtly nodding to Alexander McQueen’s emblematic Irere collection (SS 2003). Likewise, Enfants Riches Déprimés showcases a look featuring a precious belt fastened with a seal-like clasp reminiscent of the one worn by Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann.

David Koma for Blumarine and Dilara Findikoglu rework this aesthetic in their latest collections through ruffled garments and corsets adorned with chains and crosses, while Etro references the pirate world through amulets and net-like diadems evoking marine imagery and mythological sirens. The wide belts—another key element of the pirate woman—appear in a whimsical gothic version in Anna Sui’s SS26 collection. Closing the circle, designer Elena Velez reinterprets the mystical archetype of female piracy with looks seemingly inspired by Tia Dalma, the Caribbean voodoo priestess from the Disney saga, a figure that perfectly embodies the darker, more seductive side of piratecore.