SWANCORE: How to Transform Yourself
Swan style w/Rei Kawakubo, Simone Rocha, city swans, boy swans, runway swans, & the ultimate feathered nest for times of transformation
Who else feels in flux right now? Not to one-up anyone, but I’m in medically induced menopause. It’s a period (or lack thereof) where I’m cranky, sweaty, teary, and HIGHLY OPINIONATED about everything from Renate Reinsve’s Oscar dress (win) and the women character arcs in Marty Supreme (or lack thereof) to the state of writing in a world full of AI (lose). Throw in my post-chemo, wonky hair regrowth, and it’s feeling very ugly duckling around here.
[Note: I’ve loathed the title of The Ugly Duckling since childhood. No duckling is ugly. No wobbly newbie trying to find their footing is ugly. I find the word ugly ugly and mostly refuse to use it. HIGHLY OPINIONATED ABOUT THIS.]
Enter: Swans. I’m seeing them everywhere, and though I’ve never counted them as a spirit animal per se, I wonder if I keep noticing them for a reason. The most sacred of birds, they’re synonymous with grace and symbolize transformation—hence, the duckling to swan. There’s something to this, especially in our current climes.
Female swans are called pens and males are cobs. They mate for life and often die of heartbreak when their mate dies. They’re protective, fiercely loyal, and they sometimes have homosexual partners. Did you know that gay swan couples often have a better success rate at raising ducklings? I didn’t. This is due to having a more balanced work load. (FANCY THAT.)
In Hans Christian Andersen’s The Wild Swans, a young girl’s brothers are transformed into swans by a wicked stepmother. The girl endures overwhelming hardship to save her siblings, never gives up—even in the face of death—and in the end she rescues them. Who is the more transformed? Swans appear in Othello and The Merchant of Venice, too. They’re referenced as singing their most beautiful songs before death—the ultimate transformation. THE SWAN SONG.
Maybe it’s the state of our world, maybe it’s springtime, maybe it’s the menopause, but I feel ripe for transformation myself. Hair, style, attitude, the works. When I think about those who embody the Ultimate Swan to me, Björk comes to mind, and not for the obviousness of her iconic swan Oscar dress, but for how she continues to transform herself and take risks at the age of 60. I think of fashion renegades like Rei Kawakubo and Simone Rocha, who push the boundaries of femininity and grace with voluminous proportions and monochromatic comfortability.
Swans were all over the runways for spring and for the upcoming fall 2026 collections too. Did you notice all of the Swancore at the Oscars? Nicole, Teyana, Demi, Amy, and Inga swanned out in full-on feathered glory. Red carpet dresses aside, I’ve compiled a handy guide for embracing the trend yourself, whether you’re paying homage to Capote’s swans, too bothered to wear color right now, or simply want to transform yourself (and your home!) while paying homage to resplendent creatures. Why not be one yourself?
“I decided to start from zero, from nothing, to do things that have not been done before, things with a strong image.” - Rei Kawakubo
The story of Rei Kawakubo is one of originality, vision, audacity, bombast, self-determination, absurdity, playfulness, and big time transformation.
Season after season, since she launched the famed Comme des Garçons (French for “like the boys”) label in 1969, she’s continued to challenge both herself and fashion audiences worldwide with constant reinvention. When Rei first started designing, she became so dissatisfied with the work she was creating, she decided to shed any and all influences and start afresh. Throw out everything you know and just go rogue-mode? I’m taking inspiration from this.
When it comes to style transformation, lean in to the spirit of Rei and embrace asymmetry, polka dots, giant sneakers with skirts or tuxes, or dress only in one color for an entire week or month (like Erin of Blackbird Spyplane). The plan is to not have a plan, to be in the moment and try something new, even if the newness is as simple as taking a different route home one day or adding a bit of unexpected pattern to a neutral wardrobe.
For me, it’s adding scent to my mix, specifically CDG’s incredible parfum collab with composer Max Richter, a unisex mix of cumin, black pepper, and ylang-ylang with a hint of violin bow resin. Complex, assured, and eclectic—this is what we’re going for here.
When thinking about Swancore, London designer Simone Rocha immediately comes to mind. Everything she does is swan-esque. Think ribbons, subtle ruffles, and a palette of midnight and ivory that conveys an inherent femininity both frothy and bold, like if you went to high tea in silk pantaloons and austere black flats while sipping Earl Grey and eating petite fours off buffed modernist metal instead of chintzy china. Throw on a crocheted baguette bag for emphasis, and stop at the bakery on your way home. Ohh la la, Sa-Swaaaan.
The work of Spanish painter Nieves González is, in short, extraordinary. Her bevy of beauties in various puffer jackets holding swans, toy dolphins, or just holding themselves is a delightfully bonkers take on the classically Baroque. You might remember the commission González did of Lily Allen for her groundbreaking recent album West End Girl, a swan song if you will. It’s easily one of the most memorable covers at a time when album covers have seemingly become irrelevant.
Nieves & Lily have me thinking about a City Swan, that audacious gal in the balloon trousers, polka dot trainers, and leather triangle scarf, whose structural cardi you’re coveting on the uptown train while she scribbles icy retorts into a vintage notebook. Even her socks are swanning hard.
Speaking of which, ICYMI, I encourage you to fly over to Sophie Heawood’s Substack and read her now legendary piece Love and gaslight about Lily’s album as soon as you finish perusing this post. Honk!
Boys/menfolk can swan out too. It’s all about going for a B&W aesthetic with a hint of pale blue that echoes artist Hilma af Klint’s The Swan (Group IX/SUW). Painted in 1915, it speaks to the duality and dichotomy of the male/female, light/dark, Yin and Yang nature of life. Style wise, this means throwing together dark and light pieces you already have in your closet with something else you might not normally wear, like a bedazzled gilet or those checkered Vans you stopped wearing years ago. Play Blood Orange’s 2018 album Negro Swan while you get ready and ruminate on how cob swans are devoted partners who are all about forming strong emotional bonds. Be more swan, be more swan…
Japanese label Nomàt epitomizes the comfy cotton swan. I’m obsessed with their “designed in Paris, handmade in Japan” layered ensembles, especially the latest collection, but there’s no way any of us are wrapping our wings around these pieces in the U.S. 😩 Luckily, we can achieve the look with white separates, which are easy to procure at all price points. Go for lightweight cotton, size it up, pouf it out, and belt it all with a rope. Drape a bedsheet around yourself a’la Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and add some fancy accessories. Top it with a crocheted Cloche; tip it in flat white oxfords. Sashay around the botanical garden, pick up an errant feather, tuck it into your cap.
“Behavior that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere.” - Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf
Every piece Maria McManus designs is created with the lowest environmental impact utilizing organic, recycled, and biodegradable fibers. Her Fall 2026 collection was inspired by her homeland of Ireland, as well as the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf which, incidentally, also features swans. The epic poem refers to the sea as a “swan-road” (isn’t that beautiful?) which describes a path for a ship.
I love how Maria’s pieces are a laid-back yet astute pathway to nonchalant elegance. I can see Tilda, swan of the Scottish highlands, wearing any of these. A fisherman’s sweater paired with silk and lace over 80’s leggings and slingback heels? Swoon-core.
In Greek mythology, swans are sacred to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Apollo, the god of music. In Hinduism, the swan is associated with Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and creative arts. In Celtic mythology, they’re messengers between our world and the spirit world. Universally, they symbolize love, loyalty, and transformation.
When thinking about the times we’re living in, is it any wonder multiple fashion designers this season and next are channeling a bird that represents all of these aspects of earthly life? We’re in desperate need of grace, quiet strength, intuition, and a spiritual awakening at a time of rampant war, the decimation of the arts by the proliferation of machines, and the loss of exactly what swans are built to do—bond.
Whether Swancore is intentional or not, the world is shifting, and we’re living in a profoundly transformative time. Perhaps the swans are here to teach us.
Finally, some accessories to feather your nest. These items speak for themselves and are reminders that beauty can glide quietly. It can be born from something “ugly.” Even an organza cord cover billowing behind your sink can be a reminder to embrace the call of the swan.
I leave you with the poetic words of Mary Oliver who truly says it best.
I just popped your letter in the mail and came home with some gelato to read this piece. It's funny because it feels like the antidote to my letter. I talk of menopause, and feelings of inadequacy and also end up swanning over a new accessory (which is the same blue as the feet in the Hilma af Klint painting). This was fun to read and I am seriously considering the CDG Max Richter scent (a fan of him via My Brilliant Friend) and also who else is kind of really digging the cord cover...?
We all needed this. Thank you! The spirit of SWAN CORE! I'm here for your transformation and all of your HIGHLY OPINIONATED opinions. ;)