From eagles to ravens, ideas on how to wear bird-inspired fashion

Mint

26-07-2025

Earlier this month, rapper Cardi B attended the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2025/2026 fashion show at the Paris Haute Couture Week with her best friend acting as a rather eccentric accessory. This said 'friend' was a raven whom the rapper held stoically as she posed for the paps. As a report by People magazine claims, the rapper exclaimed 'We are best friends!"
Going back to how the avian world has inspired and continues to inspire designers and labels, one wouldn't be too amiss to say that 'fashion and birds" are best friends too. In February, American designer Thom Browne's Fall 2025 collection, themed Birds of a Feather, coats and skirts sported motifs inspired by canaries and barrel-chested flycatchers. And Rahul Mishra's Spring Summer 2025 collection that was showcased in Paris featured 'Raven's Flight", an LBD that featured ravens in 3D embroidery design, no less!
Be it their vivid colours, their otherworldly plumage, their poses or their birdsong, it's easy to see why these winged creatures are constant sources of creative inspiration to couturiers and jewellery designers alike. This week, Lounge's roundup takes a cue from avian-inspired fashion and includes objets from a silver eagle-headed belt to feathered shoes and pretty dresses with bird motifs.
FREE BIRD
Homegrown label Khara Kapas' pre-fall 2023 menswear collection takes inspiration from the plumage of birds – from crested cranes to cardinals, jays and even the albatross. With ravens being popular, this black lino printed 'Raven Wing" mul shirt with lapel collars and one welt pocket gets our vote. Available on Kharakapas.com; ₹7,000.
GARDEN VARIETY
Italian designer Roberto Cavalli took constant inspiration from flora and fauna and wasn't afraid to play with rich – almost gaudy – prints on his clothes. Birds were a part of his canvas, naturally. This pure silk blazer from the label is a good example of how the designer could meld busy prints with a modern silhouette to create a standout outfit. The blazer features a motif of flowering branches and pheasants that's beautifully juxtaposed over the label's iconic python print in a monochrome shade. Available on Robertocavalli.com; ₹2.96 lakh.
PERCH UP
When he was alive, French jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger had created some iconic designs for luxury brand, Tiffany & Co. One of the designs was the 'Bird on a Rock" brooch that was inspired by a yellow cockatoo that Schlumberger had encountered. This brooch is a recreation of Schlumberger's design and features a bird encrusted with diamonds, a pink sapphire and perched upon an emerald-cut tanzanite 'rock". Precious? You bet. Available on Tiffany.com; Price on request.
HIGH FLYING
Birds can liven up everyday outfits too, as this design from indie label Paulmi and Harsh shows. Tailored from soft malai Chanderi, the anarkali features a print of florals and birds with embroidery on the yoke and sleeves and comes with a matching scarf. Available on Elahe.in; ₹20,800.
SET AFLIGHT
Designer Alexander McQueen's fifth collection, presented in 1995, was called The Birds, and was inspired, as per Wikipedia, by a study of birds and Alfred Hitchcock's movie, The Birds. This pair of pointed toe T-strap sandals from the label is rather in your face with it's avian love, as it features intricately crafted leather feathers. Fashion sure takes flight here. Available on Alexandermcqueen.com; ₹3.50 lakhs.
FEATHER SCIENCE
Here's another entrancing example of avian-themed fashion from designer Thom Browne. This pleated skirt made from luxurious silk twill features delicate feathers which symbolize bird migration patterns, seasonal shifts, and new beginnings. Available on Thombrowne.com; ₹2.25 lakhs.
TEA WINGS
Sipping coffee out of a bird-shaped cup is as cute as it sounds. The Kawki collection created by Polish designer Aleksandra Zeromska for Lladro takes that idea and gives it a extremely adorable, gold-plated tweak. Inspired by Slavic folklore and by Zeromska's love for birds, the name of the collection 'Kawki" comes from a Polish word that could mean, 'a small coffee" or 'a kind of bird". Available on Lladro.com; ₹1.56 lakh.
PRETTY POUCH
The chickadee bird is found in North America and is named so for its distinctive 'chick-a-dee-dee-dee" birdcall. This Judith Leiber Couture's clutch is designed to resemble the small-sized bird and comes encrusted with colorful, light-catching crystals and a detachable chain strap. Available on Net-a-porter.com; ₹7.79 lakhs.
BEAK HEAD
Distinct silhouettes of certain birds lends them to be designed as accessories. This intricately designed, silver-toned eagle head, for instance, serves as an impressive belt buckle in this Enfants Riches Déprimés' leather belt. Available on Mrporter.com; ₹2.73 lakh.