10 Mermaidcore Dresses for the 2024 Vogue Ball of Arabia

As we get ready for the 2024 edition of the Ball of Arabia, here are 10 mermaidcore dresses worth adding to your own wardrobe this season.

Vogue Arabia, May 2021. Photo: Thibault-Théodore

The #mermaidcore trend began last year with the May release of The Little Mermaid, where Vogue Arabia cover star Halle Bailey’s performance as Ariel had everyone looking under the sea for style inspiration. The release of the classic kickstarted a worldwide craze for pearls, fishtail dresses, and anything that gave a nod to the aquatic world. This season, the trend has continued on in the sartorial world. From Elie Saab to Balenciaga, aqua blue dresses took the runway by a storm, water-like fabrics and ethereal hues were found show after show, reaffirming that we are still very much in the midst of the mermaid era.

Keeping that in mind, the 2024 edition of the iconic Vogue Ball of Arabia is also celebrating the marine world. Taking place on February 15 at Dubai’s Atlantis the Royal in partnership with Hongqi, Amaffi and Komos, the ball will use its whimsical theme — Mermaids of the Gulf — to draw attention to our collective responsibility for our waterbodies’ cleanliness and conservation by partnering with Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), established in 1996 under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and leadership awarded to Major Ali Saqer Sultan Al Suwaidi. Using its ever-growing reach, the 2024 edition will dedicate itself to raising awareness about EMEG’s incredible efforts to preserve biodiversity in the United Arab Emirates.

And that’s not all. The ball will also see its guest list full of VIPs, celebrities, and royalty dressed in avant-garde mermaidcore dresses that take cues from the mystical, magical underwater world. Think luxe sirens, moody shades of blue, shipwrecked chic. Whether it’s a mix of looking undone and opulent at the same time, we can guarantee that under the sea-inspired dressing never looked so good.

As you gear up to follow the star-studded affair on Vogue Arabia’s social media platforms, why not add a Ball of Arabia twist to your own wardrobe this season? Below, we give you our edit of the ideal ‘Mermaids of the Gulf’ pieces, crafted with sheer fabrics, rich beading, fishtail cuts and more. Take your pick from our favorite mermaidcore dresses to channel your inner sea goddess or mythological sea urchin.