FANTASY Mermaids making splash in pop culture

You can have a mermaid suit of your own, for $10,000.
L.A. TIME-WASHINGTON POST
Not since "Splash" has the country been tail-finning over sea sirens and goddesses from the deep.
Mermaids are in, or hadn't you noticed?
Grab a pair of goggles and let's dive into the briny.
This year's mermaid fixation caught the biggest wave last month when Neiman Marcus unveiled its annual Christmas catalog -- an extravagant wish list of fantasy and luxury goods for finicky adults -- which includes a $10,000, custom-designed mermaid suit.
Even before that, pop culture was swimming with Mer-Miss references. A handful of fashion designers chose deep-sea and mermaid themes for their spring 2004 collections. Zac Posen's collection, called "Sargasso," was inspired by the pearly colors of shells (a mermaid's most ubiquitous accessory) and included mermaid tops, mermaid dresses and a siren jumpsuit. Oyster grays, shell pinks and sea-foam greens colored the collection.
Two other designers also had flipper girls on the brain. Designer Bradley Bayou designing for Halston sent out luminous couture gowns and dresses with shell, pearl and coral details. Rebecca Taylor played with a sea-nymph theme (azure and coral dresses shimmering with sea iridescence) for her show, which was set, appropriately enough, in Manhattan's Coral Room, a new bar and nightclub that features a 10,000-gallon aquarium filled with live mermaids.
Earlier this year, New York foodies were treated to the opening of the Mermaid Inn, a New England seafood restaurant whose logo is a bare-breasted mermaid (the best kind).
While Daryl Hannah's turn as the sexily scaled Madison in "Splash" remains the most memorable film mermaid, the sea royalty has also showed up on the small screen this year. Hard-charging mermaids were featured in a credit card ad, cavorting with toys purchased with plastic. A made-for-TV movie, "Mermaids," about three sisters who happen to be mermaids, debuted on the Pax network this month. But the splashiest sea creature came in the form of Alyssa Milano, who starred as a sexy mermaid for the two-hour season premiere of the WB's "Charmed" in September.
Perfect timing
The timing was perfect for mermaids this year, said Ginger Reeder, vice president of public relations for Neiman Marcus.
"These things seem to come in waves," she said, no pun intended. "I don't know why. The world moves in strange and mysterious ways."
Speaking of which, who would shell out $10,000 for a hand-crafted, urethane mermaid suit with faux pearl- and shell-encrusted bra? So far, the company hasn't sold one, "but we've had a lot of inquiries," Reeder said.
"I think it's a great fantasy. Ever since they were little, girls have wanted to be mermaids," she said. "Boys are always trying to kill each other in the swimming pool, but girls are pretending they're mermaids."
The Neiman Marcus mermaid suits will be made by professional designer Thom Shouse, who is considered the leading expert in mermaid tails and costumes. He did, after all, design Hannah's "Splash" tails as well as mermaid uniforms for dozens of commercials, movies, television shows and photo shoots. His site, www.mermaidrentals.com, gives information on how to rent and buy mermaid costumes.
For women and men. A merman? Even Reeder doesn't discount such a possibility.
"This one, to me, seemed like it's clearly a woman's gift," she said. "But we don't want to cut anyone off. We're equal opportunity."