Shimmering opalescent fabrics that change colour as you move. Liquid-chrome accessories. Holographic nails, frosted lids and graphic, otherworldly eyeliner. Sculptural silhouettes that look grown rather than sewn. Aliencore is the fashion and beauty fantasy of looking like a visitor from another planet, and in its 2026 forecast Pinterest picked it as one of the year’s rising aesthetics.
What is aliencore?
Aliencore is an aesthetic inspired by outer space, science fiction and the idea of the extraterrestrial. Unlike the clean, white “space age” style of the 1960s, it tends to be strange and beautiful at once: iridescent, oily, glowing, a little insect-like. Colours shift between silver, lilac, acid green and pearlescent white. Make-up plays with graphic shapes, bleached brows and shine. Clothing favours metallics, sheer layers, mesh, molded shapes and futuristic accessories such as wraparound shield sunglasses.
Where it came from
Fashion’s fascination with space goes back to the 1960s space race. In 1964 André Courrèges launched his “Space Age” collection of white mini dresses, helmets and boots; Pierre Cardin built a whole futuristic universe of geometric shapes; and Paco Rabanne made dresses from metal discs. In the 1990s Thierry Mugler pushed the fantasy further with robotic, insect-like and cosmic couture. Musicians from David Bowie to Björk and Missy Elliott used alien imagery to suggest something radically new.
The modern name surfaced on social media in the early 2020s, and its rise was confirmed in Pinterest Predicts 2026, published in December 2025. Under a theme called “Extra Celestial”, Pinterest reported that searches for alien core aesthetics had risen by 80 per cent, with even bigger jumps for “opalescent” and alien-inspired make-up, driven largely by Gen Z and millennials. Pinterest linked the trend to new interest in space exploration and to the return of holographic surfaces last seen in the Tumblr era.
The codes
- Clothes: metallic and liquid-look fabrics, sheer mesh, iridescent and opalescent finishes, sculptural or molded pieces, catsuits.
- Colours: silver, chrome, lilac, acid green, pearl white, oil-slick iridescence.
- Accessories: shield and wraparound sunglasses, chrome jewellery, ear cuffs, futuristic platform shoes, metallic bags.
- Beauty: frosted and holographic eyeshadow, graphic liner, bleached or hidden brows, glossy “wet” skin, chrome and holographic nails.
- Designers associated with it: Courrèges, Paco Rabanne, Mugler, Iris van Herpen, Coperni and Rick Owens’s more sculptural work.
See the mood
IMAGES: PINTEREST. TAP ANY IMAGE TO SEE IT ON PINTEREST AND ITS ORIGINAL SOURCE.
The references
Fashion: Courrèges’s 1964 Space Age collection, Paco Rabanne’s metal dresses, Mugler’s cosmic couture, Iris van Herpen’s 3D-printed gowns, and Coperni’s tech-driven shows.
Music and film: Björk, Grimes and Doja Cat’s alien-themed album era; films from Barbarella (1968) and The Fifth Element (1997) to Under the Skin (2013) and Dune.
Why it is catching on
Aliencore offers a way to feel strange, powerful and otherworldly at a time when the real future feels uncertain. It celebrates being different rather than fitting in, which has always appealed to young people. It is also wonderfully visual, made for photos and video with its shifting, reflective surfaces. And it pairs neatly with the return of maximalism, glitter and “glitchy glam” in beauty.
The debate
Because aliencore is so new, the main question is whether it will become a real style or remain a Pinterest search term. Some writers have also discussed how “alien” or “weird girl” aesthetics relate to the way society treats people who do not fit in, a theme explored in the video below. And, as with most shiny trends, many of its materials are synthetic, which raises sustainability questions.
Where it is now
Aliencore is one of the freshest aesthetics on this list, still taking shape. It is easiest to see in beauty (chrome nails, frosted eyes) and accessories, with more sculptural fashion on the runway. Watch it alongside the opalescent, icy “Cool Blue” mood that Pinterest also forecast for 2026, and the glossy tech nostalgia of Frutiger Aero and Y2K.
Related aesthetics
Y2K · Frutiger Aero · Opium · Dreamcore
Learn more: hear from more voices
A video essay on alien core and the “weird girl” trope.
Sources: Pinterest Predicts 2026 (“Extra Celestial”), as reported by Axios, nss magazine and Business Insider (December 2025). Videos are embedded from YouTube and remain the work of their creators.
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