That’s one FRESH FISH: killer whale J27 Blackberry stunned as he stepped out in the Pacific Ocean last month, rocking a jaw-dropping dead salmon for a hat. Could the 80s trend be making a comeback? One thing’s for sure... this 32-year-old orca knows how to slay more than just an unlucky porpoise.
ICYMI, J27 Blackberry – a member of the northeast Pacific’s J Pod clan – was snapped serving looks in Puget Sound late last month, and buzz about his fishy fedora quickly spread along the grapevine. “J Pod arrived in Puget Sound on October 19 and have stayed for 11 days straight,” reads an October 29 dispatch from the Orca Network. “Observations indicate they are likely finding plenty of salmon during their stay and may be why they have remained inland so long. Check out this photo of J27 Blackberry sporting a salmon hat!”
In sporting the retro chapeau, J27 Blackberry joins icons of seafaring style... including the female K Pod resident who kicked off the trend all the way back in 1987, also in Puget Sound. (Move over Paris, there’s a new fashion capital in town!!!) This marine Madonna kicked off a weeks-long craze... with orcas from no less than three separate pods crafting their own hats from slain salmon.
It’s no secret that nostalgia is king of the catwalk in the 2020s, so could this be the year that salmon mania finally returns to the Pacific? Don’t count it out! While the southern resident killer whales (including Pods J and K) are endangered, they’re more orcanised than ever, joining forces to attack boats across the world. Obviously, J27 Blackberry knows just what they need to truly seize the spotlight.
But why limit the briny headwear bonanza to one branch of the animal kingdom? Visit your local fishmonger to hook a hat for yourself! Need some styling tips? Try pairing your new, befinned accessory with a fisherman jumper from Gucci’s AW24 collection... or lean fully into the piscine vibe with a pair of Coddies® Bass Fish Flops™. When the orcas come for our heads, they’ll kill you last.