Harry Styles officially ended his residency in the Moody Center on Oct. 3, yet remnants of his stay still remain on campus including pieces of feather boas —- a popular accessory worn by many concert-goers — littered in and around campus. 

“I would see, randomly, feathers in places (where) there shouldn’t even be feathers,” business freshman Claudia Carreras said.

Carreras said that even before she attended the Styles concert, the feathers became a concern for her.

“There was so much waste that wasn’t needed,” Carreras said. “I do think it’s more of a niche problem. I don’t think the feather spread happens at other concerts.”

Ten days after Styles’ last concert day, Julio Mujica, promotional health and behavioral sciences freshman, said he still sees the boa feathers across campus. 

“I went to the (Perry-Castañeda Library) for a study group and saw some on the steps,” Mujica said.

Mujica said he, along with his roommate, attended Styles’ last concert as part of the raffle held by President Jay Hartzell. Mujica said that both he and his roommate wore a feather boa as part of their concert outfits. 

“It was for one night, it’s for the outfit, it’s for the pictures,” Mujica said. “No one really thought, ‘What happens after that?’”

Jennifer Flores, a textiles and apparel sophomore, said the association between Styles and the feather boa began at the 2021 Grammy Awards. Flores said the artist wore three different variations of boas and has not worn the accessory since. 

“It did become a Harry Styles fan symbol, to have a feather boa,” Flores said. “They’re affordable. … It’s something that almost anyone can purchase.” 

Flores said the accessory was so popular that it even caused feather boa shortages in New York City, where Styles played for 15 nights. In Austin, Flores said she witnessed the Moody Center staff clean the floor every 15 minutes in the two concerts she attended. Most of the trash in the venue was boa feathers left behind by fans. 

“It was a mess,” Flores said. “And I knew that outside it was worse.”

The Moody Center declined an interview, but said there’s “no aftermath” as far as they are concerned. 

Going forward, Mujica and Flores said that fans shared some responsibility for the litter across campus.  

“I would encourage fans to stop wearing them,” Flores said. “I think it was a very fun creative way to show our love to him, but let’s find another way that is not so harmful to the environment.”