LOOKING AT FALL/ WINTER’S
more melancholy shows, you’d think a clutch of designers got together and watched Beetlejuice for inspiration. Simone Rocha, known for her sweetly feminine creations, draped crinkly black tulle over the prim, bow- adorned suits that evoked Helena Bonham Carter levels of drama. Coach quite literally came over to the dark side. The brand created a spooky forest for its band of goth cowgirls, filling a Lower Manhattan basketball court with trees and vintage TVs that played horror-film static. Models sported swishy fringe, leather patchwork jackets and plenty of black lace. Then there’s Dilara Findikoglu, a Turkish-born, London-based designer garnering buzz for her theatrical takes on all things Victorian and the occult. (Her fan base is surprisingly diverse, from singer Grimes to Nordstrom VP of creative projects Olivia Kim.) It’s not just the runways that are catering to Morticia Addams types. The Vampire’s Wife, a labelfounded by It Brit model Susie Cave, makes retro- glam ruffled dresses fit for both wandering around a candlelit castle somewhere in Eastern Europe and hitting up a wine bar on a Friday night.
Fashion’s infatuation with goth is nothing new— just look at Vivienne Westwood’s subversive suiting, Alexander McQueen’s macabre fanaticism or even the “health goth” trend that arose in 2013. (Think Kylie Jenner meets athleisure meets The Craft.) But what’s alluring about this latest take is that it’s not about an easily recognizable look (like a funereal wardrobe and a sun-starved complexion) but rather an attitude— brooding, romantic and not afraid to stand out. Lydia Deetz would definitely approve.