Gothic Revival: Romantic Darkness in Tailoring
Romance is turning dark this fall. Designers are reaching back into gothic codes and weaving them into sharp tailoring, creating silhouettes that balance elegance with intensity. It is a revival that avoids costume and instead lands in the realm of modern drama.
Alexander McQueen Autumn Winter 2025
Image Courtesy of alexandermcqueen.com
Alexander McQueen anchors the trend with velvet coats and sharp bustled skirts that reference Victorian dress while remaining resolutely contemporary. Givenchy layers lace into structured suiting, making fragile fabrics feel strong. Ann Demeulemeester brings her signature poetic darkness into capes and high collars that frame the body like sculpture.
What makes this gothic revival modern is discipline. There is little excess, no baroque clutter. Instead, the darkness is precise: velvet cut like architecture, lace applied with intention, silhouettes that whisper history without quoting it directly.
The cultural moment is ready for it. Beauty is leaning into sculpted brows and copper hair, interiors are romanticizing velvet and lace, and culture at large is embracing moodier palettes. Gothic tailoring fits into this broader appetite for drama, where minimalism is softened with detail and ornament becomes structure.
Street style has started to mirror the runways, with editors wearing long black coats trimmed with lace or capes styled over denim. The effect is not theatrical but authoritative, a reminder that darkness can be luxury.
