We saw lots of interesting trends for Fall 2009 during this past Fashion Week- some old (velvet, florals, neon color, sequins) some new (the 80’s, voluminous shoulders, endless mixing and matching of prints and textures) and some that were both old and new, like the return of goth. Black is always a dominant shade during the fall shows but this season, it was kicked up a notch and taken to seriously sexy territories with a prevailing gothic reference point interpreted in a way that was super sexy, not scary.
More on the fabulous goth-styles after the jump!
Jill Stuart presented an edgy rocker take on Goth and wasn’t afraid to vamp it up with a mix of leather and lace and even rosary beads for styles that were scandalously sexy but still inherently sophisticated. Catherine Holstein’s collection fused goth with glamour with a moody color palette, masculine/feminine juxtaposition, and models sporting dark, garish makeup.
At Max Azria, goth was given a futuristic vibe with an almost entirely black collection that struck a balance between the rough and refined. Black bodysuits, see-through lace, leather pants, and velvet jackets were all vamped up with edgy add-ons such as long leather gloves, turn-lock belts, zippered leggings and platform boots. A futuristic take on goth was also a key element in the ridiculously amazing Rodarte collection which was also marked by a very robotic, high-fashion meets S&M feel.
Frank Tell added some femininity to his tough-as-nails collection with ruffled blouses and ethereal colors for a touch of romance to balance out the gothic mood. Nicole Miller added some goth to her aesthetic this season with darker, edgier looks thrown into the pretty-party-frock mix and designer Doo-Ri Chung departed from the simple, minimal Doo. Ri aesthetic presenting a dark, edgy, and goth-inspired collection for Fall 2009.
Other collections paid slight homage to gothic styles with leather pants, skirts, and jackets seen at Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, Tracy Reese, Milly, Richard Chai, Miss Sixty, Elise Overland and too many others to list!
The best part about this trend is you don’t have to wait until the collections hit the racks to give it try. I absolutely love the goth-look but there are many ways to do it wrong and end up looking like Morticia so stay tuned for posts on how to do it up right!
Written by Sabrina Alexis
