As soon as Rihanna broke the internet by arriving (fashionably late) to the Dior AW22 show earlier this year, fully pregnant and dressed in a black lingerie dress, the return of the goth glam trend was inevitable – and it's been all over the red carpet and street style set ever since.
Take Hollywood’s recent Annual Academy Museum Gala, where gothic glamour was the star of the show. Euphoria’s Alexa Demie paired a full-black, all-over bodysuit by Balenciaga with a sultry cat-eye flick and bitten-red lips; Julia Roberts picked up her Icon Award in a custom Thom Browne corset over a striped white shirt and a black maxi-skirt; Nicola Peltz-Beckham showed off her newly dyed inky-black hair in a matching strapless Givenchy gown and long gloves, while Kaia Gerber’s Maison Alaia black draped skirt, a with sheer turtleneck body look, soon spread across the internet like wildfire.
Then, of course, there’s Kourtney Kardashian who has been leading the goth-rock revival throughout her so-called 'Travis Barker era' – wearing all-black, lace-up mini-skirts, dramatic corsetry and leather at almost any opportunity, wedding celebrations included.
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Offering a heady mix of seduction and darkness, the gothic glamour trend is proving to be catnip for the post-Covid party era – and there's a rebellious temper to it, too. As Katie Godman, author of the just-released book Gothic Fashion: The History writes: 'The glamour of the past and the mystery of the occult holds an attraction for many people, and gothic fashion is one way to channel this.'
Now, the witchy trend is reaching a peak as the poster girls for glam goth, Morticia Addams and her daughter, Wednesday, returned to the small screen on November 23 in Tim Burton’s Wednesday on Netflix.
We, and half the country it seems, are already binge-watching Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, the devilish student at Nevermore Academy with dark psychic abilities, who thwarts a local murder spree and solves a 25-year-old supernatural mystery that embroiled her ghoulish parents – a modern-day, sexy Morticia played by Catherine Zeta-Jones and pinstriped Gomez, played by Luis Guzmán.
Many have been channeling the fictional family since the Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci days (understandably) – but now it's time for a revamp, in the wardrobe department too. Just look to Wednesday's Los Angeles premiere for a taste of what is to come in the style stakes, with Jenna Ortega in a sultry Versace SS23 look and Christina Ricci's glorious spiderweb gown. Here's how to channel gothic glamour this season, as inspired by Burton's modern-day Addams family characters:
Morticia Addams
Channel the high priestess of gothic glamour in a deep v-neck silk satin gown by Alessandra Rich, with crystal embellishments for some extra va va voom; or opt for 16Arlington’s slinky tulle maxi dress that's saturated with sequins and features sexy slide slits if you're looking to serve serious main character energy. Seventies sleeves are very Morticia, too, but avoid looking too old-school by choosing bell cuffs à la Self-Portrait, or romantic silk flutes that soften a waist-cinched Gucci dress.
Alessandra Rich Crystal-embellished cutout silk-satin maxi dress
Norma Kamali Obie velvet gown
16Arlington Solaria sequinned stretch-tulle maxi dress
Self-Portrait Cutout ribbed-knit midi dress
Wednesday Addams
Top of the Wednesday Addams shopping list? A dark dress with contrasting collar, of course. Valentino's black crepe mini with white embroidered-print collar is particularly chic, while Alessandra Rich's heart-print will add a touch of romance. A school uniform inspired outfit is also an essential here, and luckily they've been all over the AW22 runways. Look to Stella McCartney for sharp tailoring (her boyfriend pinstriped wool jacket is particularly Wednesday-esque) and Saint Laurent for the perfect cotton and linen blend Oxford shirt that you can keep as buttoned up or down as you like.
ALESSANDRA RICH Lace-trimmed printed silk crepe de chine mini dress
Stella McCartney Boyfriend pinstriped-wool suit jacket
Saint Laurent YSL-embroidered cotton-blend Oxford shirt
Valentino Wool and silk-blend crepe midi dress
Principal Larissa Weems
Played by Gwendoline Christie, aka Brienne of Tarth in the equally gothic Game of Thrones, this is one fashion forward headmistress. Learn some lessons in power dressing with her sharp-shouldered coats, jackets and big brooches. Go for similar muted colours like greys or neutrals: Balenciaga’s beige double-breasted hourglass coat, for example, or Altuzarra's black and beige mini-shirt dress. And don’t forget to revamp a classic like she does with a collarless Chanel bouclé jacket (minus the blood stains).
Enid Sinclair
For a more grungy look, let Enid Sinclair show you the ropes: Wednesday’s room-mate at Nevermore Academy (played by Emma Myers), she swaps gothic black for a more colourful, elevated uniform. Think edgy deep blue, cashmere instead of the school wool and v-neck sweater vests with pleated skirts (Miu Miu, naturally) and pinstripe blazers (Saint Laurent's is best). While you might not actually be part of a secret school society, take the inspiration anyway and invest in one of this season's stylish hooded capes to ensure mysterious allure.
Mango Pinstripe wool suit jacket
Miu Miu Check-pattern pleated skirt
Tom Ford Hooded velvet cape
£2,900.00
Marilyn Thornhill
Christina Ricci is back – but not as you know her. This time around, she has swapped Wednesday Addams' gothic looks for something a little more... librarian-chic. Think oversized specs and boho style, but keep things modern by picking a piece to build on instead of taking the look too literally. Emerging British designer S. S. Daley's patterned lambswool cardigan is a good place to start, but pair it with wide-legged trousers instead of a Thornhill-esque skirt, and finish with some smart The Row loafers too. Or, if you are more partial to the Thornhill layered skirt, keep it cool with Simone Rocha’s midi, paired with a school-like blue and white striped cotton shirt and navy ballerinas.
S.S. Daley Jasper duck-intarsia lambswool cardigan
Simone Rocha Tiered floral-matelassé midi skirt
The Row Leather loafers
S.S. Dale Amer corduroy wide-leg trousers
Tim Burton's 'Wednesday' is on Netflix now.
