The gothic revival

by Maria Itziar

Gothic fashion has had a huge revival in recent months due to influences in popular culture.

Films such as Twilight and television shows like True Blood have brought back the sinister trend that has been missing from the high street for more than ten years.

The gothic fashion, which tends to be dark, morbid and often erotic; has blended with the heavy metal style, combining medieval trends with studded boots, belts and bracelets in order to appeal to a wider, more mainstream audience.

The recent growth in this trend has been the influence for goth couture designers such as John Galliano and the late Alexander McQueen.

Gothic symbols

Swarovski encrusted skulls and crosses feature heavily in their designs, giving these gothic symbols their own Haute Couture signature.

Models and socialites are keen fans of such gothic and metal fashions, most notably Alice Dellal who is often seen sporting leather, studs and chains.

Micaela Ortego, 21, a BA Fashion Marketing and Music Media Management student at the London Metropolitan University explains: “Fashion follows a cycle in which styles such as goth, hip hop and grunge are caught in a pendulum swing, meaning that although fashion may move in new directions it will always come back to its origins.”

The idea of linking different sub-styles also comes from a musically influenced culture in which bands such as the Sex Pistols, Judas Priest and The Cure have had their own role to play in making fashion a tool to express opinions and ideas.

“Bands such as The Clash and The Cure have projected an outcast youngster style, while other bands such as Judas Priest and the Sex Pistols sold the message of angst and revolt,” says Ortego, who has studied a short course in fashion Journalism at Central Saint Martins.

Innovation

One of the main reasons why this trend has been adopted by designers and filtered down to the high street retailers is because even though fashion is about creativity and innovation, at the end of the day it is still a booming industry which revolves around targeting it’s audience and making money.

High street retailers benefit most from such trends; because of its ‘affordable prices’ and variety they attract young people who are looking to find their identity in the way they dress.

For the sake of profit, the high street is willing to bleed out a trend in order to absorb as much revenue as possible instantaneously, leaving the young and creative trend setters to find their own methods to be original and fresh.

Availability of online resources has allowed people to find new ways to accessorise their own clothes by buying studs and pins on eBay or even one of a kind accessories at affordable prices from Etsy.com, where everything is hand made making exclusivity guaranteed.

Although current trends may not last, it is more a case of evolution.

A trend never really dies, it constantly evolves and recycles itself until it comes to see the light of day again.