Get Your Goth On
Unleash your inner goth in the coming seasons, as designers have taken inspiration from the dark side, with lashings of leather, lace and long lines littering the catwalks. The colour palette? Black, black, and more black, with a bit of midnight blue thrown in to, erm, brighten things up.
Synonymous with all things rock and roll is leather. I’m thinking less that-bit-in-friends-when-Ross-gets-stuck-in-his-leather-trousers and more smouldering, soft gothic. You can always count on Rick Owens to whip out the ol’ leather, and his Autumn/Winter collection didn’t disappoint, showcasing leather coats with asymmetrical, cyber goth-style zips and thigh-high boots, all topped off with a poker-straight, jet-black ‘do, arranged in an impractical, sight-obscuring style that would frighten granny, but lure that leather-clad bad boy whose attention you’ve been trying to win. Soften leather with layers of chiffon, a la Christopher Kane, or get tough with strands upon strands of chunky gold chains, as seen and coveted at Givenchy. I am loving this Marc by Marc leather funnel-neck mini dress, available at Start-London.
The new gothic girl wears a sullen expression, lips painted black, and a blouse buttoned up to the top. But she does have a naughty side, which is why said blouse is a lacy, sheer, peekaboo affair, as seen at Oscar de la Renta and Prada. Deck yourself out in black lace at Net-a-Porter in this Paul and Joe blouse, which ticks all the boxes with its high collar and pussy bow, or pick up a lookalike at a snip of the price at Peacocks.
My favourite incarnation of the gothic trend this season has to be nineties-style grunge. Suddenly, every fashion no-no you secretly loved can take pride of place at the forefront of your wardrobe once again – loose plaid shirts, baggy woollen hats fit for a bag lady, cropped tops, comfy jumpers and heavy-duty biker boots. Christopher Kane invoked the Nirvana years with a mixture of leather and tartan, whilst Erin Fetherston layered a long coat over a maxi skirt and accessorised it with beanie hat-covered unstyled hair – so nineties, so good. Make your Winter cover-up Rick Owen’s nonchalantly roomy wrap cardigan (in black, of course) from Start-London, and wear these Chloé biker boots with absolutely everything. 
Forget something old, new, or borrowed, and get feeling blue this season, as seemingly, navy is the only acceptable accompaniment to black. Electric blue popped against black in brocade trousers under a sharp black overcoat at Jens Laugesen, and over at Luella, navy peeked through black lace on a skating skirt. This navy and black drop-waisted dress by Phillip Lim is so on trend it hurts – get yours now at Net-at-Porter.
Keep silhouettes long and lean with maxi dresses, long skirts, and loose blouses in cascading silk, as seen at Meadham Kirchoff and Richard Nicholl. Try layering a long-line cashmere sweater, like this one by Tomas Maier, over a floor-length skirt or dress. Whatever you do, opt for luxe fabrics like cashmere and silk to avoid looking like a 14 year old My Chemical Romance fan.
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