GOTHIC

The gothic style is a dark, dramatic aesthetic built on the dominance of black, a romantic pull toward mysticism, melancholy and the beauty of decay. Modern gothic style grew out of the goth subculture of the 1980s (post-punk music) but feeds on far deeper sources — Victorian mourning dress, medieval and Baroque sombre splendour. Its marks: black lace, velvet, corsets, leather, cold silver, crosses, heavy make-up. Gothic celebrates individuality, introversion and the aestheticisation of the dark side. It is not about aggression but about depth, romance and theatricality. In high fashion gothic motifs appear regularly as a powerful dramatic and conceptual device.