Going Gothic for Fall

While it’s hard to think about the dark colors of fall and winter fashion right now when pastel mint and shades of orange are the colors of summer, the gothic look is coming back for fall and winter. Maybe we should have seen it coming with all of the lace that’s been creeping into wardrobes and the pointed, claw-like nails that have been spotted on some starlets, but the bright summer colors they’ve been coming in haven’t hinted at the darker looks to come. Formerly seen only on runways, the new goth-inspired style is being thrust into the spotlight by Katy Perry.

Katy Perry is leading the charge by wearing this look in her video for “Wide Awake.” The pop star’s dark purple tresses replace the candy-colored wigs she’s donned in past videos like “California Gurls,” which is coincidentally where this video picks up from (Perry is seen finishing the “California Gurls” video shoot, then is transported to an Alice in Wonderland-like labyrinth with a child version of herself.) In one scene set in a dark stone maze, she sports dark eye makeup, merlot lips, a dark lace cape, one lace sleeve (yes, just one,) and a corset-like belt around a flowy purple dress. Perry is still sporting the dark purple hair, though now it starts as black at her roots and becomes purple in an ombre style.

Prada’s Fall/Winter 2012/2013 women’s wear collection features structured clothing and strong looks in dark colors. The runway show had models with ombre hair, dark eye makeup (think raccoon eyes), and bleached eyebrows. While the models all sported a gothic beauty look, not all of the clothing had the same feel; as fashion blogger Spiro Mandylor put it, “First, there was the parade of black Blade Runner or Death Star looks ... If that didn’t tickle your fancy, you had the Austin Powers specials. Groovy psychedelic late 1960s-to-early 1970s geometric printed high-cinched outerwear and pant-suits...”

There were lots of details and embellishments, something Mandylor describes as “awful pieces of plexiglass.” Even Versace is going goth for next fall and winter. Models in the Fall/Winter 2012/2013 collection show had very similar makeup looks to those of the models who walked for Prada: bleached eyebrows, dark eyes, pale skin and lips. Versace’s blunt, wide, severe bangs on each model were paired with bold, severe looks. Aside from a few pops of yellow or orange, most of the collection is black and silver. Crosses were everywhere in the show, from all-over prints to bedazzled designs. Again, embellishment is big

No one is recommending that you run out to your local beauty salon to have your eyebrows bleached to stay ahead of the trend. If you want to try the look out as the weather gets cooler, grab your eyeliner and black eye shadow to give yourself a dark eye. You could also try picking up some heavily embellished items and bold patterns to add to your wardrobe. Or just take Katy Perry’s cue for a way to wear gothic makeup in an everyday way: soft dark eye makeup paired with a dark red lipstick. The winter is still months away, so put your eyeliner down for now and enjoy the sunny styles we have now.