Dark Glamour: an exploration of the Gothic aesthetic

Mention the words “Gothic” or “goth” in conjunction with fashion and the first image that will be conjured up in the minds of many people will be a group of young people, clad in black clothes in the Elizabethan or Victorian styles with a vampire-like pancake makeup, a gloomy expression on their faces and a rather cool edge. But the adjective “Gothic” used in the fields of fashion and style means much more than this.

Throughout the years, the themes of death, decay, horror and destruction have been explored by many designers who seemed to re-stage during their catwalks the fatal attraction between Eros and Thanatos. The universe of fashion often oscillates between contrasts including beauty and horror, luxury and decay, sex and death, stylised violence and sartorial cool.
 
It’s exactly to explore these themes and contrasts that The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) has launched the exhibition “Gothic: Dark Glamour”. The event uses typical Gothic settings - the labyrinth, the ruined castle, the haunted palace and the laboratory as the locus where monsters are created - encompassing the aesthetic of horror and darkness.

Starting with an introduction on the origins of this style and with displays concentrating on the Victorian cult of mourning, the exhibition features creations by different designers including Alexander McQueen, John Galliano for Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Couture, Gareth Pugh, Rick Owens, Anna Sui, Comme des Garçons, Anne Demeulemeester, Christian Lacroix, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, Derek Lam, Thierry Mugler, Rodarte, Boudicca, Hussein Chalayan, Olivier Theyskens, Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, Yohji Yamamoto, Shaun Leane, Simon Thorogood and Shelley Fox.

The exhibition also explores the world of sub-cultural styles - old-school goth (1979-83), cyber-goth (with ensembles by designers such as Kambriel, Morphius and Plastik Wrap) and the Japanese Elegant Gothic Lolitas (with Tokyo-based brands Moi-Même-Moité and h.Naoto Blood). 

Among the best items on display there are some Victorian mourning dresses and even “memento mori” jewellery; sketches of Japanese designer Eiko Ishioka's costumes for Bram Stoker's Dracula; Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 07 black silk crepe skirt suit with a silver thorn necklace; John Galliano for Dior’s S/S 06 dramatic dress in blood red festooned with a black cross inspired by the French Revolution and with a hint at the Marquis de Sade; Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy’s Autumn/Winter 06-07 sumptuously post-modernist and funereal evening gown; Yoshiki Hishinuma’s A/W 96-97 burgundy and black evening dress characterised by a Victorian cut and Rodarte’s A/W 08-09 red and black chiffon evening dress, that blends the Kabuki tradition with the atmospheres of modern Japanese horror films.

The image promoting the exhibition - which is curated by Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT and author of seminal books about fashion, with art direction by British artist, jeweller and set designer Simon Costin - portrays a model wearing Sarah Harmanee's jewellery featuring photo-etched silver plates with horns and a leather armband, originally created for the Alexander McQueen A/W 97-98 collection.

The exhibition is accompanied by a programme featuring events such as Tim Burton’s films, discussions and readings of Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe’s classics and a two-day symposium (13th-14th February 2009) on the theme “Subculture and Style” featuring many scholars and designers. 

If you can't visit the exhibition or take part in its related events, read Gothic: Dark Glamour (Yale University Press), the book that accompanies the exhibition. Co-written by Valerie Steele and Jennifer Park, coordinator of special programs at The Museum at FIT, the book also features interviews with many designers and some estraordinarily lavish work by fashion photographers such as Sean Ellis and Eugenio Recuenco.

"Gothic: Dark Glamour", The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), 5th Sept 2008-21st Feb 2009.
       

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Comments

[La Carmina]

Awesome detailed review! I attended this event - thought you might enjoy the writeup and photos I took, which are on my Gothic Lolita blog - www.lacarmina.com

Take care!
LA CARMINA

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