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As Halloween approaches, interest in various “dark” characters predictably grows. One of the most popular images is a witch: good or evil, young or old, mysterious and unpredictable. Modern cinema constantly shows us completely different characters and visual images of witches, but these magical women inspire not only directors, but also fashion designers. On the eve of the darkest holiday of the year, we recall how the fashion industry interprets the image of a fairy-tale witch.
Alexander McQueen fall-winter 2007/2008
In 2007, designer Lee Alexander McQueen presented one of his most famous collections, In Memory of Elizabeth Howe. He dedicated it to his great-grandmother Elizabeth, who was executed during the Salem witch trials of 1692, one of the most famous witch hunts in history. At that time, 19 women were hanged on charges of witchcraft, and among them was a distant relative of McQueen, whose existence the designer learned about while researching his family tree in the early 2000s.
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Alexander McQueen fall-winter 2007/2008
A demonic red pentagram glowed in the center of the podium, surrounded by a circle of black sand. The atmosphere of tension was heightened by the almost total darkness, making it difficult for the audience to see the medieval-inspired items: furs, feathers, corseted dresses, and elaborate headdresses.
Alexander McQueen fall-winter 2007/2008
Martine Sitbon spring-summer 1993
One of the most popular images on the eve of every Halloween remains a shot from the Martine Sitbon spring-summer 1993 show, where a young Kate Moss parades as a daring witch. She wears a classic pointed hat, a light gray dress with a cape and a silk tie, and the final accent of the look is a vintage mouthpiece.
Commes des Garçons spring-summer 2016
Witchcraft has always been a recurring theme in Rei Kawakubo's work. Commes des Garçons' spring-summer 2016 collection was called “Blue Witch” and focused on the struggle between good and evil. The designer described it as a story about “strong women who are misunderstood but who do good in the world.” This is not the only time Kawakubo has addressed the theme of magic: her fall-winter 2004 collection was called “Dark Romance, Witch.” The music deserves special attention – the models paraded to the soundtrack of David Lynch's film “Blue Velvet.”
Commes des Garçons spring-summer 2016
Dilara Fındıkoğlu autumn-winter 2024/25
Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu has never been afraid of dark themes – even at her first show she boldly used satanic themes, although the debut itself took place in one of the churches in Helborne. The audience then reacted polarly – some were delighted with this boldness, while others called the show a “satanic orgy”. Six years passed, and in 2024 Findikoglu showed the Femme Vortex collection, models paraded with newspapers in their hands with headlines “Oh God, Dilara is having a satanic orgy in a London church”, and the quintessence of this aesthetic was the final image of the collection – a silicone dress with tar.
Dilara Fındıkoğlu autumn-winter 2024/25
Gareth Pugh spring-summer 2015
In September 2014, Gareth Pugh showed a collection dedicated to English folklore. He worked on it with Simon Costin, director of the Cornwall Museum of Witchcraft and Magic and the Folk Museum, who was previously a jewelry designer and set designer, working closely with Lee McQueen. The collection featured frightening occult skulls and scarecrows.
Gareth Pugh spring-summer 2015