Take it from a former emo, that sh*t sticks

If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a fad. A trend. A marketing stunt dressed up as an identity. I’m the girly who:

• Bought the Jeffrey Campbell Litas and clomped around Uni in the noughties
• Carried a Juicy Couture bag because Paris Hilton did (and that was reason enough) in high school
• Nearly, NEARLY bought a Labubu like two months ago
• Panic-bought a Kylie Lip Kit when the King Kylie era came back around (Received it yesterday, currently undecided if this was a relapse)

But the one fad I’ll never forget was my emo era, from getting a tan on one side of my face because my fringe was so thick to wearing a studded belt and leopard print tights. It’s never really left me. 

So what does this have to do with goth culture? 

Well, emos and goths have a few things in common, both arose from punk as subcultures born to wear their hearts on their sleeves. They’ve always gained traction when the world gets a little (or very) off kilter. Accepting with their arms open that they are symbols of defiance, creativity, and the refusal to dress like everyone else. They are going against the normies, the man, and they want you to know about it. 

Which, with no surprise to anyone, is why I believe goth is back in the mainstream. Move aside tomato core, cottage core and whatever is next core. Goth’s back, and ready to party (sit in a town square with a can of Monster). 

The evidence? 

From entertainment we have… Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice…B…. coming to London’s West End after a successful second movie, Wednesday once again bringing pigtails to our screens, Frankenstein is in cinemas, The Crow came back, Nosferatu got weird, Edward Scissorhands walked during Vogue World and ultimately what I am trying to say is that they have all been resurrected (pun intended).

Not to mention the new Wuthering Heights (2026) typeface and Florence and the Machines new art direction for their album launch with their stunning gothic styles, showing us that this aesthetic has no intention of slowing down into next year.

You can always tell when a cultural shift has hit the big time when it comes to social. From “The Real Housewives as Tim Burton characters” which has me hooked, or the urge to dress in corporate goth on TikTok, I’m just waiting for the tutorials on how to do subtle goth make up… oh wait. 

Fashion this year has been dripping with the kind of dark drama MySpace-era me could only dream of. Chunky buckled boots, lace, fishnets, corsets, and jewellery that doubles as weaponry. Alexander McQueen’s Autumn/Winter 2025 campaign, starring Alex Consani with leather and buckles meanwhile, Pat McGrath painted her signature surrealism all over Schiaparelli, giving us decadence with a hint of ghost story. And then there’s Rick Owens, forever moody minimalism, proving that rebellion is still the best accessory.

But wait, even usually day-time aesthetic Calvin Klein has joined the night-time aesthetic with their campaign with Jung Kook, giving Sam Rockwell in Charlies Angels.

The icons? Lady Gaga dancing until she’s dead, Charli XCX and Gabbriette giving us make up (you say party girl, I say inspired by goth), Jenna Ortega being our moody mascot, and Winona Ryder, our eternal queen of this aesthetic (looking forward to the Stranger Things press tour). 

According to Fashion United goth-inspired shopping is up across the board with +85% for cross rings, +120% for cross earrings, +134% for velvet coats, and a frankly iconic +738% spike in black lipstick.

What was I trying to say here? I got lost in my goth bubble. 

Oh yes. 

When times are tough, people take on a hint or a whole of a subculture that allows them to take control of the mood in their own way. 

Because ultimately, that’s what all of this is really about, performance. Every purchase, every fad, every new aesthetic we try on is just another act in the ongoing story of me. Goth, emo, cottagecore, tomato girl, they’re all costumes in the cultural play of identity. 

Successful brands don’t just dress consumers, they adapt to the consumer mood and let them dress themselves. The ones that get this will be the ones who aren’t just selling products, but the feeling of control, identity, and attitude in a world that sometimes feels out of control.