Haider Ackermann New Gothic Fashion Designer After Alexander McQueen

Since Alexander McQueen has passed away, I am officially a loyal fan of Haider Ackermann’s designs! There was a "void" in me that is seeking a New Gothic fashion designer that as equally talented and the designs are truly unique that takes our breath away…. And I think I’ve found it, Aider Ackermann !

The master draper, the rumoured Margiela replacement, and the man who calls Tilda Swinton muse. Who exactly is this Columbian, Belgian-trained designer who has taken his place on the Parisian fashion circuit?

Actress Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann

One of Antwerp Belgium’s brightest young stars, Haider Ackermann has seen many more ports than the one fronting the town in which he now lives and works. Born in Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia, in 1971, he was adopted by a French family. Due to his father’s business obligations, he spent his childhood moving around the globe.

After living in Ethiopia, Chad, France, Algeria and the Netherlands, he decided fashion was his vocation. High school finished, he left home in 1994 and headed for Belgium to study at the fashion department of Antwerp’s Royal Academy. During his three-year stay (he left the four-year course prematurely because of financial difficulties), he also worked as an intern for Gothic designer John Galliano in Paris.

Taking a job as an assistant to his former academy teacher Wim Neels in 1998, he worked on both the men’s and womenswear collections of the Belgian designer. After saving money and taking encouragement from his friends and acquaintances –among them Raf Simons – Haider Ackermann finally took the plunge and presented his first, self- financed women’s collection in Paris for autumn/winter 2002.


His subtle, dignified and sensuous clothes immediately struck a chord with buyers and editors, as they did with Italian leather manufacturer Ruffo. Just two weeks after his debut show, Ackermann was hired as the head designer for Ruffo Research and commissioned to create two collections (spring/ summer and autumn/ winter 2003), while continuing to produce his own line.


Haider Ackermann is now receiving even wider acclaim, not least in the form of the prestigious Swiss Textiles Award at the 2004 Grand Fashion Festival. Ackermann’s sensitivity with drape and textures shows through in every collection.

In his fall winter 2010 collection shown at the Paris fashion week Ackermann showcased his signature fitted leather and suede vests and jackets are back, but this time with even more drama. That’s thanks to both long, undulating collars that can be wrapped around the neck any number of ways and zipped-on peplums that are easily detached, should the woman wearing them so choose.

“I wanted it to be totally up to you,” Ackermann said backstage, alluding to the clothes’ timely utilitarianism. On the bottom, his fans’ options will include, as usual, leather leggings or floor-scraping skirts with deep slits, along with new, more tailored trousers. It was a beautiful show that I am speechless by his talent & vision.


I hope you enjoy the new Gothic fashion designer - Haider Ackermann’s designs as much as I do! Until next time, be well and look fabulous!

Gothic Glamour in Paris Fashion Week

Gothic fashion has a reciprocal relationship with the fashion world. In the later part of the first decade of the 21st century, designers such as Alexander McQueen,Rick Owens,Gareth Pugh, Ann Demeulemeester, Rodarte, John Galliano, Olivier Theyskens, and Yohji Yamamoto brought the glamours of goth to runways. Such as fashionistas who gathered in the French capital are unlikely to forget the retro chic at the catwalks of Gothic Glamour Paris Fashion Week after three of the biggest names in the fashion industry dressed their models with the served up eye-popping new collections. Dior, Armani and Valentino all managed to impress style pundits who went along to their shows with an explosive combination of spine-chilling theatrics and glitzy red carpet glamour.

Dior's John Galliano enthralled the audience at his show with a haute couture gothic glamour collection that was scarily brilliant. The British designer, who is famous for his flamboyant creations, got a resounding thumbs up from style pundits for a decidedly gothic line that both stunned and delighted his fans.

The 45-year-old sent his mannequins down the runway in dramatic medieval-style red gowns complemented by huge crucifixes and heavy boots. Almost all of the dark glamour fashion models had their faces covered in ghostly white make-up, with dark rims circling their eyes, as a soundtrack of clanking chains and whips boomed through the Paris Polo Club.

Giorgio Armani meanwhile turned up the heat with a sexy new range that offered elegance and sensuality in equal measure. The silver-haired designer combined ice-coloured satin and tangerine crinoline with a generous sprinkling of crystals to flatter the female form. "What I wanted to do was make women look beautiful in front of the mirror," explained the Italian afterwards.

And Valentino likewise seemed intent on bringing a little sparkle to his clients' eyes, with diamonds woven into the soft white Moroccan silk of many of his gowns. There was a delicate, retro feel to the chiffon ruffles and cropped cashmere coats that featured in other ensembles, though the Italian maestro also had something in store for those with a preference for old-fashioned Tinseltown glam. When an off-the-shoulder scarlet gown floated down the catwalk halfway though the show, the 74-year-old proved he had lost none of his talent for classic, red carpet style.

The Glam Goth Catwalks

Say hello to goth's sexy older sister - dark, dramatic, and with a hint of the Edwardian heroine, she played muse to a coven of designers.

With Twilight Eclipse in the cinema and a number of Vampire based shows on our TV screens it seems inevitable that the designers would catch onto the Gothic fashion trend and for this autumn/winter they have done just that.

Glam Gothic fashion as it has been dubbed was seen on the catwalks of Christopher Kane, Valentino, Givency, Alexander Wang and it’s a grown up take on the vampire look made popular by the likes of Twilight.

According to Instyle magazine: “Designers delved into their dark side this season with goth-inspired collections, contrasting luxe fabrics to create hard-edged looks.”

“Proenza Schouler sent out pale-faced, dark-haired mavens who epitomised the whole mood of this trend – think modern after-dark vamp prowling downtown bars.”

While Marie Claire advises us to “say hello to Goth’s sexy older sister- dark dramatic and with a hint of the Edwardian heroine, she played muse to a coven of designers.”

Online fashion store Very.co.uk have taken this trend and applied it to many of their pieces in the Autumn/Winter collection. With items designed exclusively for Very by Fearne Cotton such as this gorgeous lace hoodie and this twist on the gothic lace dress, by using white lace and adding a beautiful bow detail tot he neckline.

Lace dresses was a key trend on the catwalks and it’s the easiest way to nail this look with Vogue reporting “Fashion has fallen in love with lace – from sweetly pretty day Gothic dresses to sensual see-through gowns and blouses.”

And one of the seminal shoe trends on the catwalks was the black lace ankle boot seen at Dior which can add a gothic twist to any outfit and it’s a style that is bound to be copied on the high street. If a boot is not your thing then go for a shoe with lace detailing – I’ve already noticed them popping up on the high street so they are bound to crop up more over autumn and winter. Or how about a sexy red heel to glam up a black outfit or even a pair of bondage sandals which will go well with a gothic inspired outfit.

However, Instyle does have a piece of advice for anyone looking to copy the style – “Don’t go “matchy mathcy” – lace on tights bag and shoes is too much.” So maybe stick to a sexy pair of lacy shoes then!

Gothic Glamour Dorothy Perkins Winter Collection

Flashback to the Dorothy Perkins's Autum Winter collection where Perkins put forward the theme of Gothic Glamour. The goth look is set to be huge this winter but forget the usual Gothic Make-up with scary white faces, biting heads off bats and howling at the moon- next season it's all about the gentle goth.

The lovely Gothic Glamour theme is influenced by punk stories, details that stand out are found on the zippers and ruffles. Presenting the glamor collection of Gothic clothing with the colors of 'bold', such as lipstick pink, purple vampish, and dramatic black. Obviously, this model can dramatically alter your appearance!

Fancy Gothic Prom Dresses in Lung Cancer Ads Series

These advertisements were from a series of ads published in fashion magazines, targeted at the fashion conscious female. Fashion ads are all about cool detachment, but in this fashion-spoofing anti-smoking work from Foote Cone & Belding in Singapore, the detachment and the chill are brought on by death itself - which has caught the model shown here in a curious Civil War battlefield-type pose.

These ads are great! They look just like fashion ads – with stunning Gothic dresses - except the models are all dead. The weird and slightly contorted figures of each model are beautifully adorned in funky and iconic Gothic clothing that are still dark and have gothic feel. A gothic feels which is reiterated by the dead and dry leaves and the messages of doom that accompany each advert.

This is a great ad… Except for one thing! These women, dead and weirdly positioned they may be, are still managing to look really sexy… Did they smoke? Because damn they left behind amazing corpses… Imagine people coming to your funeral and seeing you looking so picture perfect, so nice and pale and delicate…

Hmmm… maybe they should have thought this one through a little more. Maybe they should have included a little dribble of blood coming down the side of a mouth from the lungs they coughed up earlier, or the yellowing fingers and teeth and not to mention the tiny, but unforgivable, ash burns on their designer clothes who created those stunning Gothic prom dresses. Maybe just make them look a little less beautiful in death, and a little uglier in life.

Other headlines in the series of ads published in fashion magazines featuring fancy Gothic dresses : “Lung cancer doesn’t go with Christian Dior” and “Out: cervical cancer. In: tulle.” The ads send viewers to a Web site, Get Fresh, that has a completely different vibe - sunny and cartoony - and includes chatty blogs by ex-smokers.

Dark Glamour of Gothic Fashion

The Gothic look borrows from literature, history and religion; it can be fun, romantic or scary. For many couples today, it's interesting and something which can go towards helping to create a unique and memorable wedding day. Althought Goth culture is often derided as being a bit silly but the romance at the heart of goth is eminently suited to a wedding.

In many opinions, Gothic is an epithet with a strange history, evoking images of death, destruction, and decay. It is not just a word that describes something, such as a Gothic cathedral; it is almost inevitably a term of abuse, implying that something is gloomy, barbarous, and macabre.

In fashion industry the imagery of death and decay, the power of horror, and the erotic macabre are perversely attractive to many fashion designers. John Galliano, for example, has described the "Gothic girl" as "edgy and cool, vampy and mysterious." Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto, and Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy have also created what could be described as gothic fashion.


Picture above is Kambriel's Midnight Bustle dress. A Black satin finished brocade, netting, and lace look inspired by Alice In Wonderland and Tim Burton movies.. Kambriel's work exemplifies "the romantic goth aesthetic," which is characterized by soft fluid fabrics and historically-inspired styles. "For me, gothic is all about finding beauty in the shadows," says goth designer Kambriel. "It's about viewing the world through a Tim Burton-esque lens, in which dark humor meets intelligent irony.".

In strange beauty, the fashions are characterized by unconventional shapes and strange sources of imagery. Gothic wedding dresses commonly dominated by black color which is a symbol of the Night explorers. The gothic color par excellence, black has long been associated with death, danger, and evil, but also with mystery, elegance, and eroticism. Since the fifteenth century, black clothing has also been associated with elegance and aristocracy, in large part because black dye was so expensive.

Black clothing was also associated with the elegantly Satanic figure of the dandy, the Black Prince of Elegance. Far from the anodyne Little Black Dress, the fashions in this section of the exhibition seem appropriate for the femme fatale and the dandy vampire aristocrat.


Beginning with the rise of the gothic novel in the eighteenth century, gothic style has been associated with sublime themes of terror and the supernatural. The Victorian cult of mourning mandated head-to-toe black, inspiring members of the goth subculture – and contributing to the image of the femme fatale and the vamp.

Victorian mourning dress was supposed to symbolize grief and respect for the dead. Mourning weighed most heavily on widows, who were supposed to wear deep mourning for at least a year. Mourning clothes were made from fabrics wtih a lustreless texture such as crape, but were not only black. During the second year of mourning, gray and violet clothes could be gradually introduced. Although Victorian etiquette books stressed that mourning dress should be "plain" and "simple," this injunction was contradicted by the fact that mourning, since it was a category of fashionable dress, was often extremely elaborate...


Photo of Mourning dress and hat - Black silk taffeta 1870s by Evan Michelson. Contemporary goths appreciate the morbid allure and claustrophobic corsetry of Victorian mourning dress. The symbolism of black has been said to have evolved "from mourning to evening." However, black symbolizies not only mourning but also aristocratic court dress, which was the antecedent of today’s formal evening attire.

Within the constellation of gothic conventions, the fear of death is often transformed into a kind of sexually-charged horror. Death and decay are aestheticized and romanticized. Not only is the boundary blurred between life and death, so also is there a transgressive understanding of sex and gender. The widow could easily be perceived as a fatal woman, whose embrace led to her lover's death. The femme fatale was often, although not always, depicted in black. Silent films of the early twentieth century established the image of the black-clad vamp, as portrayed by actresses like Theda Bara.

Kim Kardashian Gothic Style

The change in style is sometimes necessary to refresh the appearance. So what would happen if the television star who changed his appearance into gothic style?

Is Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian is looking different. Long hair with berlayer what we usually see in realiti series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" is not there anymore. Kim, cut his hair until seleher with a bob. Her bangs were also cut to the forehead.

In a photo shoot with a personal photographer, Kim appeared gothic model with a thick smoky eye shadow and lipstick-eyed black. You definitely do not think these photos is Kim Kardashian.

With brown tube dress with a red vertical line and unique jewelry such as bracelets and necklaces that made ​​her look like a modern Cleopatra.

Meanwhile, when Kim was wearing a blazer with a silver color motif leaves following a black-colored scarf accessories like a rose made ​​her look like a woman's career. However, it seems Kim still wants to look sexy by wearing a transparent basic pants with lace motif so faintly faintly see-through out her underwear.

Wearing a black tube dress, Kim looks very different to her self which is known. Few accessories shaped brooch on the chest autumn leaves bring a little glamorous effect.

Amazing Gothic Wedding Dresses

Gothic wedding dresses seem to be a big item in the marketplace these days. Many Gothic wedding dress manufacturers and designers are finding ways to promote their dresses online. I’ve notices when you search for Gothic Wedding Dresses, there are now many sites offering these types of dresses, and Renaissance wedding dresses, Victorian gown, Medieval wedding dress and more.

While white wedding dresses may still be the top choice for weddings, just imagine what your wedding day could be like if you were to bread with tradition and find yourself in one of the amazing Gothic wedding gowns.

Today, there are many dressmakers who will make custom Gothic wedding dresses and gowns. Meanwhile marriage with a Gothic style is becoming popular. Mainly because of increased use of the Gothic mode in magazines like Vogue. But the question is "Can I just purchased a gothic wedding dress?" No, it's a huge mistake, you must examine the theme of your wedding and choose a wedding dress in Gothic style, which corresponds to the theme. Even now, the term "Gothic" seems very dark, and many women like to walk in a medieval shop, and to examine the different types of wedding dresses from this era.

In general, a medieval wedding dress is in white and gives an authentic look to a wedding dress, but if you're not looking for a traditional white robe, Gothic wedding dresses is also a good solution because they do not always be pleasant, but more prim to be nasty and shoplifting. It is sometimes difficult to find the perfect wedding dress in gothic style, and you need to think very carefully and consider whether it is the right to dress or not. Not many wedding dress shops dedicated to wedding dresses in Gothic style, and if you can not find any stores in traditional marriage, you should take your search to the Internet. Some websites offer to customize or create your wedding dress to your specific needs.

Gothic fashion, not only to be wearing black wedding dresses, although black is a big part of it, this is bleak and dramatic. To express yourself in a dark room, but not necessarily in the Gothic style, you might consider the use of red or dark purple, if you want to be a little dramatic, you can use the color blue symbolizes dramatic. If you are planning a traditional dress in gothic style, then the fabric must be correct, as well as style, many Gothic wedding dresses are made of velvet or satin.

With a wedding dress in gothic style, you can combine it with other fashion accessories such as lace. If you wanted to flaunt your body, you can do so by examining a corset. The brace can easily be incorporated into most designs of the dress. When thinking about designing your dress, take into account the neck, unlike normal dress, gothic wedding dress can go a little more extreme, for example, you can cross the neck or even skulls. Consider your sleeves? If you do, you want the sleeves are tight and those who steal.

Warning: Do not go above, every girl is beautiful on their wedding day, it should not be too much, think subtle but wicked. Select very carefully, you do not want to look for space on your day, you want to be the center of attention and there is no reason why you should not be if it is well done. If you do not know how to choose Gothic wedding dresses... Start it with a basic research in Gothic fashion is a good idea.