Darkest Hour

Fashion is crossing over to the goth side this season as designers elevate the witchy style.

- KRISTEN BATEMAN

Layered fabrics. Rich details. Regal accessories. Fashion is undoubtedly enjoying a moment of maximalism and celebration. But lately, there's one key element of this over-the-top mode of dressing that feels new: the color black.

At Burberry this season, models sported sculpted tailoring layered head-to-toe, with a healthy dose of quilted jackets worn over utilitarian coats. Junya Watanabe reinterpreted the classic moto jacket into zippered gowns and triangular shapes that looked like they were in midflight. And Givenchy's and Balenciaga's fall 2022 collections were largely centered on the darkest hue, with riffs on band tees, leather thigh-high boots, and a shielded-from-the-world element, done up with oversize sunglasses or faux face piercings, bleached brows, and masks coupled with leather baseball hats.