6 Haute Couture Houses With Deep Goth Energy
Where velvet bleeds, silhouettes whisper and darkness dazzles.
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Couture is art that the fortunate few get to live inside – but its stories belong to all of us.
Each collection is a narrative stitched in silk and shadow, and we love when those stories lean hauntingly beautiful and unapologetically macabre.
With baited breath, we await collections with mourning veils delicately draped, corsets sculpting silhouettes into regal statues, 90s grunge colliding with Victorian vampires and runways drowning in tulle, velvet and lace.
We’ve curated a shortlist of six goth-coded couture houses that consistently stir our imaginations.
1. Alexander McQueen
The Patron Saint of Beautiful Hauntings
Photo Credit: Vogue Runway
No one embodies gothic couture like McQueen. From skeletal corsetry and raven feathers to Elizabethan silhouettes soaked in sorrow, the brand made grief a runway muse.
Even after his passing, the house continues to explore themes of decay, rebellion, dark romance and ancestral mysticism.
Iconic Collection: Angels & Demons (A/W 2010)
A gothic requiem in fabric form—this final collection Alexander McQueen began before his passing leaned heavily into religious iconography and medieval darkness, evoking an ethereal battleground between light and mortality. It has become legendary for its spectral intensity.
2. Schiaparelli
The Surrealist’s Séance
Photo Credit: Schiaparelli
With gold-plated anatomical details and sculptural tailoring, Schiaparelli redefines what goth glamor can look like. Think: gilded ribcages, lacquered horns, cosmic velvet. It’s less witchy, more celestial demon in couture.
Iconic Collection: The Phoenix (F/W 24/25)
A rebirth narrative rendered in razor-sharp silhouettes and folded feathers; an homage to Elsa’s lifelong reinvention.
3. Dolce & Gabbana
The Sicilian Widow’s Wardrobe
Photo Credit: wwd.com
D&G’s gothic era channeled religious iconography, black lace veils and sensual mourning wear into a signature aesthetic. Its nods to Catholic ritual as well as Mediterranean melancholy made every runway feel like a candlelit confession.
Iconic Collection: Fall 2012 RTW
Rosary beads, crucifix-laden corsets, funerary glamour.
4. Christian Louboutin
The Devil in a Red Sole
Photo Credit: @christianlouboutin
Yes, it’s shoes—but they’re not just shoes. Louboutin’s stilettos are weapons. Heels so high they make you want to walk like a sinner with soles dipped in blood-red.
Iconic Collection: Winter 2025 Women’s Collection
This lineup is goth romance incarnate. Among our favourite pieces:
Miss Z + Jane Booty: a pump and a boot in Amara burgundy veau velours.
Janispikes: a black patent leather chunky-heeled Mary Jane adored with spikes, made for the Corporate Goth.
Cassia Lace Up: romantic balletcore crepe satin pumps stitched with grace and tied at the ankle.
5. Gucci
The Heiress Occultist
Photo Credit: wwd.com
Gucci’s goth era fuses heritage with hedonism: black velvet suiting, antique crucifixes, Victoriana collars, snaffle bits. Under Alessandro Michele, the house embraced a haunted library aesthetic—part occult, part opiumcore.
Iconic Collection: FW RTW 2012
Widely praised as their “dark romantic” season, the collection featured black features, velvet capes, thigh-high boots and Pre-Raphaelite-goth gowns in midnight hues.
6. Manolo Blahnik
The Aristocrat’s Secret Weapon
Photo Credit: @manoloblahnik
Not always seen as “goth,” but hear us out—Manolos are the shoes you wear to a castle, a funeral or a seduction that feels like a duel.
Luxe satins, historical references and a hint of danger make them a staple for the refined romantic with a dark streak.
TLL Choice: Black velvet Hangisi pump with a crystal buckle—bridging elegance with edge.
Runway fantasy is meant to ignite the everyday – and while couture may sit in our closets sparingly, its influence can slip into your wardrobe with ease.
Keep an eye out for The Lace Ledger’s Fall/Winter 25/26 Trends Guide, distilling the season’s most otherworldly runway ideas into pieces you can integrate into your everyday looks, infusing couture storytelling with your signature street style.
