Who was the prevailing muse of the Fall 2016 season? Not some grand lady of the canyon or 17th-century courtesan queen, but the humble mall goth! Surely you remember that creature of the early aughts: born from suburbia to haunt Hot Topics in black JNCOs or fishnets, their heads doused in red Manic Panic.
There were echoes of her in the sulky nymphs who walked the runway in Marc Jacobs’s visionary collection, for which makeup artist François Nars crafted matte black lips and alien bleached brows, while at Louis Vuitton, Pat McGrath whipped up a subversive burgundy lip stain to flatter models’ come-as-you-are hair. But it was at Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma debut that the trend really took shape, when the singer asked Pat McGrath to transform golden goddess Gigi Hadid with a slick vinyl pout and white paint raked through her roots. With that stamp of approval from the ultimate beauty bellwether, the look seemed primed for a comeback—but how to execute the ’90s redux for the here and now?
The secret is to keep things fresh. Take Korean model Sora Choi, whose personal style recalls a goth-inflected Jane Lane. Flitting around Paris in combat boots and leather jackets, she makes ebony statement lips and a gritty shag haircut look wholly modern, thanks to a youthful flash of skin—shredded fishnets, or the décolleté, highlighted by a spiked collar. Lately, Fernanda Ly, too, has pushed her look into gothic territory, with a dark stain and oversize clothes kept grounded by shining skin and that pretty pop of pastel pink hair. And, of course, there’s Bad Gal RiRi herself, who eschewed lank goth strands for soft curls in her Fenty x Puma campaign, adding a vibrant touch as she whipped her head back and forth.
When I, too, decide to take the look for a spin, I focus first on crafting a healthy canvas by blending a hydrating cream foundation into my skin and dotting concealer under my eyes and around the nose. Near-flawless skin is the key to balancing intense gothic makeup—without it, I find, the color contrast highlights every flaw—and I choose to approach the makeup by focusing on one single statement at a time. A heavy slate shadow I’ve blended into the socket, for instance, is softened by a simple slick of lip balm to create a rather romantic look.
Starting from scratch the next day, I opt for matte black and swatch it onto my lips to sheer horror. Despite my clean complexion, I look instantly sallow; a coworker declares I look dead, while my less-than-perfect lip shape is spotlit for the world to see. At a loss, I decide to take a cue from Dior’s Fall show, where makeup artist Peter Philips gave a noir lip polish by topping it with clear gloss, and so learn that a dewy dark pout is imminently more wearable—especially when paired with a kicky plaid kilt and boyish black hoodie. As for the nails, exchanging long jet talons for a neat pitch violet manicure keeps my head-to-toe blacks from looking dated or dull.
It’s those playful touches that make it all work (work, work, work, work), and singlehandedly make the case for the return of the mall goth. This time, with less LiveJournal.