Bad witches: 8 times fashion referenced witchcraft

Did you know that the word ‘glamour’ comes from the 18th-century Scottish word ‘glamer’ meaning ‘a magic spell’? Glamour, fashion and the occult have been inextricably linked since the earliest documentations of witchcraft – just look at our childhood villains, who are often the most glamorous of all (Snow White’s Evil Queen was inspired by 1930s film star Helen Gahagan, Joan Crawford, and potentially Marlene Dietrich, too). 

It’s no surprise that fashion often dips into witchcraft’s rich history. From on-screen references to the Salem Witch Trials, global brands have sent witchy women down catwalks for the past four decades. Well, ‘tis the season of the witch, and to mark the occasion, we take a look back on eight times fashion referenced the occult.

When Lee Alexander McQueen decided to trace his family tree in the early 00s, he didn’t expect to discover that one of his ancestors, Elizabeth How, was hanged during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. McQueen’s AW07 collection, In Memory of Elizabeth How, Salem 1692 paid tribute to How, who was born in Yorkshire in 1637. The dramatic show space featured a demonic red pentagram in the centre, circled by a ring of black sand. Though the darkness of the show made it difficult to see the clothes, models appeared wearing fur, feathers, beaded gowns, breastplates, astrological headpieces and eye makeup inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra. 

Christian Dior was a man fascinated by mysticism, and famously consulted a clairvoyant, Madame Delahaye, every week. For the houses’ SS24 collection, shown in Paris last September, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri put on a show dedicated to witchcraft, flipping demonic connotations for strong, powerful women instead. Featuring historical references such as Joan of Arc – who was burned at the stake – to Maria Callas in Pasolini’s 1969 film Medea, the collection was subtle, yet contained undeniable witchy forces. 

In 1983, following a trip to the US where they met artist Keith Haring, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren showed their final collaborative collection Witches. Inspired by Haring’s “magical, esoteric sign language”, the collection also referenced hip-hop and Haitian voodoo. It marked the first time that Haring’s work would appear on the catwalk, and three years later, the artist would paint Grace Jones’ body, not quite as a witch, but as a vampire, for the 1986 horror Vamp.

Witchcraft in Rei Kawakubo’s work is a recurring theme. For her SS16 Commes des Garçons show, Kawakubo presented her Blue Witch collection, staged in a basement to the soundtrack of David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. The concept of the Blue Witch (similar to Dior’s spin) focuses on good over evil. The theme was described by the designer as “powerful women who are misunderstood, but do good in the world”. And this isn’t the only time Kawakubo has referenced witchcraft – her AW04 collection was titled Dark Romance, Witch.

For his SS15 ready-to-wear collection, Gareth Pugh worked alongside Simon Costin to produce a collection based around English folklore. Not only is Costin the director of Cornwall’s Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, he also runs the Museum of Folklore and was previously a jewellery designer and set designer who worked closely with Lee McQueen. The collection featured intimidating occult skulls, scarecrows and May Day references. Costin has worked with many designers over the years, but him and Pugh together are a match made in heaven. Or should we say hell? 

Back in 2017, Dilara Fındıkoğlu hosted her first-ever catwalk show. Never one to shy away from dark themes, Dilara’s first show included satanic symbolism and, controversially, was held in a Holborn church. Not everyone was a fan, with some calling it a “satanic orgy”. She received an onslaught of hate mail, and yet, six years later, her AW24 collection Femme Vortex featured models carrying tabloid newspapers with the headline “OMG Dilara Is Doing a Satanic Orgy at a London Church”. In addition to that, the eerie final look of the show was titled ‘Waking the Witch’, a silicone tar dress modelled by Aweng Chuol. 

One of the most widely circulated fashion images at this time of year is Kate Moss walking for Martine Sitbon in Paris, SS93. It shows Moss waltzing down the catwalk wearing a classic pointed witches’ hat, floating grey dress and silk black necktie, smoking from an elegant cigarette holder. It could easily have served as the fashion blueprint for American Horror Story: Coven, or would be a simple costume to pull off if you’re in a fix this year. 

Speaking of AHS: Coven, the costumes may as well have been plucked directly from Hedi Slimane’s debut collection for Saint Laurent back in 2012. Slimane named American occultist artist Marjorie Cameron as one of his inspirations for the show, and though the hats didn’t quite come to a point, the all-black floating dresses, deep V-necks and leather gloves gave us an indie, boho witch that could be caught casting spells on rock bands.