Tracing a Trend: ‘Historical Romance’

An Antidote to ‘Quiet Luxury’

It’s not exactly new, but you might want to call the ‘Historical
Romance’ trend, the current antidote to ‘Quiet Luxury.’ Chiffon,
tulle, voile and lace are used in big frothy volumes that emulate the
crinolines of the Victorian Age. Maybe we think of them as being in
black, but It is interesting to note that before the death of Queen
Victoria’s beloved husband, Prince Albert, society ladies wore dresses
in bright colors!

Rei Kawakubo: a pioneer of the ‘Historical Romance’ trend

It’s a look that has been around since the 1980s when Japanese
designers such as Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons championed the
style, which the brand promotes to this day.

The editor and curator, Lynn Yaeger, is renowned as being a longtime
proponent of the historical romance style.

The London scene

In recent years, young British designers including Emma Chopova, Laura
Lowena and Simone Rocha appear to have been inspired by gothic
Victorian novels like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights as well as
venerated British houses Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. In
addition to the expected black, they show voluminous confections in a
variety of colors, including pink, yellow and green.
When Killing Eve’s Villanelle stomped around in a voluptuous pink
dress, everyone wanted to know more about its designer, Molly Goddard.
She has since become one of the big names on the London Fashion Week
calendar.
The London fashion week schedule for ss24 has been announced and
several designers known for their takes on ‘historical romance’ will
be showing.

Bora Aksu

The Turkish designer will show his collection for ss24 during LFW on
Friday 15 September 2023.

Fw23: look 20

A long pink satin dress with balloon sleeves and a square neck with a
black voile and lace overlay.

Street style

As seen on the street in 2022 from the fw21 collection, a pale pink
layered dress with ivory ruffled and floral trim.

Molly Goddard

Molly Goddard will show her ss24 collection during LFW on Saturday 16
September 2023.

Fw19 look 61

A bright pink dress with a heavily embellished top and a multi-layered
skirt over black pants.

SS23 look 11

A red and ivory Toile de Jouy long dress with a ruffled trim under a
chiffon layer with polka dots in red.

Roksanda

Roksanda Ilinčić will show her collection for ss24 during LFW on
Saturday 16 September.

Street Style

A bright yellow vee neck cotton dress with billowing sleeves.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha will show her collection for ss24 during LFW on Sunday 17 September

SS22 look 47

A long dress in a blurred floral print with ruffles over a pink
embellished petticoat and a white ruffled petticoat.

Fw23 look 49

A long transparent chiffon dress with balloon sleeves, embellished
with crystals and pearls over an underlay and balled-up straw.

Erdem

Erdem Moralioglu will show his collection for ss24 during LFW on
Sunday 17 September.

Ss23 look 40

An embroidered velvet jacket under a chiffon layer over a wide net
black tulle skirt with a multi-layered underskirt

Chopova Lowena

Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena will show their collection for ss24
during LFW on Friday 15 September.

Street Style

In 2022, Christine Bateman was seen wearing a white and red Chopova
Lowena flocked dress with a pointed collar from ss21.

Ss23 look 25

A long, white ruffled dress with a red print, a scoop-neck and short
puffy sleeves, and a ruffled crossbody add-on with a contrast dark red
print.