Gothic: Dark Glamour [Hardcover]

Valerie Steele (Author), Jennifer Park (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Valerie Steele dispels the myth that Gothicism is only for rebels as she tells of how designers such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano of Christian Dior, Rick Owens, Olivier Theyskens, and Yohji Yamamoto incorporate Gothic looks into their designs; thus, giving light to cultural outsiders."—Dujour Magazine

(Dujour Magazine )

". . . Fashionistas will relish the chance to see famous creations by . . . avant-garde designers. Readers of . . . Romantic literature will enjoy seeing gothic characters and settings come to life. . . . [T]he eager consumers of adolescent vampire fantasies . . . will thrill to the clothes'' sex-and-death subtext."—Karen Rosenberg, New York Times

(Karen Rosenberg New York Times )

Product Description

From its origins in the eighteenth-century literature of terror to its contemporary manifestations in vampire fiction, cinema, and art, the gothic has embraced the powers of horror and the erotic macabre. “Gothic” is an epithet with a strange history – evoking images of death, destruction, and decay. Ironically, its negative connotations have made the gothic an ideal symbol of rebellion for a wide range of cultural outsiders.

 

Popularly associated with black-clad teenagers and rock musicians, gothic fashion encompasses not only subcultural styles (from old-school goth to cyber-goth and beyond) but also high fashion by such designers as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano of Christian Dior, Rick Owens, Olivier Theyskens, and Yohji Yamamoto. Fashion photographers, such as Sean Ellis and Eugenio Recuenco, have also drawn on the visual vocabulary of the gothic to convey narratives of dark glamour. As the text and lavish illustrations in this book suggest, gothic fashion has deep cultural roots that give it an enduring potency.

(20090102)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (October 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300136943
• ISBN-13: 978-0300136944
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #183,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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  Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Gothic

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gothic Glamour At Its Finest, February 5, 2009

By	T. Zimkus "tatianista" (boston, ma) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Gothic: Dark Glamour (Hardcover)

This book arrived from Amazon, appropriately enough, in the depths of Autumn. Deliciously thick with lustrous photographic illustrations and visual references that are gilded frame-worthy, if it weren't such blasphemy to pull it apart, I'd do just that (I want some of these images on my walls, dammit). Not surprisingly, the book often reads more like an academic textbook than a style guide, and thank heaven and hell below it for that. As it is, there are enough "Like, OMG, Cheerleader-to-Gothgirl" how-to manuals out there already. The primary author of this book, Valerie Steele, has written numerous fashion-related books, many of which deal with how popular, as well not-so-mainstream and otherwise underground fashion, relate to both individual and cultural identity. She also happens to have her Ph.D. from Yale University and is currently Director and Chief Curator at The Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology. In other words, she understands not only the Art of Fashion but the Theory behind it.

Steele references everything from the etymology of the word "gothic" to the early, cultural influences (everything from art, music, theatre and film to literature and architecture) that have shaped what we consider Gothic today. I'd like to think I'm an unofficial expert on this subculture (or, at the very least, an Old-School Goth turned Glamourous Eccentric...who also happens to be a costume history & fashion nerd), but Steele cites so many obscure and influences that I started to question whether or not I was a novice myself. Or a clueless, like, OMG!...cheerleader. I never would have considered, for example, Horace Walpole's part--which pre-dates Byron, The Shelleys, Poe, Stoker, Wilde and Baudelaire--as being so significant in the influence of literature on the Gothic aesthetic. Nor did I really think about how the collaborations between photographer Sean Ellis, and the incomparable stylist, Isabella Blow, in the mid-90s (who were both inspired by the disturbingly beautiful collections of Alexander McQueen & Hussein Chalayan) helped spark yet another Gothic Revival in the world of fashion in years to come. Remember when Gucci did Goth?

In addition to sourcing some of the more obvious figures in fashion, the book takes an in-depth look at many of the important underground and independent players who have been responsible for molding and shaping Gothic Fashion over the years. If you don't already know who Kambriel, Lip Service and Plastik Wrap were before, or if you've never heard of The Batcave, the Gothic & Lolita Bibles or Propaganda Magazine, you will by the time you finish this book. However, it should go without saying that about Gothic Fashion would hardly be complete (or valid, for that matter) without giving some serious attention to its inseparable partner, Gothic Music. Steele does indeed write in some length about the role of music in gothic subculture, but it's the latter part of the book which pays serious tribute to the subject.

"Melancholy and The Macabre: Gothic Rock and Fashion," by Jennifer Park, is really a little book within a book. It is essentially a short history of Gothic Rock. From its early, pre-punk influences, such as Velvet Underground and Bowie, to its post-punk revolutionaries, like Joy Division, Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Smiths, Bauhaus and The Cure (still four of my favorite bands), who paved the way for the uber-goth bands of the late 1980s and '90s. While I do think this serves as only a primer on what can be broadly defined as "Gothic Rock", the featured album covers and select discography made me nostalgic for my cape-wearing, gother-than-thou days of olde.

In any case, it is certain that Valerie Steele's expertise and passion for subculture and lesser-known fashion makes for an extensively researched, incredibly thorough read on the subject, appropriate for fashion enthusiasts, costume historians and more erudite goths, alike. Nevertheless, anyone looking for pseudo-morbid, pre-fab, darkity-dark fashion fluff should stick to the plethora of glossy goth-mags (no offense, Gothic Beauty) and cheesy goth-sites and clubs (we know you are...alas, you do not). You could always look at the pretty pictures, though.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book on Gothic Fashion, October 1, 2009

By	Riona F. O'Malley (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Gothic: Dark Glamour (Hardcover)

I own several of Valerie Steele's books and they never disappoint. This one is no different. Reading like a coffee table book, it provides an extensive history on Gothic literature, architecture, art, etc. and how it inspired fashion, from Victorian mourning dresses to the raw, experimental clothing of the first Gothic scene sprung out of the punk movement in the late 70's, the New Romantics, and the more recent Cybergoth and "Graver" trends. The book is filled with gorgeous photography, from street fashion shots of DIY outfits, to club kid photos, to high-fashion and couture runway and editorial shoots, featuring such designers as John Galliano, Hussein Chalayan, Rodarte, Elsa Schiaparelli, Thierry Mugler, Alexander McQueen, Comme de Garcons, and Yohji Yamamoto. There are also some beautiful drawings and paintings included. There is also a music section, entitled "Melancholy and the Macabre: Gothic Rock and Fashion" by Jennifer Park, which explores such artists as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, The Cure, Nick Cave, The Sisters of Mercy, etc. and their fashion, both onstage and off.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful manuscript on Gothic Fashion..., February 10, 2010

By	J. Roebke "Conjurer of Beautiful Darkness" (WISCONSIN, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gothic: Dark Glamour (Hardcover)

This book is perhaps the most enigmatic when speaking about Gothic Fashion and its origins. I have enjoyed reading it, and find the photography to be inspiring; even thought provoking. I would recommend this book to anyone desiring to pursue a career in Gothic Fashion, or Modeling, or for anyone who is currently active in the Gothic Sub-Culture and is a Gothic Fashionista at heart :)