Being moody and mysterious will be very much ‘in’ for 2026. Not just because of the state of the world, but due to a Gothic Revival in the world of fashion and film – let’s take a look
Halloween might have been and gone as we’re well into Christmas territory. But, that doesn’t mean the doom and gloom is over. Next year is set to be one of a Gothic Revival and we don’t mean the angsty teen type popularised in the early 00s. Think more hauntingly pale Victorian ghost woman, but with a sexy fashion twist.
As Margot Robbie will resurrect the role of Catherine Earnshaw in ominously obsessive gothic classic ‘Wuthering Heights’ early next year, it’s about to get very eerie and mysterious in 2026.
Here, we take a look at the Gothic Revival where we’ll all be dressed in black, Charli XCX is swapping ‘brat’ for ‘what on earth was that’ and ‘It’ girls will be getting their inspiration from haunted nuns.
What is the Gothic Revival?
You might be thinking that lots of teens with dark hair and equally dark clothing with a pessimistic attitude will come crawling out of their ‘it’s not a phase’ hole come the new year.
However, this Gothic Revival is geared towards the period of dark romance, fear of the almighty and the supernatural popularised in the Victorian era – the last time a resurgence of its sort occurred.
The original Gothic period between the 12th and 16th centuries is recognised for the associated architecture, predominantly churches and cathedrals with high ceilings, gargoyles, huge stained glass windows and arches.
And in the back end of the 18th century, leading into the 19th, the Gothic Revival focused on literature and art.
Think the dark romance, dread and supernatural elements fuelled by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
See where we’re going with this?
What can we expect to see?
Well, the Gothic Revival will be televised!
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein remake is already available to watch on Netflix and star Jacob Elordi is returning for another gothic role for Greta Gerwig’s Wuthering Heights in February 2026.
But expect to see gothic themes creep into Spotify playlists and wardrobes too.
Charli XCX has made an album for the upcoming Wuthering Heights film, which will be a far cry from her party girl Grammy award-winning ‘brat’ persona.
The singer-songwriter said: “I wanted to dive into a world that felt undeniably raw, wild, sexual, gothic, British, tortured and full of actual real sentences, punctuation and grammar.”
British pop ‘It’ girl Charli’s passion for the Wuthering Heights album has already translated on TikTok, with fashion trends #softgoth, #whimsigoth, #darkromance and #conventdressing already taking off on the platform.
The rising popularity of gothic fashion has been documented by Pinterest. According to the ‘Pinterest Predicts’ report, gothic-fuelled ‘Vamp Romantic’ will be one of the leading trends of 2026.
The brand found that “Millennials and Gen Z will go all in on after-dark aesthetics, embracing jet black nails, romantic goth hairstyles and a smudged smokey eye – all with a touch of glossy glamour.”
Pinterest added: “Who says you can’t be haunting and heartbreaking?”
They found that there’s been a 160% search increase of dark romantic make-up, 90% growth of interest in ‘vampire beauty’ and a huge 180% increase in ‘gothic coffin nails’.
Jenna Ortega has been leading the way with her sexy gothic wardrobe, fuelled by her role in Netflix’s Wednesday.
It coincides with the steady rise of ‘convent dressing’ where celebs – including Lily Allen and Charli XCX – have dressed up as nuns or accessorised with veils and jewel-heavy crucifixes.
Though, they’re not switching careers. Lily dressed up as a sexy cigarette-smoking nun for her ‘Pussy Palace’ music video, along with some black tights and high heels.
Charli, meanwhile, rocked a black sheer dress – exposing her nipples – with an attached hooded veil at the BRITs.
Why is there a Gothic Revival?
Trend forecaster and co-founder of beauty education initiative Kohl Lab, Disha Daswaney, exclusively told us that there’s a good reason why we’re seeing this resurgence of horror dressing.
And it’s largely a result of what we’ve been watching on TV. The Gothic Revival has been gaining momentum for a number of years, with the likes of Wednesday, Nosferatu, and Beetlejuice dipping their toes into horror themes.
But all things gothic will rise from the pits once again in 2026!
She said: “When major pop-culture moments approach, fashion and beauty tend to respond in kind.
“Designers, stylists and brands anticipate these cultural touchpoints and create looks that make those aesthetics accessible, allowing audiences to reference and replicate them with ease.”
“It reflects how closely style now tracks cultural release cycles, with fashion acting as a bridge between spectacle and everyday expression.
“This is already visible in the darker pop visuals of Charli XCX as she prepares for the highly acclaimed album for the Wuthering Heights adaptation, we see this renewed cultural interest in romantic, windswept storytelling.”
Disha added that these “dark romantic” themes in fashion and beauty are almost a rebellion to the “highly polished” appearances popular over the last few years.
People are realising that looking “perfect” is not cool, though appearing mysterious and “undone” is the way to go.
Disha concluded: “There is a clear return to darker, more romantic moods across fashion and beauty right now.
“After years of highly polished, feel-good aesthetics, culture feels more comfortable sitting with melancholy, drama and emotional intensity.
“Gothic references offer a way to express that shift, through richer textures, deeper colour palettes and beauty that feels undone rather than perfected.
“This kind of darkness has always been tied to storytelling and atmosphere, which makes it resonate in a moment where audiences are drawn to brooding narratives and heightened emotion.”
