Article by Frank Cierpial

Fashion Week in Paris is a major event. For one week in the Fall and another in Spring we all dress for ourselves and for each other as people from all over the world land in Paris to see what is walking down the runway here in the capital of Fashion. It’s exciting to walk along rue de rivoli watching people’s backstage ID’S for different fashion brands move gracefully up and down on top their tops which is now worn like a piece of jewelry or badge of honor. I can’t explain what excites me so about fashion week in Paris. It just seems to be the best place on earth at that moment in time.

This fashion week is the most special to me, and I know, I say that about every fashion week from New York to Paris, but this time I mean it. I read in the beginning of the year that goth style would be joining us on the runway, but I didn’t believe it. Well, it turns out that Parisians took out their High School best this year and fused it with modern looks. Goth has infiltrated mainstream fashion and street style looks.

Dark lipstick, lace, big black boots with curled heels, and everything a modern Mortisha Adams would wear was on  the streets of Paris this year. While doing this street style post I met people from all over the world. Some were from Paris and some from other countries, but I love how they all put their own spin on this edgy goth style.

This Paris fashion week, I saw a lot of dark lipstick. Dark lip fads come and go but if you are a maroon lipstick kind of girl than this is your year. I also saw a lot of fierce fire engine red lips which is a look that I love on women. If you are looking to bring some edge to your outfit, this is the way to do it. This look goes really well with a white top and a leather jacket a big skull head pendant too can complete the look.

A fellow blogger from Barcelona mastered the art of goth perfectly as she brought some dark and moody elements into her outfit at the Alon Livne fashion show. Notice the zippers on her boots. Goths have been using zippers since the birth of their style. This is a practice that the world of high fashion has since adopted. Notice as well her leather jacket and her black skirt.

This street style piece wad challenging this year, because there was no fashion week tent. All of the shows were all in non disclosed locations for security. It was just a stroke of good luck that i stumbled upon the Ellie Saab show tent. And of course I did, because Lebanese people love me. LOL! Another great aspect of Goth style that I saw this was layering. My favorite thing about goth style is the depth to every outfit and most of the time it’s all black. This woman outside of the Ellie Saab show who turned out to be German mastered the art of layering with fringe ! With a great dark red hair style and a great pair of shoes, nothing could be better. I stumbled upon a few other girls outside of the same show who were all American students in London. They had some of the same elements of Goth style, but with a trench coat which is also a goth trademark.

This is very special to me, because I adhered to the goth idenity and style in High School. It was a way for me to express that I was going through a hard time. And even though I don’t show it any more in my dressing style, the spirit of the goth culture is still a part of me today.

As an American in Paris, I long to be different. I long for it and I dare to do it. In the fashion industry, this look is usually mocked. I am so happy that so many designers saw its beauty and incorporated their style into their genius.

A big thanks to all the girls who agreed to be in this article at the shows.