[We're beyond thrilled to introduce Fashionaddict, a fashion blogger from Singapore, who has kindly agreed to contribute to ARTERI on all matters fashion and beyond. Her first post for us is 'Seeing Light in The Dark', part of our Thoughts on Darkness series. Enjoy and look out for more!- SC]

Seeing Light in the Dark

So Earth Hour happened two weeks ago, and inspired lots of typically non-candlelight people to switch off and start lighting tea lights etc etc, which made for lots of gothic settings to be seen. It evokes rituals, romance, intrigue, all very exciting for some people, but I have to say, I was worried about the fire hazards. Obviously, I’m not one for that kind of atmosphere. In fact, I’m not much one for dark, fierce, romantic looks – it strikes me as too statement-y, too much of a dramatic gesture, sometimes rather like a costume. Even wearing all black – think of all those painfully chic Vogue Paris girls, all flowing locks, smokey eyes, sharp black garb, tough heels – just feels a bit much to me.

Gorgeous rear-end view of Paris Vogue team. From Jak n Jil blog.

But when I got down to thinking about, I realised that so many of the designers I love fall into this category -  Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens, Haider Ackermann, Alexander McQueen, to name a few. And the biggest excitement in fashion is made by the likes of Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, Hedi Slimane (formerly of Dior Homme), Gareth Pugh (rumoured to soon be backed by LVMH), Olivier Theyskens (already missed at Nina Ricci) – all of whom favour a dark, gloomy aesthetic.

L to R: Rick Owens, two creations by Gareth Pugh, Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy

Why is the gothic and the dark such an enduring theme in fashion? For starters, black (the cornerstone of dark fashions) is versatile and flattering (always a winner) and it’s also dramatic. So it’s an accessible statement. It’s a hallmark of the rebellious (think of the punks), favoured by dandys (wasn’t Lord Byron typically dressed in black?), and at the safe end of the spectrum, it’s sleek and timeless (picture Audrey Hepburn, forever chic in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s“).

L to R: queen of punk fashion Vivienne Westwood, Lord Byron’s profile, Audrey Hepburn wearing THAT Givenchy dress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

And for the rest of us less about statements and more about slobbery, a comfortable go-to item on those days you don’t really feel like thinking too hard about dressing.

Which brings us back to those Vogue girls – they embody both ends of the spectrum in their dark ensembles: a touch of gothic romance with all those sharp shoulders and shoes but still always refined and feminine. The look works when it references just the right amount of dark goth and glamour without going into costume territory.

I still can’t identity with the dark glamour look (my love for Rick Owens is more because of the warrior references rather than the gothic witchy ones) but I can identify with the love of the look. How many trends out there can evoke the rich variety of references and history and cultural touchstones?

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Fashionaddict is a journalist from Singapore who muses about fashion in her spare time on her blog. When not working (rarely) or expounding about fashion, she reads, eats, travels, and works out to let off steam.