This fall, fashion casts a spell with witch-inspired collections

The autumn runways have conjured something supernatural. As temperatures drop, fashion houses are summoning a distinctly witchy sensibility across their fall collections, offering wearers a chance to channel their inner enchantress.

The timing feels almost magically aligned. Practical Magic 2 has drawn audiences back to theaters, Ryan Murphy is reviving the sorceress-centric installment of American Horror Story, and Disney is set to release Hexed, an animated film about a magically gifted teenager. Yet the trend runs deeper than pop culture scheduling. According to Kristen Bateman, a fashion writer and Vogue contributor, the appeal lies in something more psychological. "I think we're all craving escapism from everything that's going on in the world, and the witchy look feels oddly comforting yet unfamiliar and satisfying for those who want to dress for themselves firmly through the female gaze," she says.

From macabre to glamorous

The fall collections reveal witchcraft as a broad aesthetic umbrella rather than a single costume. Comme des Garçons, Rick Owens, Erdem, and Lanvin number among the designers who've stirred some toil and trouble into their lines. The spectrum spans frightening to glamorous, melancholic to avant-garde—evidence that rigid stereotypes of witch appearance have dissolved.

Urban Outfitters recently flagged "whimsical witchcore" as trending, citing frilly tops and loose trousers in earthy tones that suggest Earth goddess more than cartoon crone. Bateman identifies Comme des Garçons and Simone Rocha as reliable sources for enchantress-core, alongside vintage piano shawls and antique jewelry. She names Michèle Lamy as her ultimate fashion witch. "The aesthetic has definitely evolved over the years into something more glamorous than it used to be," Bateman notes. "And I think anyone who likes dressing differently can appreciate a witchy vibe and the power of black and a good symbol."

Tiffany Hsu, chief buying officer at MyTheresa, traces a parallel thread through romantic goth. She points to Alexander McQueen, Maria Lucia Hohan, and David Koma as creators of high-fashion high priestess attire. "It's romantic more than black. We're seeing cape details, fishtail hems, and long trumpet sleeves, especially in evening and cocktail styles. Corsetry and lace are part of it too—that whole Wuthering Heights mood but very witchy."

Fashion as spiritual practice

For Ebony Jasmine Harris, a glamour witch and spiritual occultist, the connection between clothing and witchcraft runs ancient and deep. "I think fashion and spirituality always work together," she says. Harris explains that glamour magic has persisted for millennia, making any singular witch dress code impossible—yet fashion remains central to the practice. She references color magic, among the oldest magical traditions: black for cloaking, strength, or protection; white for purity or deeper spiritual access.

The current moment's particular hunger for enchantment, Bateman suggests, responds to collective need. Beyond film and television releases, she observes people embracing "their darker, weirder sides more than ever," with younger generations collecting antiques and Victorian influences resurging. "It overlaps with a dark, witchy moment. We also all want to believe in what others think is impossible." When external systems feel unresponsive or hostile, witchcraft offers an alternative sense of agency.

Designers, in their way, practice divination. By capturing this witchy mood, they respond to a widespread desire for magic in everyday life. Harris sees this as designers revealing something personal: "I think sometimes we get to see a little bit of the fashion designer's own magic in their own path. Because to me, fashion is an expression of your mental state, of your spiritual state, of what's going on personally."

Bateman offers a final incantation: "It's a way of thinking and a mode of dressing for oneself, far away from the male gaze. It's deeply, divinely feminine."