Once a symbol of rebellion and subculture, black lipstick takes its rightful place in high fashion at Schiaparelli’s latest couture show.
At Schiaparelli’s most recent couture show in Paris, amid a cascade of surrealist silhouettes and sculptural embellishments, it was a bold beauty choice that captured the conversation: black lipstick. Nearly every model walked the runway with lips painted in a deep, glossy black—a stark contrast to the typically understated beauty looks the house is known for.
The effect was immediate and unforgettable. This wasn’t a fleeting nod to gothic glam. It was a full commitment.
Created by Dame Pat McGrath, the striking lip was achieved using her brand’s PermaGel Eye Pencil in Xtreme Black, layered to deliver a high-shine, lacquered finish. Paired with Schiaparelli’s sculptural couture pieces—think glittering breastplates, heartbeat-embellished gowns, and architectural tailoring—the look felt otherworldly yet grounded in something deeply human: self-expression.
Black lipstick has long existed on the edge of beauty trends. Rising from punk and goth subcultures in the ’80s, it’s reappeared on designer runways over the years—Marc Jacobs, Dior, and Mugler among them—but has never fully integrated into mainstream beauty ideals. Too intense. Too emotional. Too different. And yet, that’s exactly what has given it enduring power.
For many, black lipstick is more than a dramatic flourish—it’s personal. A marker of individuality, rebellion, and, for some, queerness. It’s a beauty statement that often comes with a story.
Fashion editor Kelsey Stiegman knows this connection well. Before her career in fashion, she was the only emo kid in a small, conservative town—queer in identity and aesthetics. Her black eyeliner and band tees were more than style choices; they were armor. Though those early expressions of identity were often met with judgment, they planted the seeds of authenticity.
Later, in New York City, she found that same sense of power in a tube of black lipstick. Kylie Jenner’s “Dead of Knight” Lip Kit became an early favorite, later replaced by KVD Beauty’s Everlasting Hyperlight Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick. What began as a teenage statement evolved into a tool of empowerment—one that allowed her to step into her identity with confidence.
Seeing black lipstick embraced at Schiaparelli’s couture show didn’t just reflect a shift in beauty trends—it represented a broader cultural embrace of what was once considered too “other.” In an industry that often praises individuality but subtly enforces sameness, this moment felt radical. And long overdue.
It’s not just about the lipstick. It’s about what it symbolizes: the right to be seen. To take up space. To wear something bold, strange, or unconventional—and not just be tolerated, but celebrated.
Schiaparelli’s runway didn’t just bring black lipstick back into the spotlight. It gave it the stage it’s always deserved. What was once an outsider’s signature is now a couture centerpiece.
This isn’t a fleeting revival. It’s a redefinition.
Black lipstick has returned—not quietly, not cautiously, but proudly. And this time, it’s not asking for approval. It’s owning the room.