Black Lipstick Is Back—and It Means More Than Ever

At Schiaparelli’s latest couture show, the return of the black lip wasn’t just a beauty choice—it was a statement of power, identity, and evolution.

At Paris Couture Week, Schiaparelli once again reminded the fashion world why it remains one of the most fearless and visionary houses on the scene. Known for its sculptural silhouettes and surrealist flourishes, the brand’s latest collection stunned with crystal hearts, gilded breastplates, and unexpected details. But this season, the spotlight wasn’t just on the garments—it was on the makeup. Specifically, the striking return of glossy black lipstick.

Nearly every model walked the runway wearing a slick, high-shine black lip, a bold shift from the house’s usual minimal makeup approach. While a handful of models wore a classic red, the dominant beauty narrative was clear: black lipstick had returned, and it was taking center stage.

The look was created by legendary makeup artist Dame Pat McGrath, who used her brand’s PermaGel Eye Pencil in Xtreme Black to craft the lacquered lip. The finish was intense, reflective, and utterly unapologetic—an unexpected match for couture, and yet a perfect complement to Schiaparelli’s avant-garde elegance.

While black lipstick has cycled in and out of fashion since its rise in the 1980s goth and punk scenes, it has rarely been embraced on such a mainstream, high-fashion platform. Designers like Marc Jacobs, Dior, and Chanel have all flirted with the shade in past collections, but it’s remained a niche look—edgy, underground, and often linked to subculture aesthetics. That’s exactly what makes its prominent return so meaningful.

To many, the black lip has always symbolized more than a trend. It has stood for rebellion, queerness, difference—a way to express what words sometimes couldn’t. For those who grew up wearing black eyeliner in small towns or swiping on dark lipstick as a quiet act of defiance, seeing this aesthetic celebrated at the highest level of fashion sends a powerful message: what was once dismissed or mocked now belongs on the runway.

Fashion editor Kelsey Stiegman has long worn black lipstick herself. Long before entering the industry, she was the lone alt girl in a conservative high school—donning dark eye makeup, band tees, and facing the judgment that often comes with being different. Back then, her beauty choices were about survival and self-expression, even if she didn’t fully understand them yet.

Years later, living in New York City and working in fashion, those same beauty rituals resurfaced—this time, free of ridicule. A simple black lipstick became a tool of empowerment. Today, her go-to is KVD Beauty’s Everlasting Hyperlight Transfer-Proof Liquid Lipstick, a product she credits with helping her feel visible, confident, and rooted in her identity as a queer woman in a sometimes exclusive industry.

This season’s Schiaparelli show, then, wasn’t just another display of haute couture—it was a moment of personal and cultural validation. In a space that often prizes conformity beneath a veneer of creativity, seeing black lipstick embraced so fully was a reminder that there is room for difference, for boldness, and for authenticity.

The resurgence of the black lip is not about chasing a fleeting trend. It’s about reclaiming space. It’s about honoring the younger versions of ourselves who felt out of place, and celebrating the boldness it took to keep showing up anyway. Black lipstick has always been a symbol. Now, it’s also a crown.

With Schiaparelli leading the charge, it’s clear: the goth glam aesthetic isn’t just back—it’s finally being given the respect it’s always deserved.