Are we all going to be clowns next winter?

With the return of gothic, medieval core and dandy aesthetics, the collections presented during the latest fashion weeks featured the use of ruff collars – ruffled collars reinterpreted by designers in their historical variations. The emergence of this specific trend invites us to reflect on how this item is interconnected with different historical aesthetics, which in turn have manifested today as contemporary micro-trends, in which the collar had specific uses and meanings. This accessory, evoking an image of austere royalty, but also of opulence and play, has fascinated creatives within the fashion system who have reinterpreted it by contaminating it with everyday and modern garments. In the sixteenth century, these pleated collars adorned the necklines of shirts worn by men and women, mainly from the wealthy classes. During the golden age, these accessories were embellished with jewels and embroidery and forced the wearer into a haughty posture, albeit an extremely uncomfortable one, so much so that the English royal court had to invent special utensils and cutlery to carry out daily activities. Over time, ruff collars were brought back in a more comfortable and lighter version, and were not worn only by nobles, but also became decorative elements of the costumes of clowns and court jesters, as well as distinctive symbols of traditional carnival characters such as Harlequin and Pulcinella. For this reason, these historical accessories are also known today as clown collars or Pierrot collars.

Maria Grazia Chiuri, in her latest FW25 collection for Christian Dior, inspired by Sandy Powell’s costumes for the film Orlando, directed by Sally Potter in 1992 and itself inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel, showcased shirts with high ruffled collars or traditional ruffs transformed into pearl chokers, paired with knickerbockers and redingotes—fitted waist coats flaring at the bottom, traditionally used by the English aristocratic equestrian class in the early nineteenth century. Fashion journalist Sarah Mower, in her review of the show for Vogue Runway, writes that the garments in the collection “are designed like a journey through history, but in reality, they are just wearable, practical things for everyday life.” In essence, Chiuri brings contemporaneity to garments that appear far removed from our present, such as Elizabethan bibs and velvet brocade capes. In the 2025 couture collection by the French maison, this historical fascination is evident once again in the form of wide embroidered collars, this time paired with corsets and crinoline skirts with visible structure. Richard Quinn, in his FW25 collection, also featured ruffled collars adorned with bows and fabric roses, worn with lace dresses and princess-style skirts in a snowy, fairytale-like setting. Again evoking the regal dimension of these ancient accessories, Anthony Vaccarello in the SS25 collection for Saint Laurent showcased ornate damask jackets with ‘80s silhouettes, paired with high ruffled lace collars. Ralph Lauren, meanwhile, incorporated romantic jabot shirts and the traditional rabat into his FW25 collection. This lace and ruffled collar originated as a male accessory at the French court of King Louis XIV and is still used today to adorn judges' robes and in some academic contexts.

Alessandro Michele, straddling the line between couturier and theatrical costume designer, in his first Couture collection for Valentino, created garments generated by a “flood” of inspirations—a dizzying array, as Michele put it—of literary, historical, and artistic references spanning from Venetian carnival costumes to the Middle Ages, Marie Antoinette, and old Hollywood. Like an archaeologist, Michele dusts off pieces and objects from the Roman maison’s archive, presenting stiff Elizabethan-style ruffs and collars with bows and ruffles that frame, as in look 17, patchwork dresses. In the brand’s ready-to-wear collections (SS25), Michele also features pleated collars with ruffled edges paired with lace dresses and vests. The Roman maison’s ruff collar was recently worn in the iconic Valentino red by Fausto of Coma Cose during the Sanremo Festival.

Victorian collars took center stage in the FW25 collection by Seán McGirr for McQueen. Fascinated by the image of the doomed dandy, McGirr created high lace collars that almost shielded the face: the fabric was folded like an accordion, resembling a circular fan. The flâneurs of this show, as defined by McGirr himself, wore shirts with jabots and cuffs covered in ruffles, paired with cloaks and wide-brimmed hats by Philip Treacy, inspired by characters from Oscar Wilde’s novels, especially the image of Dorian Gray as the embodiment of mysterious and wicked beauty. This fascination with historical costumes is part of the brand’s DNA. Alexander McQueen has enriched his shows with references to typical Elizabethan and Victorian dress since his 1992 debut collection, Jack the Ripper Stalks His Victim, which featured a frock coat—an early version of a tailcoat—covered in barbed wire prints. In this regard, Lady Gaga chose a look inspired by an Alexander McQueen gown from his Givenchy era in the music video for Abracadabra. More recently, for her headlining show at Coachella, the “Mother of Monsters” wore a ruff made of pointed thorns over a “bloody mary” red dress with Elizabethan silhouettes, inspired by Lady Macbeth. The massive skirt opened like a curtain to reveal a cage-like structure inside where the dancers performed.

In a decidedly chicer version, Chanel featured tulle clown collars and chiffon ruffled cuffs peeking from classic tweed jackets in the SS25 show. Likewise, Nicolas Ghesquière for the SS25 women’s collection at Louis Vuitton proposed collars that transformed into full-on necklaces made of petals and precious stones, paired with check-printed jackets with puffed sleeves and striped capri pants. The clown collar also reappears in the FW25 collection, where Ghesquière presented wide, glossy ruffled collars with bows that draped over the shoulders. Some designers focused on the playful yet melancholic meaning of this accessory. For example, in the SS25 collection by Kid Super, Colm Dillane, taking on the role of a “puppet master designer”, created trompe l’oeil garments that mimicked wood grain, framed with ruffled lace collars and cuffs. Models were suspended like puppets, and some wore masks with classic clown makeup. The clown collar trend is indeed connected with contemporary beauty trends such as the yarn face and Pat McGrath’s glass skin, which returned to the runway thanks to the celebrated Artisanal 2024 collection by Maison Margiela.