The glittering world of the Eras Tour was briefly infiltrated by the goth aesthetic last night, as Taylor Swift called on an old friend to help her close out a record-breaking run of sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. The superstar was joined on stage by Florence Welch for the first live performance of their track “Florida!!!”, with the British singer’s floaty, lace-trimmed dress providing a ghostly counterpoint to all the Swiftian kitsch: a spectre at the sequin-spangled feast.
Welch, a disciple of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci who sources 1930s dresses and antique lace blouses from Turner Vintage, wafted around the stage in a custom gown by Del Core, a youngish brand that has already acquired an A-list following (Florence Pugh, Amal Clooney, Priyanka Chopra) just four years after it launched. The billowing, ethereal silhouette and black lace accents were textbook Florence—and about as far as it’s possible to get from a matching pleated mini and crop top, or a crystal-encrusted Christian Louboutin boot. (Flo prefers to go barefoot.)
Of course, there is a clear tinge of Victoriana to the aesthetic around The Tortured Poets Department, the album “Florida!!!” appears on, but Taylor’s own voluminous Vivienne Westwood gown—while it matches the drama of the tracks—has everything to do with her TTPD world-building and nothing to do with capital “F” Fashion.
