Archive · 8 Aug 2026
Kolkata's youth embrace gothic fashion as legitimate culture
Gothic fashion is a style of dark clothing, like black velvet dresses, chunky boots and heavy makeup.
It is inspired by old Victorian stories, art and music from long ago.
Lots of young people in Kolkata, a big city in India, love this style.
Wearing it lets them be themselves and stand out from what most people expect.
Some people used to stare or make fun of them for dressing this way.
But thanks to the internet and social media, more people understand it now.
Young people see gothic fashion as a real culture with a long history, not just something weird.
Big events like ComicCon let fans show off their gothic costumes.
It is now easy to find gothic clothes and jewellery in shops around Kolkata.
For these young people, gothic fashion is a way to be brave and creative.
Gothic fashion has emerged as one of the most discussed and followed aesthetics in contemporary culture, with Kolkata's younger generations embracing the subculture.
Young enthusiasts met My Kolkata at St. Paul's Cathedral to discuss how the city supports gothic fashion as a way to break societal impositions on how people should look.
Enthusiast Sachin Gon Chaudhuri said social media has helped normalise gothic fashion, with more curiosity than judgment among younger people compared to five years ago.
Events such as ComicCon and Anime India have given Kolkata's cosplayers and pop-culture enthusiasts a platform to showcase gothic looks, costumes and subcultures.
Gothic fashion pieces can be found at New Market, Mirza Ghalib Street, AC Market on Theatre Road, brand stores like Zara and H&M, and jewellery shops in Gariahat or Hatibagan.
- Who
- Young gothic fashion enthusiasts in Kolkata, including illustrator Pracheeta Banerjee, Sachin Gon Chaudhuri, makeup artist Joyita Dey and Rudrapriyo Dutta.
- What
- Kolkata's younger generations are embracing gothic fashion as a legitimate subculture and a form of self-expression against societal norms.
- When
- The article describes the current, ongoing rise of gothic fashion in Kolkata; no specific date is given.
- Where
- Kolkata, India, where enthusiasts met My Kolkata in front of St. Paul's Cathedral.
- Why
- Young people say gothic fashion gives them a language to express identities that don't fit the mainstream mould and to break societal impositions on how people should look.
Gothic fashion proponents
Skeptics and older generations
Legitimacy of gothic fashion
Gothic fashion proponents
Gothic fashion is a legitimate, longstanding culture tied to art, literature and music — a language of resilience, not just something 'weird'.
Skeptics and older generations
The aesthetic is unusual and draws side glances, stares and criticism when worn in daily life, such as all-black outfits with heavy eyeliner on the Metro.
Generational attitudes
Gothic fashion proponents
Younger people are open and curious about goth and other subcultures, helped by social media, K-pop, anime and gaming.
Skeptics and older generations
Older generations are 'still catching up' and have historically been more prone to viewing alternative fashion as something weird.
- City
- Kolkata, India
- Interview location
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- Featured enthusiasts
- Pracheeta Banerjee (31), Sachin Gon Chaudhuri (24), Joyita Dey (25), Rudrapriyo Dutta
- Supporting events
- ComicCon, Anime India
- Shopping destinations
- New Market, Mirza Ghalib Street, AC Market (Theatre Road), Zara, H&M, Gariahat, Hatibagan
- Key influences
- K-pop, anime, gaming, social media, Marilyn Manson, Harajuku and Lolita fashion
- Reported change
- More curiosity than judgment among youth over the past five years