Juliet, Catholicism and the Renaissance Revival
A trend story by Darcy Jones
Like everyone else this Spring in London, I went to see Sadie Sink and Noah Jupe play Romeo & Juliet at the Harold Pinter Theatre. And I’ll warn you if you’re yet to see it - it’s a tear jerker! I understand how trivial that sounds. I mean obviously! It’s Romeo & Juliet. But the unique way Robert Icke plays with the idea of fate in this production makes the tragic ending all the more emotional. During the quieter moments of the show, I found my mind shifting to what the cast was wearing. While the costumes were relatively simple - Sink in babydoll dresses, slip shorts and plain coloured corsets and Jupe often barechested in black slacks - the Shakespearean influences were there. For instance, during the party scene in Act I, Scene V (you know… ‘o, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do’) Sink wears a strapless satin mini dress in a striking crimson red. While, yes, this is a modern take on Juliet, since the dawn of her existence in the literary zeitgeist, she has forever been depicted wearing red. During the same scene, Jupe’s Romeo is dressed in a classic renaissance style waistcoat. Other Elizabethan influences sprinkled into the production included white cotton nightgowns, floral headdresses and venetian style masquerade masks. This cast my mind away from 14th century Verona and towards the current 2026 style trends. And come to think of it, renaissance fashion has definitely been having a moment as of late.
[Romeo & Juliet at the Harold Pinter Theatre]
The renaissance revival has been bubbling under the surface of haute couture for the past few fashion seasons but it seemed this past batch of fashion weeks leaned into it enough to confirm that it is officially trending. Ralph Lauren showed multiple chainmail pieces accompanied by winks of leather, corsetry and hoods in their Autumn Winter 26 collection and Chemena Kamali continues to lean into Chloe’s bohemia with ruffled blouses, puffed sleeves and floral embroidery. These influences aren’t limited to the world of high fashion though. Peasant dresses, religious pendants and mediaeval footwear have been ruling the streetwear scene also. I mean, how many celebrities have you seen sporting some kind of pantaloon or bloomer in the past six months? The answer you’re looking for is a lot! And the best part of this trend is its huge versatility. Whether you want to embody Joan of Arc and lean into your powerful femininity in chainmail and leather or appear as angelic as our heroine of this fashion story Juliet Capulet in white puffed sleeves and red florals, the choice is yours.
[Ralph Lauren A/W 26 and Chloé A/W 26]
Speaking of Juliet, renaissance dressing in many ways goes hand in hand with fashion’s lifelong love affair with Catholic imagery. Just look at the famed 2018 Met Gala, where the theme was ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’. Italian renaissance influences have been a cornerstone in countless haute couture collections for decades: think Chanel A/W 1992, Jean Paul Gaultier S/S 2007, Dolce & Gabbana A/W 2013 and yet the appeal remains timeless. Catholic author Mary Harper speaks on this at length in her book The Liturgical Style Guide published in early 2026 and describes Catholic influences in clothing as ‘a form of prayer’. She describes how Pope Benedict understood that beauty has the power to awaken the human heart to the truth of God. And what, my friends, is more beautiful than fashion? Perhaps some of those dressing in Catholic motifs aren’t doing so for religious reasons but simply because they are beautiful. In a sense that is what fashion is always about. While we may not completely understand the countless stories woven into our clothing, what matters is that they’ve stemmed from somewhere.
[La Celestina (1996)]
On the topic of fashion’s endless inspirations, we saw many examples of mediaeval, renaissance and Catholic influences at the 78th annual Met Gala. The carpet theme this year was ‘Fashion is Art’ and many celebrities took this prompt literally - recreating art pieces from as early as ancient Greece. Gracie Abrams wore Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel, her dress inspired by Gustav Klimt’s Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Interestingly, the titular muse of the portrait was an outspoken atheist whom Klimt was drawn to given his indifference to organised religion. However, having grown up exposed to his parents’ extreme Catholic beliefs, religious influences continue to show up in his art, and accordingly, Gracie Abrams’ Met gown. Other examples include Imaan Hammam, who showed up in an obviously mediaeval inspired Saint Laurent gown - head to toe in red silk frills and puffs and topped off with an ornate heart-shaped pendant necklace. And Rachel Zegler, paying homage to Paul Delaroche’s The Execution of Lady Jane Grey. Her white corseted Prabal Gurung gown reflects the poignant innocence of the accursed queen and the sheath of white fabric she wore across her eyes references her blind death.
[Gracie Abrams, Imaan Hammam and Rachel Zegler at the 2026 Met Gala]
The fate of Lady Jane has gone down in history as a great tragedy, however ‘never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo’. And so with that, we now return to Juliet - the one who inspired this article in the first place. Along with the ever alluring nature of renaissance fashion, Juliet Capulet seems an eternal muse to young girls and creatives alike, despite her pitiful fate. Why is that? Is it the unabashed way she dives headfirst into love? Is it that enduring image of her on a moonlit balcony? Is it the many ways she has been reimagined and reborn again and again? Taylor Swift’s Love Story, Arthur Laurents’ West Side Story, John Keats’ Isabella… Whatever it be, one thing is certain, she transcends the realm of fiction and lives in every girl. So this Spring I urge you to lean into the renaissance resurgence and channel your inner Juliet. Whether that be surrendering all good conscience to a doomed love or simply wearing beautiful things and choosing to see it as a form of benediction.
[Romeo and Juliet (1968)]
23/05/26 Darcy Jones