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Burtoncore: How Tim Burton is influencing pop culture and fashion
Following the ‘Office Siren’, ‘Brat Summer’ and ‘Demure’ trends, the ‘Burtoncore’ aesthetic drawing its inspiration from director Tim Burton should be in full swing with the release of the film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on September 11th, 2024. It’s the perfect opportunity to show up in your best black lace dress.
By Violaine Schütz.
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, a cult film that still influences pop culture
Tim Burton’s fantasy comedy Beetlejuice (1988) was a surprising box-office hit at the time. The feature won over audiences and critics alike, such as the demanding French magazine Cahiers du cinéma, which praised the film’s “classic American dark humor, basing its gags on making the fantastic ordinary and the everyday monstrous in a very singular way”.
With its legendary scenes, including the musical family dinner, its haunting soundtrack, its cardboard special effects and its gloomy jokes, the film has left a mark on several generations and established itself as one of the crown jewels of the gothic aesthetic.
Not only did it contribute to Tim Burton’s popularity, it also propelled to the forefront actor Michael Keaton, who would then star in Burton’s Batman a year after embodying the lecherous, nutty ghost hero in Beetlejuice, and actress Winona Ryder, the director’s muse and 1990s grunge icon. Starring as Lydia Deetz, the tormented, marginal heroine of Beetlejuice, the latter seemed to represent the double of the director, his spiritual little sister.
Bella Hadid and Anitta: two disciples of Winona Ryder
While many people were inspired by the aesthetic of Tim Burton’s film at the time, there are still countless people today who dress up as Lydia Deetz and Beetlejuice, the frightening and comical bio-exorcist whose name cannot be said too many times. These two endearing characters even have their own cartoon version…
Model Bella Hadid, along with The Weeknd at a Halloween party in 2018, or singer Anitta have already dressed up as the character played by Winona Ryder, and many others cite Beetlejuice as one of their favorite films. Before becoming the heroine of the sequel, Jenna Ortega had already listed the film as one of her favorite horror movies, alongside Prom Night and The Witch.
As the queen of method dressing she is, the actress is constantly sporting outfits as a reference to those worn by Lydia Deetz for the premieres of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which comes out on September 11th.
The Burtencore: an increasingly popular trend
The influence of Tim Burton’s dreamlike, romantic, dark and kitsch cinema extends beyond Beetlejuice. The series Wednesday, partly directed by Tim Burton, has encouraged many teenage girls (but not only) to dress in black lace dresses. On TikTok, thousands of videos offering users fashion recommandations to mimic the look of the cynical teenager are available with the hashtag #Wednesday.
Dark colours, surreal details, Victorian inspiration, whimsical hats, voluminous hairstyles, raven make-up, stripes, baroque jewellery… Tim Burton’s aesthetic, or “Burtoncore”, blends gothic style with humour and fantasy for a wild, eccentric silhouette.
The revival of the gothic style
The ideal pieces to copy the look of one of the director’s heroines? Vivienne Westwood’s dresses, Schiaparelli’s accessories and creations by Alaïa, who also designed Wednesday’s ball gown in the Netflix series. Marc Jacobs and Rodarte have also been inspired by the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
This trend goes hand in hand with the revival of the gothic style, or “Succubus Chic”, promoted by Kylie Jenner, Gabbriette, Amelia Gray, Julia Fox, Dove Cameron and Megan Fox over the past seasons. With their thin eyebrows, Morticia Addams-like raven hair and all-black looks, they are reviving a look that was all the rage in the 1980s, especially among new wave bands, and in the 1990s with Angelina Jolie as one of the representative of that aesthetic.
Eva Green, Jenna Ortega, Christina Ricci… Tim Burton’s muses are our inspirations
The ultimate icons of the poisonous Burtoncore aesthetic are the weird girls like Eva Green, Lisa Marie, the actress behind Mars Attacks! (1996) and Sleepy Hollow (1999), Helena Bonham Carter, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Monica Bellucci, or Christina Ricci, the new muse for Ganni. Troubled or femmes fatales, they all defend the idea of a complex, mysterious and dark femininity, in contrast with the girl-next-door and the gentle, docile woman-object seen through the male gaze.
To find inspiration, you just have to take a look at Sabrina Carpenter’s latest music video for Taste. Alongside Jenna Ortega, the singer portrays Burtonian heroines dressed in black dresses with puffed or gigot sleeves, at the crossroads between the Hollywood glamour and the film Death Becomes Her (1992).
The exhibition “The World of Tim Burton” opening on October 25th, 2024, at the Design Museum in London should also provide plenty of twisted and colourful visual references to draw on when considering what to wear – or how to remodel your house – this fall.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) by Tim Burton, starring Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder and Monica Bellucci, in cinemas on September 11th, 2024. The exhibition “The World of Tim Burton”, open from October 25th, 2024, to April 21st, 2025, at the Design Museum in London.
Translation Emma Naroumbo Armaing.
