Forest Witch Style Guide
Stevie Nicks + Florence Welch
Black lace, rust velvet, stacked silver — the silhouette Stevie Nicks built and Florence Welch inherited.
Forest Witch is Stevie Nicks's Bella Donna (1981) and Florence Welch's Lungs (2009).
- A long black tiered lace dress — Victorian or Margiela F/W 2013 register
- A rust velvet fringed shawl — silk velvet, never polyester
- Stacked oxidised silver rings — three per hand, never polished
- High black leather boots that disappear under the dress
- A long pendant on a chain — moonstone or oxidised silver
- Bright colour — palette stays in dark warm tones and ink black
- Glossy patent leather — the reading is matte across every surface
- Polished gold — oxidised silver only
- Synthetic chiffon — silk, velvet, lace, leather only
What is Forest Witch style?
Forest Witch names the bohemian-darker silhouette Stevie Nicks built across her Fleetwood Mac years and her 1981 solo debut Bella Donna, and Florence Welch inherited on her 2009 debut Lungs. Nicks's Bella Donna cover, photographed by Herbert W. Worthington III for Modern Records, fixed the lace-trailing, oxidised-silver register as the canonical image; Welch's Lungs cover photographed by Tom Beard for Island Records carried the same grammar into a new generation. Maison Margiela's F/W 2013 collection under John Galliano leaned into the same lace-trailing language, and the contemporary Margiela mainline still maintains pieces in this register. Rob Sheffield's Rolling Stone coverage of Nicks across decades and Laura Snapes's writing on Welch for Pitchfork and The Guardian both treat the wardrobe as load-bearing performance infrastructure, not as styling. The archetype is darker than Folk Revival (no fringe vest, no Cuban-heel boot), more theatrical than English Garden (lace and velvet replace cotton and corduroy), and softer than Punk Tailor (no leather jacket, no slim tie). Contemporary maintainers in 2026: Maison Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester, Rick Owens at his softer register, and the vintage Victorian-lace market.
Forest Witch is a 40-year project across two singers and a designer. Stevie Nicks's 1981 Bella Donna solo debut and Herbert W. Worthington III's cover photograph for Modern Records fixed the lace-trailing, oxidised-silver register as the canonical image. Florence Welch's 2009 Lungs cover photographed by Tom Beard for Island Records carried the same grammar a generation later. Maison Margiela's F/W 2013 collection under John Galliano leaned into the same lace-trailing language and the contemporary Margiela mainline still maintains pieces in this register. Rob Sheffield's Rolling Stone coverage of Nicks across decades, Laura Snapes's writing on Welch for Pitchfork and The Guardian, and Vogue's repeated documentation of Welch's Gucci and Givenchy red-carpet appearances all treat the wardrobe as performance infrastructure. The look refuses what 2010s bohemian fashion tried to fold into it: bright colour, synthetic chiffon, polished gold. Ann Demeulemeester and Rick Owens at his softer register supply the contemporary cuts; the vintage Victorian-lace market supplies the source pieces.
The lace trails on the boot. The velvet holds its weight. The silver oxidises. Bright colour reads as failure here.
Signature palette
The capsule
- Long black tiered lace dress — Victorian-cut black lace dress with tiered skirt to the ankle; Maison Margiela F/W 2013 under John Galliano delivered the canonical contemporary version. The dress trails on the boot — that is the silhouette's load-bearing visual move. Vintage Edwardian or 1970s Bohemian-revival lace both deliver. Skip polyester lace and skip any hem above the ankle.
- Rust velvet fringed shawl — Silk velvet, deep rust or burgundy, long fringe at the ends. The shawl is the outerwear across performance and street; worn over the lace dress or knotted at the hip. Stevie Nicks's Bella Donna-era shawls are the canonical reference. Skip polyester velvet (wrong drape) and skip any sequin or beaded fringe.
- Stacked oxidised silver rings — Three rings per hand, oxidised silver, mixed bands and stones. Pamela Love, Vanessa Mooney, or vintage estate jewellery deliver. The rings are the load-bearing jewellery; the only acceptable additions are the long pendant and oxidised-silver hoops. Skip polished silver and skip any gold.
- High black leather boots that disappear under the dress — Knee-high or above-knee, soft black leather, low stack heel under 40mm. The boot sits hidden under the tiered lace; only the toe shows when walking. Ann Demeulemeester's high boots or vintage 1970s Frye knee-highs both deliver. Skip patent finishes and skip any decorative buckle.
- Long pendant on a chain — Single pendant — moonstone in oxidised silver bezel, or a smoky-quartz crystal, or an antique locket. The chain falls to the sternum. Pamela Love's stone-set pendants or vintage Victorian-period mourning jewellery both deliver. Skip stacked necklaces and skip polished gold chains.
- Wide-brim black wool felt hat — Wide-brim, low crown, black wool felt with a plain ribbon band. The hat is the outdoor-only piece; comes off at the door. Janessa Leoné, Lock & Co. Hatters, or vintage 1970s deliver. Skip flat-brim cuts (wrong silhouette) and skip novelty bands.
- Black silk slip with lace trim worn under the lace dress — Heavy silk satin, calf-length, lace trim at the hem and the strap. The slip surfaces under the lace dress and shows at the hem; worn alone for evening. Vintage 1970s lingerie or contemporary Maison Margiela's slips deliver. Skip stretch lace and skip nylon-blend slips.
What to avoid
- Polyester chiffon, velvet, or lace — natural fibres only
- Polished gold — oxidised silver only
- Bright colour — dark warm tones and ink black only
- Patent finishes — matte across every surface
- Festival-styling shorthand — sequin trim breaks the reading
Frequently asked questions
Forest Witch is the bohemian-darker silhouette Stevie Nicks built across her Fleetwood Mac years and fixed on her 1981 Bella Donna solo debut (Herbert W. Worthington III's cover photograph for Modern Records). Florence Welch inherited the same grammar on her 2009 Lungs cover (Tom Beard for Island Records). The capsule: long black tiered lace dress, rust velvet fringed shawl, stacked oxidised silver rings, high black leather boots that disappear under the dress, long pendant on a chain.
Both archetypes share the 1970s bohemian lineage, but the silhouettes diverge sharply. Folk Revival is Joni Mitchell at Laurel Canyon and Stevie Nicks's earlier Welsh-witch shoots — fringe suede vest, long tiered cotton skirt, Cuban-heel ankle boot, cream cable-knit sweater. Forest Witch is the darker, more theatrical late-period Nicks — lace, velvet, oxidised silver, the knee-high black boot disappearing under the dress. The two cross over at Stevie Nicks herself, but the lace and velvet are exclusive to Forest Witch.
Maison Margiela for the lace-trailing dress and the silk slip, Ann Demeulemeester for the high black boot, Rick Owens at his softer register for the velvet and leather pieces, Pamela Love and Vanessa Mooney for the oxidised silver jewellery, Janessa Leoné or Lock & Co. Hatters for the black wool felt hat. Vintage Edwardian or 1970s bohemian-revival lace deliver the canonical source pieces.
Yes, in a reduced register. The silk slip with lace trim under the velvet shawl reads as the everyday evening form; the lace dress and the wide-brim hat are the performance-and-event surface. The rust velvet shawl alone over a heavy black knit and slim trouser works for the daytime register. The boot and the oxidised silver hold across every setting.
Herbert W. Worthington III's cover photograph for Stevie Nicks's 1981 Bella Donna album for Modern Records. Tom Beard's cover photograph for Florence Welch's 2009 Lungs album for Island Records. Maison Margiela F/W 2013 runway photography under John Galliano. Rob Sheffield's Rolling Stone coverage of Nicks across decades. Laura Snapes's writing on Welch for Pitchfork and The Guardian.
