A symbol of love and sensuality in bridal dresses and lingerie, an emblem of elegance in high-couture luxury garments, a representation of class and refinement in past home decor. It's versatile, appearing everywhere from fashion to home spaces, never losing its presence.

We are talking about the lace. A textile that emerges season after season, or rather, never truly disappears. It has graced iconic celebrities' wedding dresses, adorned unforgettable Met Gala outfits, featured in fashion's most legendary phases and beyond.

In sum, lace is, and has been, everywhere. But do we really know its story?

Before lace became popular on runways or in our wardrobes, it had a rich historical background. Throughout the centuries, lace has been a symbol of luxury and status, painstakingly hand-crafted and reserved for society's elite.

It also carried meanings of heritage and sensual allure, adorning garments in ways that conveyed power and sophistication.

In short, there's much more to lace than meets the eye, and its fascinating story spans centuries.

In this piece, let's unravel how lace evolved from a status symbol into a versatile material that designers still champion today.

The Hidden History of a Textile Icon

Long before lace was considered "feminine," romantic, or old-fashioned, it was a textile of the powerful.

When lace first emerged in 16th-century Europe, both men and women of nobility wore it proudly.

Kings, queens, clergy… All indulged in lace trims and ruffled collars as a display of wealth and prestige. In fact, early lace wasn't gendered at all; it later evolved with distinct styles for men and women, as fashion writer Darnell-Jamal Lisby explains:

Certain styles of lace ruffs and collars exuded a sense of masculinity, while others were perceived as feminine. Regardless, lace represented power, sophistication and exclusivity.

As noted, regardless of who wore it, lace represented status, often being the most expensive part of an outfit.

According to the SFO Museum, two main techniques were developed simultaneously:

• Needle lace (made with a single needle and thread) → According to Fashion History Timeline, "needle lace is a term referring to the technique in which the lace is made of entirely needle work; it developed in the 15th century and then became very popular throughout the 16th century."

Image from fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu

• Bobbin lace (woven by plaiting many threads) → According to Fashion History Timeline, Bobbi lace is a “textile lace made by braiding and twisting thread on a pillow.”

Image from fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu

Each technique had its own specifications, but both were so labor-intensive that a single piece could require "three distinct specialists: the artist who created the designs on paper, the pattern maker who translated the designs onto parchment, and the lace maker who worked directly on the patterns to make the lace."

In fact, while lace adorned the elite and symbolized wealth and status, the creators behind these masterpieces remained largely invisible.

According to PhD Student in Lace History Elena Kanagy-Loux, lacemakers "mostly were underpaid women and girls working long hours at their pillows, easily spending a year to make a single collar."

Their stories remain largely untold, yet their legacy lives on in every delicate thread and pattern that survives today.

This dedication to craftsmanship appeared in various techniques throughout Europe.

One example, highlighted in the Metropolitan Museum's blog, is Gros point needle lace. This 17th-century style "presented a voluminous character rather than the light and airy form of later periods, reflecting an era when luxury was equated with grandeur."

Image from Met Museum’s Blog | Gros point needle lace border

Beyond the 17th century, lace remained a significant textile through the 18th and 19th centuries and continues to be relevant today. Let's explore how it evolved throughout each historical period:

Lace in the 18th Century

In the 18th century, lace's fortunes began to shift amid political upheaval and new technology.

The French Revolution at the century's end toppled much of the aristocratic excess that had sustained demand for lavish lace fashions.

At the same time, the early Industrial Revolution was introducing new possibilities for production: by 1809, inventor John Heathcoat had built a machine that could replicate lace's intricate mesh background, heralding the dawn of machine-made lace.

In sum, in the 18th century, lace transitioned from an exclusively handcrafted luxury item to something that could be mechanically produced, democratizing access while changing its social significance.

Image from Fashion is My Muse: Lace in 18th Century France

Lace in the 19th Century

The 19th century fully transformed how lace was made and who could enjoy it. Industrialization made machine-made lace widely available, bringing this once-exclusive fabric within reach of the middle class.

According to SFO Museum, to keep lace in vogue, new styles emerged: lighter and faster-to-produce laces such as Belgian Point de Gaze and French Chantilly became popular innovations that still appeared lavish.

Image from Met Museum | "Handkerchief Belgian, Brussels 1853”

Lace in the 20th Century

As men's fashion turned more austere in the late 19th century, lace became firmly codified as a feminine fabric by the Victorian era.

It continued to shine in women's wardrobes and special rituals (bridal veils, christening gowns, church linens), but by the early 20th century, it was largely confined to these traditional formal uses.

The proliferation of synthetic materials and mass production techniques saturated the market with affordable lace options, diminishing its prestigious reputation and transforming it into a widely available decoration.

Yet even as lace lost its exclusive cachet, it never lost its emotional appeal: the legacy of fine craftsmanship and delicate beauty kept lace culturally relevant, sparking periodic revivals and reinventions in the years to come.

Image from Pinterest | “Early 20th Century Fashion”

Lace continues to evolve and appear in trends, collections, and designs. Just when you might think it's overdone, there it is again, in the spotlight. Keep reading to explore lace's contemporary presence and how it's incorporated into modern designs.

A Textile That Evolves With Us: Lace in Contemporary Design

Fast-forward to today, and lace is far from a dusty relic. In fact, modern designers constantly find fresh ways to use lace, proving its timeless allure in both haute couture and everyday style.

Beyond heritage houses like Gucci that have embraced lace as a signature element with playful, romantic pieces season after season, new runway collections regularly return to lace. This was evident in the fall/winter 2025 runways.

All across the fall/winter 2025 runways, designers experimented with delicate fabric, deploying it as fluid sheer lace maxi dresses or using exacting measures to finish off slip skirts with a lace trim.

This quote comes from Who What Wear, which dedicated an article to lace's dominance on the fall/winter 2025 runways, highlighting its revival of romantic themes and classic delicate aesthetics.

Image from Who What Wear's article "Romance Isn't Dead—At Least, Not If Fall's Top Trend Has a Say" (Source)

And lace isn't just present in today's fashion but also already shaping it’s future. A recent WGSN S/S 2026 women's catwalks prediction highlighted trends like 'Romance Reimagined' featuring soft heirloom-inspired lace and 'Haunted Cabaret' incorporating dark black lace as a symbolic element.

Source: WGSN S/S 2026 Womenswear Catwalk Trend Predictions (Instagram @wgsn)

Indeed, lace is already securing its place in next year's spotlight, reinforcing its continuous presence and evolution. Moreover, fashion can expect it to venture into new, innovative, taboo-breaking territories, as it has been doing for the past few years.

For example, one of the most exciting shifts in recent years is how lace has transcended gender boundaries.

In the mid-2010s, style watchers were stunned to see menswear designers sending lace looks down the runway, an early signal being Burberry's Spring 2016 collection, where lace shirts for men made headlines as a "surprise trend".

Burberry Menswear Spring Summer 2016 Collection - Look 37 | Image sourced from: www.independent.co.uk

That "shock" soon gave way to wider acceptance: those runway lace pieces trickled into retailers and even fast fashion, proving that men in lace wasn't just a fantasy but a viable style statement.

And, more than ten years later, we see that still reverberating across red carpets and runways: 

Image from: Lace, lace and more lace: The trend that's already taking over 2025

As we can see, today, lace has become a framework for challenging norms, especially gender roles. However, many designers and brands still use it to evoke its traditional concepts of sensuality, femininity, and high-class elegance, and female artists are certainly not shying away from it.

One very recent example is Sabrina Carpenter's iconic red lace outfit for the 2025 MTV VMAs.

Source: Sabrina Carpenter Sizzles in Red Lace on the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet | Photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage via Yahoo Entertainment

The singer has long been a symbol of what's socially considered femininity and sensuality, for some a symbol of women's empowerment, for others a regression in the sexualization of women.

But despite disagreements about her approach, lace has always been present in her artistic expression, appearing in her show outfits, red carpet garments, and more.

As a Gen Z icon widely regarded as embodying a modern interpretation of the Madonna and/or Marilyn Monroe aesthetic, Carpenter's consistent use of lace demonstrates how the fabric continues to serve its "traditional" role of enhancing feminine allure while simultaneously being reimagined through contemporary silhouettes and styling.

It's almost safe to say the pattern has become a symbol of the artist, and maybe even vice versa.

Image from: WWD, "Sabrina Carpenter Wears Custom Patou for 'Short 'N' Sweet Tour'" (2025)

Indeed, lace nowadays still maintains its traditional presence in chic and sensual outfits like Sabrina's, but in contemporary fashion, it also expands beyond its conventional uses, finding its way into unexpected styles like streetwear.

For example, famous streetwear brand Supreme recently released a "Last Supper" patterned lace shirt as part of its 2025 collection, a sign that lace's appeal runs from the couture atelier to the "hypebeast" closet.

Image from Supreme’s website. 

In sum, designers and brands, big and small, are recognizing that lace is a tool for creativity: it can inject romance into streetwear, edge into eveningwear, or artistry into the everyday.

We're in an age where fashion encourages blending and breaking rules, and lace is one material that enables that: it's at once historic and innovative, delicate and statement-making.

Lace is evolving with us, continually shedding old stereotypes and proving its relevance on the cutting edge of design.

Where Craft Meets Access: Lace Materials You Can Source

For designers and brands inspired by lace's rich heritage and modern resurgence, the good news is that accessing quality lace fabrics is easier than ever.

Historically, a designer would have to navigate niche suppliers or even travel to specific towns famous for lacemaking. Today, platforms like World Collective simplify this process by connecting brands with pre-vetted, high-integrity suppliers around the globe.

That means even small labels can find exquisite, responsibly made lace.

Danteliss: Certified Lace Innovation within World Collective

Amid the many suppliers in World Collective’s network, Danteliss stands out as the go-to for lace. Their fabrics are not only beautifully designed (think delicate florals, geometric trims, and dramatic scalloped edges) but also meet certification standards.

For example, one of Danteliss’s signature laces listed on the platform (product Liss 5011) is made of 97.5% recycled polyester and 2.5% elastane.

Using predominantly certified polyester fibers means this lace has a far lower environmental footprint than conventional nylon or polyester lace, yet it sacrifices nothing in look or feel.

Lace, 97.5% Recycled PES (Polyester), 2.5% EA (Elastane)

Knit, 100% Recycled PES (Polyester)

Knit, 100% Recycled PES (Polyester)

Their other available laces follow the same standards, having been previously vetted by World Collective's team.

World Collective proudly welcomed Danteliss to the platform as a partner that offers “certified lace and innovative patterns” for designers.

What does that mean in practice? It means when you source Danteliss lace through World Collective, you’re getting the best of both worlds: time-honored lace artistry and the assurances of a rigorous vetting process.

With resources like Danteliss’s certified lace at their fingertips, creatives can weave the rich narrative of lace into modern designs, confident that the supply chain behind the scenes is as carefully vetted as the garments themselves.

Honoring Heritage, Crafting the Future

Lace’s journey from the courts of Renaissance Europe to the catwalks of today is a testament to its enduring magic.

Few textiles carry such a rich tapestry of meanings: it has signified luxury and power, transformed into an emblem of romance and femininity, and now serves as a medium of artistic and cultural expression across the style spectrum.

For fashion creators and brands, the opportunity is clear: lace is a heritage material that thrives on reinvention.

One season it might surface as a dainty Victorian-inspired collar, the next as an ultra-modern, gender-neutral streetwear piece.

By understanding lace’s past, designers can more intentionally play with its connotations, subverting its traditional associations or amplifying them for effect.

We encourage designers to look beyond the clichés of lace (it’s not just for wedding gowns or antique doilies!) and consider its structural possibilities, its visual contrast, and its storytelling power.

Finally, as we look to the future, remember that working with materials like lace no longer means compromising on sustainability or sourcing transparency.

Through initiatives like World Collective’s Ecosystem, what used to be rarefied (like access to fine, certified produced lace) is now readily available to those who seek it.

Now, with fresh design perspectives and better sourcing at our fingertips, alce can continue to be part of a narrative that’s both respectful of tradition and boldly forward-looking.

Learn more about fashion trends, evolving style habits, and timeless fabrics:

• How Fashion Brands Can Use Nostalgia and the Rise of Kidults in Branding and Design
• Jeans in the Circular Economy: Innovations and a Collaborative Path Forward
• Monomaterials: Designing Simpler Products for a Circular Fashion Future
• The Material Innovation Era: How Fashion and Furniture Are Being Redefined