“The Fate of Ophelia” music video
Worn On: 10/5/25 // the fate of ophelia
the commentary
I had the pleasure of watching the premiere of Taylor’s music video on the big screen via The Release Party of a Showgirl film. I found the theatre acted as an excellent vehicle for viewing the video almost as a movie. Having had mixed feelings about some of Taylor’s directorial efforts, I felt this was perhaps her strongest piece of work yet (with the exception of the “All Too Well” short film). Perhaps it’s because I saw it as truly being rooted in The Life of a Showgirl’s world. Without re-records at play, I could enjoy the video for what it was meant to function as: Compelling visuals in support of a specific body of work. This one! It was a relief to get to enjoy Taylor’s vision of translating the showgirl concept, applying the idea to different decades and theatrical mediums. It reminded me of my recent newsletter in which I observed how Taylor has always had the essence of a showgirl’s grit, determination, and love of a sparkling on stage moment throughout the many stages of her career.
This particular set up was one of the most intriguing and layered. Featuring a look from Fausto Puglisi’s Roberto Cavalli Spring 2025 collection which he described as “deeply connected to [his] roots in Sicily.” Indeed, this portion of his collection was inspired by his hometown’s houses - the rope material evocative of Messina’s seaside locale. Here, Taylor rethinks roping and instead contextualizes it into the logistics of the behind-the-scenes production of making a show happen. As I see it, this places Taylor literally entwined into the makings of the show. She is both the show’s showgirl and the person intricately tied into all the nitty gritty details of the show’s creation. It also nods to the character Ophelia’s lack of agency in the play and how her fate is intrinsically tied to the men in her life.
the clothes
* Not available for purchaseFeature Photo by TAS Rights Management