Gabriela Hearst spreads a deck of tarot cards face down on the table and picks one at random. “Look!” she says, holding up a card that shows a blue chalice rising from a lotus flower, with waves of energy radiating from it: the Ace of Cups. Since Hearst started reading tarot daily, the Ace of Cups—which she sees as representing “self-love, loving what you do, and working without fear”—keeps showing up in her readings.

The designer first got into tarot at 18, when her mother gave her a deck as a gift. But she began pulling cards every day while preparing for her spring 2026 show, which featured all 22 Major Arcana cards—the named cards that symbolize life’s journey—from the Hanged Man wrapped in leather cord to Death in a fringed Western jacket. For Hearst, tarot is more than just creative inspiration. “It’s an exercise in reprogramming,” she explains. When she draws a negative card (she often gets the Seven of Pentacles, which for her means failure and reassessment), she tries to find its meaning. “You have to follow your dharma and accept what comes your way,” she says.

Hearst is far from the first designer to dive deep into tarot. Fashion’s most famous tarot user, Christian Dior, turned to the cards during World War II, when his younger sister Catherine was held in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Maria Grazia Chiuri continued that tarot tradition during her time at Dior. For her spring 2017 debut, she embroidered Major Arcana symbols onto delicate tulle skirts and dresses; later, she used images from the Visconti-Sforza deck for her spring 2021 couture collection.

A new exhibition at the Morgan Library, “Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions,” covers both tarot’s Italian Renaissance roots (the Morgan owns the 15th-century Visconti-Sforza deck, split between the Morgan and the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo, which is one of the oldest and most complete surviving Renaissance tarot decks) and its modern versions. Claire Gilman, one of the exhibit’s curators, points out that tarot revivals often happen during unstable times. “It’s in these moments of uncertainty that we look for other ways to understand our lives, outside of standard methods,” Gilman says. Hearst agrees: “We need this connection to know there’s something bigger than us.”

Whatever the reason, tarot has never been more popular in fashion: Daniel Lee used images from the 1909 Rider-Waite-Smith deck across Burberry’s spring 2026 collection; Colleen Allen drew from artist Leonora Carrington’s surrealist cards (especially the Empress and High Priestess, with their rich colors and simple shapes) for her fall 2025 line. And off the runway, Dior’s Jonathan Anderson and Celine’s Michael Rider both seek advice from their friend and tarot reader Trevor Ballin—who also works as a designer at Celine.

Ballin sees a natural link between tarot cards and design. “You’re looking at the present and trying to create desire for the future,” he says. “That’s why so many people in fashion are drawn to tarot. It’s about storytelling.”

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the enduring connection between fashion and tarot

BeginnerLevel Questions

1 What does fashion has a romance with tarot actually mean
It means fashion designers have been using tarot card imagery symbols and mystical themes in their clothing accessories and runway shows for decades Its a creative relationship that keeps coming back

2 Why is tarot so popular in fashion
Tarot is visually striking and it tells a story Fashion brands use it to create a sense of mystery selfdiscovery and a little bit of magicwhich makes people feel special and connected

3 What are some common tarot symbols I might see on clothes
Youll often see the Moon the Star the Sun the High Priestess and the Wheel of Fortune Swords cups and pentacles also show up a lot

4 Do I need to believe in tarot to wear tarotinspired fashion
Not at all Many people wear it just for the cool vintage or bohemian aesthetic Its like wearing a band tshirtyou can love the look without being a diehard fan

5 Is tarot fashion a new trend
No its a recurring theme Designers like Alexander McQueen Dior and Schiaparelli have all used tarot imagery over the years It comes back especially during times of uncertainty or when people crave a bit of fate and fantasy

IntermediateLevel Questions

6 Which famous fashion designers have used tarot in their collections
Alexander McQueen
Christian Dior
Elsa Schiaparelli
Gucci

7 How do designers actually use tarot in a collection
They might print full tarot cards on dresses use the colors or symbols of a specific card like The Fool or The Lovers