Why Disco is Back in Fashion—Again

In times as fractious as the post-Watergate ’70s, fashion is drawing inspiration from the flashy, escapist distraction of disco

DISCO’S STILL NOT dead—at least not in fashion. While the days of dancing ’til dawn at Studio 54 are barely a memory, designers have gravitated to the era’s glittering exuberance to tap the escapism it represents. This fall, sequins, sparkle and the languid, ’70s silhouettes proffered by Halston are back in the spotlight. From high-shine minis at Saint Laurent to oversize paillettes at Paco Rabanne and unstrict draping at Carolina Herrera, brands are taking cues from nightlife’s most hedonistic age.

“In difficult times,...