Halloween is fast approaching, and for those of you who enjoy pulling out the spooky attire and going all out for the holiday, we’ve aligned some inspiration from viral runway and celebrity fashion moments of this year to act as the perfect foundation for your costume, one that will be sure to turn heads. We’ve come up with ways to replicate these looks without purchasing the exact piece itself, but some of the original pieces are available for purchase via the brand online. Let’s get started…
Coperni spray-on dress
One of the most iconic moments of the SS23 fashion season – the white spray on dress by Coperni, modelled by Bella Hadid at Paris Fashion Week. Put together by designers Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer in collaboration with Spanish designer and scientist Manel Torres, and his team at London’s Bioscience Innovation Centre, this is a one of a kind statement piece that will be remembered for decades to come. To make a statement of your own, you can replicate this in your Halloween attire this year: first, purchase some white silly string, then proceed to spray this all over a white mini bodycon dress with a bardot-cut neckline. When spraying, forget about keeping it neat – leave some of the string hanging off the edges to give it that raw, authentic look, similar to the freshly made dress right off the runway. Pair your look with some simple, elegant white heels (avoid chunky shoes as this will take away from the dress). To get even closer to the original, you can spray some silly string across the shoes, too; some of the liquid on the runway fell onto Hadid’s shoes during the application process. Finally, to complete the look, pin your hair up in a simple bun to match that of Hadid’s.
Florence Pugh – Pink Valentino Dress
Florence Pugh is known for stepping out in breathtaking fashion pieces that stun and impress. She’s also not afraid to make a statement, something we highly commend her for. One gorgeous example of this is the elegant pink Valentino dress she wore to Valentino’s haute couture show this year. The dress has a floor length tulle skirt, with tulle lining the halter neckline and a sheer mesh upper bodice. It is the latter element that created a reaction across the media – Pugh’s nipples were visible through the material and received a vast amount of negative commentary. Being the unshakeable icon that she is, Pugh confidently responded to trolls by telling them to “grow up” and learn to respect women and their bodies. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves (#freethenipple). To replicate this look, search for “hot pink tulle maxi dress” to locate excellent duplicates of the stunning piece. Florence slicks back her blonde bob and pairs the dress with matching pink triangular earrings and a silver nose ring for added bling.
Kim Kardashian – Marilyn Monroe Moment
One of the most talked about fashion moments of the year, with its fair mix of controversy, was Kim Kardashian wearing a historically significant dress owned by Marilyn Monroe to this year’s Met Ball. The dress was designed exclusively for the actress, famously worn when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Gardens in 1962. Kim received a lot of backlash for wearing this piece because many consider it a precious part of history that will forever honour Marilyn. The dress received some damage due to Kim not matching the exact tailoring of Marilyn – Kim discussed her speedy weight loss in order to fit into the piece, which in itself received backlash from celebrity figures who condemned her promotion of this unhealthy rapid weight loss process. During Marilyn Monroe’s era, the media presented Marilyn as a curvier plus size figure which inspired the popularity of obtaining an hourglass figure just like hers. However, after Kim Kardashian tried on the dress, it was revealed that Marilyn was not as curvy as was made out to the public, and she had in fact relatively small measurements that would make it more difficult to fit into her clothes than expected. Despite the controversy associated with the dress following its appearance at the Met Gala, it nonetheless remains a gorgeous piece, unmatched in its elegance. As pictured, the dress is sheer, glittering and figure hugging – you can purchase a replica of this online by searching the name of the dress (it was nicknamed the “Happy Birthday dress”). To replicate Kim’s look, tie your hair back in a slick bun, smoothing down any stray hairs. To replicate Marilyn’s look, adopt a blonde wig with the classic bouncy curls. Pair this with dangling silver earrings to complete the look.
Kylie Jenner – Met Gala Dress
A member of the Jenner-Kardashian clan and a famous makeup guru with self-named beauty company Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Jenner is known for her made-to-be-remembered fashion statements. She did not disappoint in this respect at the Met Gala this year, turning heads in a shocking yet impressive cream wedding dress in honour of the late designer Virgil Abloh. The dress had a ruffled skirt and sweetheart neckline, with a mesh t-shirt layered over the top and branded with the “Off” logo. Kylie paired this with a backwards baseball cap and veil, something deemed rather peculiar to pair with a wedding ensemble – this is in fact a nod to Abloh’s youthful and wild spirit that was channelled throughout his career in his designs, pairing elegant pieces with casual streetwear or logos. To replicate this look, search up ‘Halloween maxi wedding dress’ online and find a piece in a similar style to that worn by Kylie. Wear your hair down and straightened (extra points if you adopt a dark brown/black wig similar to Kylie’s locks). Wear a white baseball cap worn backwards with a short veil attached and worn over the face, and adorn the hat with clip on (or sewn on) white flowers to complete the look.
Loewe inspired anthurium look
Anthuriums were the central motif seen throughout the Loewe SS23 collection – models striding down the runway had these attached as accessories to different items of clothing; sometimes, the flower made up a bigger part of the runway look, such as making up half of a bodice. These beautiful floral looks can act as inspiration for your costume and be incorporated: fake anthuriums can be purchased online, or alternatively you can purchase real flowers from a florist (make sure to get ones the day of wearing your costume so they are blooming and as fresh as possible, without the risk of warping). Stitch or glue the flowers by the stems onto any piece of clothing, be it an accessory on a handbag, a hat, the hem of a skirt or wound through the laces of your shoes – get as creative as you can to create a captivating, unique look for the night.
Kaia Gerber – Academy Museum Gala Dress
Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel and 90s icon Cindy Crawford, was sheer perfection at the Academy Museum Gala. She wore a floor length sheer black mesh bodysuit layered with a gathered skirt in purple, from the Alaia SS23 collection. The ‘Self-Portrait’ dress from Farfetch is the perfect replica of this look. Pair with some black heels or boots and wear your hair down, slicked back and straightened. Kaia’s makeup was styled similar to looks her mother would adorn on the runway, known for her iconic moody brown makeup or smoky eye – Kaia is the spitting image of Cindy in her gorgeous 90s era.
Valentino-clad outfit
Another breathtaking moment from PFW was the Valentino logo-clad looks at the Valentino SS23 show. Models skulked down the runway wearing bodysuits adorned with the fashion house’s famous ‘V’ logo, layered with a jacket that was also adorned with this. Replicate the look by wearing a cream long sleeved bodysuit, and cover this in Valentino’s logo – this requires a certain creativeness: one option is to sew a similar design to the logo right onto the bodysuit; another option is using a print screen to print out black ‘V’s onto the piece.
