Halloween can come with a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure. What will I dress up as? Shall I try to embody the Brat ideology or be a quote unquote “sexy pussycat”?
At i-D, we believe true transformation begins at home: your humble bedroom, shed, and fridge can all provide the goods for potential transformation, as well as bring joy to those around you. This Halloween, we suggest a new approach – or nine.
1. Butter
If you’ve got last minute plans and only a tenner in your bank account, look no further than a £2.50 pack of butter! Slather yourself in a few blocks of yellow stuff and you’ll be the talk of the town.
2. Tin Man
Ever wondered what it felt like to walk the Yellow Brick Road? With a few reams of tinfoil and a bit of cardboard you can find out – kind of. The Tin Man is considered classic in the costume realm, but requires a bit of planning. Well worth the effort – expect to be papped.
3. Dog
Enjoy your afternoon as a dirty dog. Beg for scraps at the back door of a butcher’s shop, roll around in something mysterious at the park, evade capture and revel in the freedom to defecate on the road!
4. Decoy
You have decided to drop out of society and disappear completely. Unfortunately, you also have social obligations – a Halloween party, perhaps. A decoy has to be created! You sculpt your own face out of cake and icing and pair it with your most fashionable outfit, ideally by Simone Rocha (see below). The taxi arrives and you are pushed into the soiree – the morning after, your acquaintances marvel at your poise and taciturn disposition. You are silent and brooding. You are a success.
5. Fridge
Secretly become a symbol for the abhorrent overconsumption of modern society. You are the fridge, the repository of uneaten delicacies destined for the bin, while the poorest in our world chew on a crust of bread thrown from the window of a speeding car.
6. Painted Person
In a world where artistic legacies are consistently ransacked and exploited for grubby corporate gain, here’s your chance to embody the real chaos of the creative process.
7. Artwork on Plinth
Build a simple wooden plinth, paint it white, cut a hole in the top and you are ready for the party. If anyone asks what you are dressed as, just say you are a section of the Elgin Marbles, sparking a conversation about colonial legacies and the current status of stolen cultural artefacts. Have a lovely (antagonistic) evening!
8. Package
Travelling is expensive. Standing in an airport queue sweating, decanting your lotions and potions into tiny bottles, throwing your overpriced packet sandwich against a wall in a fit of airport induced rage – nobody needs to see that. Why not travel by post? Simply wrap yourself up in tape and apply the appropriate postage labels and away you go. The journey might be horrible, but the experience will be unforgettable.
9. Elephant
Elephants are often seen as benign oafs, slowly cruising around, eating dry grasses and drinking out of large muddy puddles. But they can also be prone to rage. Be that kind of elephant this Halloween – don’t take the hideousness of modern life lying down. Get that costume on, run into town and cause mayhem!
Photography: Alessandro Furchino Capria
Costumes: Rory Mullen
Makeup: Charlie Murray using Make Up For Ever
Photography Assistant: Paola Ristoldo
Cast (in order of appearance):
Rory Mullen, Hugh Mulhern, Oscar Foster Kane, Mimi Dey, Gina Campone, Jackson Bowley
