Look Spooky Hot

Trick or treat? If you have it then just go haunt it! Gen-Zers are out with a vengeance to cast a spell on spooky spending for this year’s Halloween. After being cooped up for two years during the pandemic, there has been unprecedented response and interest for this year’s Halloween party across India. According to the National Retail Federation's annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, Halloween spending has exceeded pre-pandemic levels to reach a record high of $12.2 billion in 2023. Several “bloody” clubs, pubs, and bars are already “spooked” and booked. From Barbie-Ken to Oppenheimer, Batman to Screaming Nun, Taylor Swift-and-Kelce couples’ costumes to Ant-man and Wasp, today’s young Transformers are ready to rise from the Coffin of Doom.   

Freak Show

While Barbie and Oppenheimer sparked a frenzy among the young generation and sent the box-office jingling, many millennials are passionately embracing their cherished characters in pink ensembles and black blazers. With barely a few days left for Halloween (October 31), dress rehearsals and outfit trials are in full swing in every dark nook and cranny. Moreover, the appeal of the Wednesday series, featuring the enigmatic Morticia and Wednesday Adams, promises to govern the Halloween costume scene with fervor. Hyderabad-based social media influencer cum fashion and lifestyle blogger Meenakshi Pamanani says, “Most trends come from biggest hits of the year or from hit songs or performances. Like Rihanna’s hot red jumpsuit or looks that were a hit or flop at the Met Gala or Cannes. For this year’s Halloween, I am undoubtedly dressing up as Barbie!”

Another imminent trend will see a rise in couples’ costumes, albeit with a sense of twist and spice. Power couples are expected to dress up as Morticia Adams and Gomez Adams or don the likes of Barbie and her handsome boyfriend Ken! For those with no partners, fret not, as characters portentous to the love of best friends like Monica and Rachel from Friends or Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge from the hit series Riverdale are on the rise!

Graveside View

In the dim luminosity of jack-o'-lanterns, ghouls, witches, and scary costumes, Halloween has gained indisputable eminence across the world. In fact, many Halloween crawlers embody their self-expression through spooky and gory fashion. However, Halloween is not only limited to ghosts and vampires, it also encapsulates diverse costumes paying homage to celebrities, public figures, or fictional pop culture characters. According to the World Population Review, India is one of the 37 countries that partakes in the festival of the All Hallows Eve. The increased proliferation of Western pop culture, films, sitcoms, and cartoons has propelled Halloween into an annual haunted affair!

Anti-Social Events

Several pubs in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Pune have already transformed their interior decors into haunted mansions, bone-chilling hell holes, scream streets, Poltergeist pads, dressed-to-kill, and death galas, zombie land to name a few. Viren Motwani, a prominent Mumbai-based event organizer and clubbing enthusiast, feels that the surging popularity of Halloween reflects Gen-Zers’ eagerness to embrace diverse cultures. “Their penchant for themed events such as Halloween, always leads to the continuation of sold-out, spirited celebrations every year,” Motwani says.

Blood Thirsty

To quench those parched throats and fangs, some clubs in Mumbai and Delhi are serving special Halloween drinks — Bloody Mary, Bone Crushers, Poison Apple, Boozy Screamsicle, Grave Digger, Holy Water, and Lucifer Margarita among others. To induce the Halloween vibe and fear, there are late-night graveyard entries, unlimited ‘unhappy’ hour drinks, horrorscope, trick or treats, smelly feet to eat, and gory face paintings to name a few!

Costly Affair

But partying among the dead comes at a steep price. Entry for singles and couples for a scary night in the land of no return can range between Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000 respectively.

Halloween costumes cost a bomb. Fear not, as DIY Halloween costumes are on the rise for the ones who do not want to miss out on the scary night. Hyderabad-based trendsetter, influencer, and fashion content creator Ishna Rawlani shares, “A little Black dress could be worked out for a lot of options and camouflaged for Halloween. You could either be an Audrey Hepburn or a Wednesday.” Her advice for Halloween crawlers would be to avoid the cliches and look up more Halloween inspirations in movies or series or look for some out-of-the-coffin-box inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest!