It’s spooky season, baby!
After Hollywood finally started giving the world a bit more Asian representation on the big screen, this means we have a few more pop culture dress-up options for Halloween this year.
Looking for some Asian inspiration? We have you covered.
88rising
Rich Brian, Joji, Niki, and Higher Brothers are just some of the looks you can dress up as from the 88rising label.
Want to look like the Dat $tick rapper? Throw on a pink polo and a fanny pack. More of a Joji fan? Grab a white blazer and find some goat legs to copy his look in Slow Dancing in the Dark. Lover of Niki? Wear a yellow outfit paired with some thigh high royal blue boots like her fit in the lowkey visualizer video. Got a group? Go as Higher Brothers.
The possibilities are endless.
Lana Condor
Best known for her role as Lara Jean Covey in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, this is a pretty simple costume to replicate if you already have a closet full of girl-next-door type clothing.
A plaid skirt, scrunchie, cardigan, and plenty of pastels is enough to pass as the movie character. And don’t forget to grab some Yakult and write up love letters as props!
But if Lara Jean is too goody-two-shoes, try dressing up as Saya Kuroki from Deadly Class. All it takes is some (fake) tattoo sleeves, a sleeveless white top, a pair of suspenders, and some hairstyling skills.
Andrew Yang
#YangGang, where you at? Notable political leaders like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump have been Halloweenified in the past.
So why not go as 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang? It also gives you a reason to throw on a suit and crowd-surf in a sea of voters. Or, if you want a more alternative look, go as his Halloween version.
Sandra Oh
The first Asian woman to host the Golden Globe awards and first Asian Canadian to host Saturday Night Live has three simple costumes to replicate.
Grab some blue scrubs, throw on a white coat over it, and then print out a Cristina Yang badge to become an iconic character from Grey’s Anatomy. If you want to be an MI5 agent, throw on a brown trench coat and a button up shirt to be Eve Polastri from the renowned Killing Eve. Or be really simple and grab Oh’s iconic shirt.
Awkwafina
From rapper to actress, Nora Lum a.k.a. Awkwafina has a few looks that are pretty iconic.
Choose an outfit from Peik Lin in Crazy Rich Asians, Constance from Ocean’s Eight, or just throw on a pair of clear aviators and become the signature Awkwafina herself. Maybe try memorizing a few lines of her songs to really get into character.
Shang-Chi
Expect to see a few superheroes during spooky season. Thank goodness Shang-Chi is finally getting some long awaited screen time.
But since the movie hasn’t actually been made yet, don’t expect to see any mass produced Shang-Chi costumes in store. That shouldn’t stop you from becoming an Asian superhero though.
Katana
More of a DC fan? Katana is another superhero that people can dress up as on Halloween. After being featured in Suicide Squad, Katana costumes are available in costume stores — but if you want to DIY the look, grab a leather jacket, a couple swords, and a mask. Voila.
Kpop
Halloween is the perfect chance to dress like your favourite Kpop stars — just make sure you have the three key elements down: hair, makeup, and clothes.
For hair, make a statement with Dara’s pineapple hair or really, any of G-Dragon’s hairstyles. Make sure you have dramatic makeup, a la gemstones like Chungha in Rollercoaster or Sunmi’s rainbow eyeshadow in LALALAY. And, of course, the clothes. Try out harnesses and dark tones like Monsta X, bright colours like Red Velvet’s Dumb Dumb, or Tiffany Young’s dramatic RYFL music video fits.
For more costume ideas, check out the video How Asians Celebrate Halloween by Wong Fu Productions — and get inspired.
Whatever you decide to be, don’t forget to add your own original twist and make it unique to you. Happy Halloween from Cold Tea Collective!
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