Dressed to kill

The killer SS21 menswear looks inspiring our Halloween outfits this year
By Alex James Taylor | 29 October 2020

This weekend is Hallowe’en, when looking like death is a plus and that emo phase you went through becomes dead handy. But with this year being somewhat different due to Covid-19 restrictions, outfits are going to have to be extra strong in order to bypass the lack of ghoulish get-togethers and bone-rattlin’ parties. With this in mind, we’ve taken inspiration from the recent SS21 season and collated a series of high-fashion looks that could very well double-up as killer Halloween get-ups.

Balmain

Balmain

Horror antagonists love an over-sized shoulder, think of Frankenstein’s monster, with his American football-worthy silhouette, or perhaps your mind wanders towards Nosferatu, the mysterious Count Orlok conjured by F.W. Murnau with creepy fingers and a penchant for sartorial elegance. Pair the serious shoulders with some sporty shorts and sneakers for the full Olivier Rousteing look – get you a man who can do both and all that…

Charles Jeffrey

Do we need an explanation for this one? Just look at him, that evil Pikachu, that colourful little batboy. He looks like he’ll give you a hug and then rip your insides out. Plus, it’s waterproof – ideal for British Autumn weather.

Comme des Garçons

Or perhaps this year you fancy going a little intergalactic? Look no further than Comme des Garçons, who will make you look like an exotic space explorer dressed for fine dining at every planet you land on. It’s the man who fell to Earth with a Brylcreem quiff.

Givenchy

Horns and Halloween go together like a vampire and blackout curtains. They’re an essential. But you have to do them right, ie like Matthew M. Williams did for his debut Givenchy collection. We advice paring them with the double gold chain belt and matching trousers for some added C-3PO vibes.

Isabel Marant

There’s something about this Isabel Marant SS21 look that just screams Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Perhaps it’s the glistening 80s jacket (sleeves pulled up). Maybe it’s the skin-tight moto trousers. Could it be the model’s curly mop? Or maybe, just maybe its because it left us howlin’ in delight.

Kenzo

Bernard Rose’s 1991 slasher movie Candyman is a Halloween must-watch: all about a murderous soul died after his lover’s father called upon a lynch mob to cut off his hand and coat him with honey, causing a swarm of starved bees to sting him to death. If only the protagonist was wearing this Kenzo SS21 look, it would’ve saved him a lot of pain. But it probably wouldn’t have made such a great film.

Marine Serre

Marine Serre calls this SS21 look ‘Athletic Protector’, but for the purpose of Halloween, we’ve renamed it ‘cycler without any night lights’, inspired by that maleficent villain who torments the streets after-hours.

Prada

If they remade American Psycho today, Patrick Bateman would absolutely be wearing this Prada look. For full costume aesthetic, blast out some Huey Lewis and The News, but not the early work, that’s a little too new wave.

Balenciaga

Balenciaga

Goths of the world, unite, and kneel at the altar of Demna Gvasalia, for the Balenciaga designer has you covered… covered head-to-toe in beautiful, beautiful black that is. Part Matrix, part Blade, part “Stop trying to sacrifice your nan’s cat and join us for tea, son!”, part “I saw you at the Bauhaus reunion gig last year. I was the one lurking in the shadows.”

As Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel famously said: “It’s like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none — none more black.”

Walter Van Beirendonck

Walter Van Beirendonck

Flex those jaws in Walter Van Beirendonck’s latest collection. Looking somewhere in between a Beetlejuice sandworm and Kat Slater on a late one, this look by the Belgian designer is one slick piece that peels right off after Halloween is over.

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