Halloween is among us (finally), so you may or may not already have your costumes locked in.
Whether you’re going for a Natalie Portman psycho-chic Black Swan look or a fashionably shot Goldie Hawn getup from Death Becomes Her, as a Halloween couture aficionado, dressing like a villain is always a go-to for that special spooky night—but what about the rest of the year?
Main character energy has been all the rage, and although we’re not mad about it, I think we can all argue that the anti-heroes are always the most stylish, right? Let’s take Cruella De Vil (everyone’s favorite dog-snatcher and animal print icon), for example. It is kind of hard to see past her malevolence when she is wearing the most extravagant organza gowns, Chanel-inspired tweeds, and gloves with literal claws to draw us all in.
Or perhaps Sharon Stone’s femme fatale role of Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct, wearing classic staples that give off serious quiet (but murderous) luxury vibes. Sexy and seductive are key players in channeling your inner villain, as displayed by Katherine Piece in The Vampire Diaries, the epitome of how a little black dress goes a long way.
Brands have been using villainous exuberance to inspire many of their collections both past and present, including designers such as Rick Owens, Virgil Abloh, Miuccia Prada, Maria Grazia Chiuri, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Anthony Vaccarello, and more. Their designs continually inspire bold-baddie dressing daily—without any actual slaying, if you catch my drift. John Galliano’s Fall 2007 collection was filled with Parisian-style models dripped in ’20s-inspired makeup and costumes of grandeur. Colors were splashed in witchy tones of black, purple, red, green, orange, and more.
Rick Owens, also known as the King of Darkness, is constantly using outrageously bold shoulders on his designs with signature hues of black splattered everywhere. Jean Paul Gaultier’s work is always a superb reference for dressing like an antagonist, such as Kylie Jenner’s Bride of Frankenstein costume with a custom iteration of a classic Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown by Glenn Martens. Maria Grazia Chirui’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection was a delicious ode to women and woefully stylish feminine power, with striking grunge garments gracefully hitting the runway.
Dressing like the villain can be as easy as scrolling through an SSENSE sale, all it takes is a bit of motivation and a loaded credit card to purchase any necessary objectionable essentials that V has gathered up for you.
First things first, keep your darker color palettes handy, as painting yourself in these shades will liven up the drop-dead vibe that your looks will give off instantaneously. Blacks, greys, plum purples, and lots and lots of red are the central colors to pin to your bulletins. If you have not been living under a fashion-fueled rock, you know that power suits and sharp-edged shoulder pads are as trendy as ever for this season, which is the perfect uniform for the everyday villain, just ask Patrick Bateman’s American Psycho armoire.
Controversial as it may be, wearing anything that is traditionally meant to be underwear is just the kind of cheeky attire any evil-doer would totally be caught dead in. Think opaque slips and wearing undies on top of your pantyhose (courtesy of Miu Miu). Dabble in bold textiles like patent and distressed leather, directing a nod to Michelle Pfeiffer or Halle Berry’s fierce feline energy as Catwoman, or downy crushed velvet for an everyday witchy aesthetic.
When tackling anything of this stature, it’s best to start austere. We recommend scouring Pinterest and brewing up a potion of your choosing to completely emerge into your villain era.
