As Halloween approached, Jessica Lowe embarked on an ambitious project: crafting a realistic, movable armadillo shell from cardboard and papier-mâché for her daughter. The challenge was making it stretch and contract naturally, a puzzle she dedicated her time to solving.
“It might sound a bit over-the-top, but I meticulously consider every mechanical detail – how it folds, how it feels, ensuring it’s perfectly comfortable,” shared Ms. Lowe, 35, highlighting her dedication to comfort and authenticity.
With two months until the big night, Jessica transformed her initial cardboard model into Olive’s final armadillo costume. Day after day, while her kids were at school, she meticulously worked in her Rockaway Beach home, using cardboard, mat board, and hot glue to perfect every realistic detail for her 7-year-old.
Halloween’s evolution, from ancient Celtic traditions to today, is mirrored in its costumes. They’ve become more intricate, thematic, and, for those less inclined to DIY, readily available at stores.
Olive’s armadillo costume wasn’t her first choice. After watching the ’90s mythical drama ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ with her family, she initially declared she wanted to be a centaur.
“That idea was a bit daunting!” Ms. Lowe admitted. However, a casual conversation about armadillos’ ability to curl up sparked Olive’s imagination, leading to a change of heart for her costume.
For the Lowes, a simple ghost costume won’t do. A former high school art teacher, Ms. Lowe last year created a viral hit with her daughter’s Gary the snail costume from SpongeBob SquarePants, garnering over a million views on Instagram.
Yet, not everyone shares Ms. Lowe’s DIY passion. Store-bought costumes remain incredibly popular. This year, Spirit Halloween’s top sellers are the vibrant characters from Netflix’s hit, ‘KPop Demon Hunters.’
Fans are clamoring for outfits of Rumi, Mira, Zoey, and especially Derpy Tiger. The animated film solidified its pop culture status with a hilarious ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch featuring a ‘Demon Hunters’-obsessed Bad Bunny.
The film’s popularity even led to sold-out singalong screenings across the globe. To fuel the ‘Demon Hunters’ craze, Netflix commissioned Ms. Lowe to create a Derpy Tiger costume. Despite a tight two-week deadline, the prospect of keeping the costume delighted her older daughter, Willow.
“She just freaked out,” Ms. Lowe said of Willow’s reaction to the hyper-detailed Derpy Tiger costume. The costume moves like an apparition, as if the saucer-eyed Cheshire cat from “Alice in Wonderland” had come to three-dimensional life. Once the costume was complete, Ms. Lowe went to a park with Willow, 12, to record a video for Instagram. Willow was treated like a celebrity.
“She was waving to everyone, even people on boats, and didn’t want to take it off,” Ms. Lowe recounted. While many adults didn’t recognize the character, they were captivated by the costume’s artistry. Later, at a local art show, Willow became a magnet for photo requests.
Meanwhile, at Manhattan’s year-round costume haven, Abracadabra, custom orders are closed, but the demand for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ kits for last-minute Halloween preparations is booming.
An Abracadabra cashier, a four-year veteran, confirmed that lines often stretch around the block in late October. This year’s top requests: ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ and the timeless Superman.
However, not all shoppers seek the latest trend. Claire Kim, 20, a New York City Ballet dancer accustomed to costumes, opted for a classic, describing her choice as ‘basic.’
“I’m going as the Grim Reaper,” she stated with a shrug, embracing a more traditional approach to her Halloween.
Her friend, Olivia Bell, 21, also from the N.Y.C.B. corps de ballet, had a more distinct vision.
“I’m going as Catwoman – specifically Halle Berry’s iteration,” she explained, admitting she hadn’t seen the popular ‘KPop Demon Hunters.’
“It sounds incredibly popular, though!” she added.