Halloween 2024: As wicked as Lucy Westenra

Lucy Westenra in a moment from the movie, Dracula (1992). PIC COURTESY/YOUTUBE

On the eve of October 31, the wicked will be brought back from the dead. Among werewolves, vampires, ghosts, zombies, a bride will rise in a white dress, a veil and a blood-stained mouth. "Lucy Westenra is one of the most iconic vampires to date. The bride-turned-vampire always comes back on Halloween, as fans of Dracula recreate her Victorian look for parties, events and trick or treat," shares Sapna Bhavnani, founder of Wench Film Festival.

Participants will learn how to craft Lucy Westenra's collar and veil

The horror enthusiast is kickstarting a series of Halloween events, starting with a costume creation workshop titled Unleash your Inner Vamp. "The first thing to sort when you think of Halloween is your costume. In India, the festival is celebrated with fanfare, but we still don't have many people creating their own costumes," she shares. Lucy Westenra, Bhavnani believes, is the best look to begin with. "The Dracula character does not only have a huge fan following but also carries a very elaborate, classic haunted look. The charm lies in her veil, and her gigantic circular collar, which are both fairly easy to create under the right guidance," she explains.

Bellinda Bawa

This costume creation will be helmed by veteran costume and headgear designer Bellinda Bawa. "Bellinda has been working in the field for 25 years now. You can find her work in many Bollywood movies, advertisements and fashion publications. More recently, she made headgear for the cast of the movie Crew, featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon and Tabu," Bhavnani tells us why she thinks Bawa is the best person to collaborate with for this workshop.

Circular paper for collar, Roll it into small cones and Stick the cones

We catch up with Bawa over a call who gives us time in between an ongoing session on the subject. "I recently also taught some college students how to craft Lucy's veil and collar. It was a big hit among students. This workshop is not only fun but also functional," she reveals. Participants will dive right into the craft after they have selected the colour palette. They can choose between golden, black and white. "The material will primarily involve paper, net and some embellishments. Both the veil and the collar will be ready in about two hours, and participants can wear them for the upcoming parties," Bawa suggests.

Layer one of the collar and The final look

Pulling off the complete Lucy Westenra look is not necessary. They can go for a fusion of characters, add their own creativity to the look or wear these on a completely different occasion. "The collar and the veil can be styled for various occasions. Think music concerts, family functions or any themed events with an elegant dress code," Bhavnani adds, "We have a lot of events lined up for Halloween where you can style these in different ways as well. For instance, coming up on October 25 is our opera for vampires where participants will be invited to a vampire wedding, or, the one-of-a-kind zombie walk in Mumbai, for which we will roll out details soon." This workshop will end with a fun photoshoot.

On October 19, 1 pm to 3 pm
At The Den, ground floor, Prabhat Kunj, off Linking Road, Bandra West.
Log on to insider.in; @wench.filmfestival (for details on upcoming Halloween events)
Cost Rs 1,499