Dubai had quite the Halloween calendar this year. The Arts Club hosted its Beyond Human party, Meta held its own Halloween gathering, NYX at Gaia transformed into The Last Circus, and Bâoli presented Kabuki Noir. With creative themes and carefully curated dress codes, Halloween has become another occasion to plan an outfit around.
And one thing that’s obvious from all the appearances at these gatherings is that traditional ghosts, witches and horror characters now share the stage with celebrity recreations, archival fashion references and viral cultural moments when it comes to Halloween dressing. Being frightening is no longer necessarily the objective. It’s about getting the reference so right that everyone instantly knows who or what you’re supposed to be. Much like a themed Met Gala carpet.
Speaking of pop culture references, in the 2004 film Mean Girls, Cady Heron arrived at a Halloween party in a bloodied wedding dress and frightening makeup, only to discover her classmates dressed in glamorous outfits. The joke was that Cady had taken the occasion’s scary dress code literally. Twenty-two years later, the joke feels even more relevant.
Today, preparing for Halloween can resemble getting ready for a fashion red carpet. Outfits are researched weeks in advance, makeup artists are booked, and references are drawn from runway archives, cinema, music videos and celebrity fashion moments. The question of what to wear has become central to the occasion.
Just look at Halloween 2026. Zendaya, styled by Law Roach, recreated Halle Berry’s 2000 X-Men premiere appearance using archival Lanvin. Paris Hilton revisited Britney Spears’ iconic snake moment at the 2001 VMAs, while Kim Kardashian dressed as her own daughter, North West. Lily Allen went as a Ticketmaster seat map, and comedians Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone recreated that infamous Dakota Johnson interview with Ellen DeGeneres.
It’s quite a range. One costume requires an appreciation of fashion history; another only makes sense if you recognise a particular interview or cultural joke.
The fashion industry has been involved for some time, too. In 2017, Kuwaiti designer Yousef Aljasmi created Kardashian’s Madonna-inspired Halloween gown, recreating Bob Mackie’s 1991 Oscars design with Swarovski crystals and hand-beading. The costume reportedly cost $12,000.
Halloween dressing has become its own exercise in styling, research and creative interpretation. There’s something almost Met Gala-like about the preparation, the anticipation and the eventual reveal.
But hey, who’s complaining about having a little fun? Pop culture could always use new tea to talk about.
