Stylish Spooks: Runway Looks Are Haute for Halloween

Is it couture, or a costume?—A trick, or a treat? How fortunate we are that Fashion Week comes the month before it's time to dress up in otherworldly garb for a night of devious party-hopping and candy-hunting. The spring '10 runway was chock-full of creative Halloween costume inspiration from one fashion capital to the next. Zombies, witches, ghouls, and mystical beings sashayed their boney frames for the world to see. And while we won't be purchasing a real Gareth Pugh for the 31st anytime soon, we're happy to justify our DIY attempts with these spooky high fashion statements.

They say you can't keep a good woman down, and that is definitely true of the zombie crowd. A severe smokey eye, some torn-up skirts, a nice off-center stagger, and you'll be the poster girl of post-mortem ferocity.

Above, from left: John Galliano spring '10, Anne Sofie Back fall '09, image from NYMag; Vivienne Westwood spring '10.

The nocturnal appeal of vampires will never get old to us, no matter how many shimmering, pansy-boys ruin the vampy stew. Here we introduce some slim pants, swooping cape jackets, and sheer tops to throw a new twist on Transylvania's deadliest.

Above, from left: Rick Owens, fall '09; Elise Øverland, spring '10; Sharon Wauchob, spring '10.

Flapping around the neighborhood in white transparent sheets was fun as a kid, and now all the procrastinating fashionista trick-or-treater need do is chop a couple eye holes in her linens for the perfect costume. Err, maybe some hand-embellishment and $500-per-yard fabric, too.

Above, from left: Calvin Klein spring '10; Halston spring '10; Gaultier spring '10.

Cleopatra and King Tut may bring a gleaming regal air to costume parties, their Egyptian jewels and liquid eyeliner all the rage, but it's the gals who wrap their bodies in toilet paper and come dressed as mummies that steal the show. Here we examine just a few more options—ones that don't involve Charmin.

Above, from left: Gaultier spring '10; Gucci spring '10; Burberry spring '10.

Being a witch is so cliché, and we weren't even thinking about it until we saw looks like Gareth Pugh's parade of perfect witch costumes for spring '10. The departure from his geometric/sculptural beginnings couldn't have resulted in a more elegant source of inspiration. Spooky!

Above, from left: Yohji Yamamoto, spring '10; Gareth Pugh, spring '10; Margiela, spring '10.

Though they might be entertaining goofs to some, to others (like...ahem, us), clowns are the most terrifying things to wear make-up aside from Taylor Momsen. Add a creep-o laugh and a gag-prop that doubles as a killing weapon, and...well, we'll be avoiding you like the plague if we see you on the street.

Above, from left: Alexandre Herchcovitch spring '10, Comme des Garçons; Chris Benz, spring '10.

While a strawberry-print duvet and a pillowcase-cum-hat might not seem the paragon of terror, it's safe to say that some of the scariest moments we experience happen right in bed. Pay homage to the nightmare's home turf with these just-rolled-out-of-bed looks.

Above, from left: Charles Anastase, spring '10; BIbi Ghost, fall '09, image from The Fashion Spot; Yves Saint Laurent, spring '10.