Anna Dello Russo

We could think of no better expert on how to put together the most attention-grabbing Halloween costume than Anna Dello Russo. Anyone who has glimpsed Vogue Japan’s editor-at-large hotfooting it around fashion week knows that she is among the most spectacularly dressed women on the planet. Many of her outfits—which have featured giant cherry headpieces, mushroom crinolines and molto gold––look positively out of this world, resulting in an obsessive following in the blogosphere and beyond (she was just shot by Juergen Teller for the latest edition of W magazine, and is the cover star of 10 magazine’s fall issue). Though she’s famed for rocking Moschino couture and Jason Wu cocktail dresses on simple mid-afternoon strolls, it’s at costume parties that Dello Russo really pulls out all the stops. Her take on Halloween is typically her own: she’s thinking about the visual tradition of Italy, and the fancy dress of Venice masked balls, as well as Lady Gaga. “I don’t care if it’s Halloween,” she says, “I’m thinking about my tradition!” For NOWNESS, she shares her top style references for a wickedly chic October 31. Read our full interview with Anna Dello Russo here.

I love Lady Gaga. I mean, I love everything: how she changes; the transformation. She becomes a new person each time you see her. I love her white hair now, too. She’s got the point of fashion. For the “Bad Romance” video, her collaboration with Alexander McQueen explored the idea of her different personalities, which is my mantra. Nobody is one person––you have a million versions of yourself inside and you should play with them.

Tisci’s last couture collection was unbelievable. It was about the skeleton, with references to Mayan and South American culture. This dress… I hoped to wear it one day. But it’s impossible to wear—it’s so delicate, it’s all embroidery. 

McQueen was my favorite designer because he always surprised the audience and communicated. There was lots of references and meaning in his work, it was a conversation with clothes, and this bird headpiece is just one of his numerous incredible shapes. His memorial was an amazing moment. When Björk came into St Paul’s Cathedral.... Unbelievable. Mamma Mia! 

He is a new designer from Naples, Italy, and a friend of mine. I like wearing new designers because I feel a responsibility to not just support the big brands. He is so glamorous, and uses lots of decoration. 

This is a Schiaparelli mood: women as fish. It’s anthropomorphic, part of the culture of fashion.