A few hours into writer/director Julio Torres’s now-fabled annual Halloween extravaganza—after spotting about 10 Oh Mary–inspired Mary Todd Lincolns, three interpretations of Addison Rae’s look in the “Headphones On” music video, and at least a dozen Louvre museum thieves—I made a major faux pas. I misidentified which Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast member someone was dressed as, assuming, based on the après-ski wear alone, that it was Lisa Barlow, not clocking the partygoer’s mini Greek flag, which obviously signaled she was in an Angie K–inspired look. This is the sort of party where that mistake got me immediately (playfully) scolded by at least five people in the vicinity. Because while an Angie K costume could be considered niche and overly referential at any other basic Halloween bash, within the walls of Julio’s soiree at the Brooklyn members club SAA, which he describes as one intended “for all the freaks to come out,” the Angie K homage was universally understood.
As were the other outrageously creative looks that graced the stage during the night’s costume contest, where celebs like Julia Fox and RHOSLC star Bronwyn Newport joined Julio (who was dressed as a literal burning windmill, with a motorized accessory piece included) to assess which attendees’ looks truly raised the bar. A widely beloved “Princess Diana’s Beanie Baby” getup took home the night’s coveted “Cursed Amulet” prize (and earned the respect of the many NYC It Girls and tastemakers present). But my personal fave—the person who showed up dressed as Rihanna’s iconic Instagram profile picture—earned some well-deserved recognition onstage as well.
Early on in the night, Julia, dressed in a controversial Jackie Kennedy look, let me know that her party goal was to see someone naked. And in between performances by Allie X, Rose Dommu, and Leland, I saw her dream come to life time and time again as prosthetic penises and boobs galore roamed through the venue.
Only in its second year, the party (produced by Lauren Mandel through her production company Disco Nap) already has quite the reputation to uphold. Last year’s inaugural event, which Julio hosted in partnership with editor and trans activist Fran Tirado—had Emily Ratajowski and Alex Consani in attendance, and someone dressed as a literal cockroach took home the costume contest’s top prize. This year’s party maintained the high-profile guest list (you could spot Troye Sivan roaming around dressed in what I believe was a play on The Dare’s signature look, and actor Elliot Page with girlfriend/fellow actor Julia Shiplett in extremely accurate Justin and Hailey Bieber costumes). And the festivities were open to the public—those hoping to step into Julio’s eccentric Halloween universe could purchase tickets, and a portion of those proceeds went straight to G.L.I.T.S., a Black trans–led advocacy and direct services organization.
And what last night’s event and its turnout established was that this party has become a mecca for those with a deep reverence for Halloween. In the VIP area, partygoers with similar looks respectfully confronted each other, and folks wore their extensive prep times as a show of commitment and a badge of honor (model Lauren Chan spent around three hours perfecting her Miss Piggy costume, while actor/party MC Tomás Matos shared that their homage to Him from The Powerpuff Girls took even longer and left red body paint in some unnecessary crevices.)
The party’s theme was “Mommy’s Moods.” That indirect assignment—to pull up to this function in looks worthy of “mother”-like praise, was understood by all. Take an exclusive peek inside all of the action below, as documented by photographer Matt Weinberger, and learn a bit more about how celeb attendees like AnnaSophia Robb, Amelia Dimoldenberg, Troye, Elliot, and more chose to celebrate.
