Our very own Irving Green – who is our fabulous runner here for the World of Wonder office AND also a member of our WOWPresents family (make sure you subscribe to his channel) – has been doing his 31 Days of 31 Dress Ups every October since 2013. Well, technically last year he did 13 Faces of Fear 2015. RUgardless, it’s a TON of looks to maybe give you some inspiration for your Halloween costume this year. Check out some of his looks and a Q&A with Irving.
What made you want to do the 31 Days of 31 Dress Ups?
Honestly, I’m crazy. Haha! But I’m also this big ball of creativity, and I like expressing myself however and whenever I feel. It brings me happiness – and to me that’s something we should always organically pursue. So really I always start to think about Halloween in January. Oddly enough that year I had no idea what I wanted to be for Halloween but then it clicked: I can be everything – everyday!
How long does it take you usually to do this every morning? What was the longest a look took for you to create?
Believe it or not, I don’t tend to plan what the costume will look like beforehand. I just have a name or idea. But for most looks, it usually just takes an hour. Sometimes even shorter! It just depends on the complexity of the character I’m being that day. Now if I’m making really large prosthetics, I will work on them the night before and let it dry over night so it’s ready for application the next day – but other than that – I wing it!
What are you inspirations for wanting to do the 31 Days of 31 Dress Ups?
Well I’ve always loved Halloween. It combines many of my favorite things – candy, scaring people, dressing up as a new character and acting. In fact, my favorite movie of all time is The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack Skellington is me, animated. So when I started all this, I just thought how interesting it would be to actually be a citizen of Halloweentown, to live in that world and be a creepy character all your life! I’ve kept doing it so long because it gives people who may not feel like it, the spooky spirit to dress up for the holiday. The smiles and good vibes I get from others who see me also makes it worth it in the end.
When was the first year you did 31 Days of 31 Dress Ups?
I started back in 2013. I didn’t have the biggest budget for such a feat so it made me really resourceful. People don’t understand that a lot of what you have in your closet can totally be made into a costume! To this day I have yet to repeat a costume and I don’t plan on it!
You’re our fab runner here at World of Wonder, so you’re out and about all-day, every day. What are the weirdest reactions you’ve gotten from people?
Well thank you for that! People stare. A lot. And laugh, which I laugh at. It’s funny to me when they try to sneak pictures when they think I don’t notice. I just tell them to come on over and take it! I don’t bite – unless I’m a scary monster who eats humans for dinner that day – that is.
Which upcoming look are you most excited for people to see?
Oh the grand finale for Halloween night, of course! I go all out on certain looks and a little more chill and easier on others. However on Halloween, I do not hold back. I’ve made it a tradition to go to the West Hollywood’s Santa Monica Boulevard Carnival every year and it’s a serious event for me. I’m in character all night. Usually people are asking for pictures left and right all night. Seeing so many people get a kick out of my work is really heart warming. So this year, I will play on the fear of those who do not like our eight legged friends. That is all I can say.
Check out Irving’s 31 Days of 31 Dress Ups in 2013 & 2014, and also his 13 Faces of Fear from 2015, and follow him on Instagram!