loose x darling: a guide to the best dressed vampires

from catwalks to cameos, our third annual halloween collab is all about our fave vamp styles

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words by

lucy eaton

& emily duff

note: this post is too long for email! read on your desktop or the substack app for the full piece 🦇🖤

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Ready to serve count this Halloween? Vampires are the sexiest occult for a reason – and it’s all because of their hauntingly good style.

This year, Loose and Darling have teamed up for a third time to sink our teeth into the sexiest and most stylish vampire looks. From runway rippers to cinematic slaughterers, grab your blood bags and settle into your coffin for the annual Loose x Darling Halloween collab!

viktor & rolf ss22

Emily of Darling: Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer ‘22 

A blood-curdling good collection, Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer 2022 line featured deep, rich tones from crimson reds to charcoal blacks, exactly the brooding colour palette associated with the vampire aesthetic. 

The main element of the collection is its sculpted silhouettes that exaggerate disproportional body parts from high necks to long legs. 

As for fabrics, lace and sheer choices highlighted its ethereal quality, allowing glimpses of skin while simultaneously cloaking the wearer.  

details from viktor & rolf ss22

Accessories, including oversized cuffs and dramatic capes, heightened the gothic narrative, and makeup made up of pale skin, bold lips, and smoky eyes created a haunting style that completed the look.

alexa demie wearing the mugler dress

Lucy of Loose: Mugler Vampire Dress

We can’t have a vampire style piece without mentioning the iconic vampire dress from Mugler’s 1981 Haute Couture collection. With an exaggerated V-neck and peplum combined with gorgeous black velvet and large sleeves resembling bat wings, this dress is truly Mugler meets Dracula, and we could totally see a female Dracula wearing this in a modern interpretation.

It’s returned from the grave a handful of times, too; in fact, it made an appearance in the second season of Euphoria, where Alexa Demie’s character Maddy tries on her boss’ collection of couture. 

grace jones, vamp

Emily of Darling: Grace Jones in Vamp (1986)

Musician, model, and actress, Jamaican Grace Jones is arguably one of the hottest people nevermind vampires. Taking on an androgynous, avant-garde look, Jones’ character draws on a blend of punk, glam, and high fashion.

The cult comedy horror movie takes inspiration from new wave, with outfits incorporating edgy details like leather, studs, and unconventional cuts, and futurism, through use of geometric patterns and metallic fabrics. 

Playing Katrina, Jones really has a killer sense of style. 

robert wun ss24

Lucy of Loose: Robert Wun Spring/Summer ‘24

I’ve been obsessed with this collection since I first discovered it. Robert Wun’s SS24 collection creates the haute couture take on the vampire bride, with a heart-stopping white gown adorned with blood-red gemstones resembling splattered blood. The attention to detail is undefeated; he pairs the gown with white opera gloves, a sheer white veil, white tights and white heels, all also covered with gemstones. Every look from this collection is frighteningly fabulous in their own way, but the glam-pire effect of the blood-red gemstone splatters make this my favourite.

david bowie in the hunger

Emily of Darling: David Bowie in The Hunger (1983)

Known for his music, Bowie is fang-tastic as John Baylock, a rapidly aging vampire desperate for eternal youth to match his immortality. Making use of classic vampire elements from leather jackets to dark sunglasses, Baylock is the ultimate seductive character. Starring in an erotic horror side by side with Rocky Horror’s own Susan Sarandon only makes it love at first bite. 

gary oldman as dracula in bram stoker’s dracula

Lucy of Loose: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

So good it won an Oscar, Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula puts a 90s spin on the classic Victorian gothic. Coppola was inspired by several Klimt paintings, so costume designer Eiko Ishioka worked these into the costuming, helping create a sense of macabre grandeur around Dracula.

Details like skinny sunglasses for Dracula’s London suit are a new take on Dracula protecting himself from the sun, while giving the costuming an updated 90s feel.

alexander mcqueen ss96

Emily of Darling: Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer ‘96

It is widely known Alexander McQueen was the king of theatricality in fashion, especially drawing on gothic elements, but his Spring/Summer ‘96 collection is truly to die for.

Drawing on classic vampire imagery, the collection was made up of deep burgundy, stark blacks, and ghostly whites, evoking a sense of dark romance that challenges the boundaries of beauty.

Key pieces included corseted dresses that cinched the waist, creating a silhouette reminiscent of gothic visuals, while intricate lace and tulle added a fragile delicacy associated with the sensitive monsters. 

The sharp tailoring of jackets and coats contrasted beautifully with the fluidity of the use of flowing skirts, embodying the tension between restraint and liberation, much like the vampire’s eternal struggle with desire.

Models wore pale makeup contrasted with dark details like full eyebrows and sculpted hair. 

Alexander McQueen’s ability to channel the seductive darkness of vampire lore into high fashion cemented his legacy as a visionary, forever altering the landscape of runway storytelling.

nina dobrev as katherine pierce in the vampire diaries

Lucy of Loose: Katherine Pierce and Elena Gilbert, The Vampire Diaries

I’m obsessed with the late 00s and early 2010s’ grungy-but-chic style, and Katherine Pierce in The Vampire Diaries takes this to the next level. When she makes her appearance at the start of season two, Katherine wears an all-black ensemble while masquerading as her doppelganger Elena, made up of skinny jeans, a tight cami, a leather jacket, and wedges that resemble Jeffrey Campbells (a Tumblr classic). Plus, her flashback fits are just as iconic – her signature curls are tied up in uber-flattering hairstyles, while she wears excessive gowns Scarlett O’Hara would die for.

nina dobrev as elena gilbert in the vampire diaries

Although Elena’s fashion falters when she becomes a vampire, we can’t talk about the impact of The Vampire Diaries on fashion without talking about the queen of the henley top over a lacey cami. While her style is more casual than her bad-girl counterpart, Elena’s lowkey henley has become all the rage again.

alyson hannigan as willow in buffy the vampire slayer

Emily of Darling: Willow and Drusilla in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

While Willow is only a vampire in an alternate reality during season three, her look really bites. 

In the episode ‘Doppelgangland,’ Willow’s fashion goes in the opposite direction to her usual style. Typically, Willow dresses in earthy, layered clothing with cardigans and jeans being a staple and reflecting her nerdy, wholesome persona.

As a vampire, however, Willow adopts a much darker and edgier look. She wears a sleek, form-fitting black outfit that emphasizes her more seductive and confident nature, taking on a gothic vibe with burgundy red sleeves and matching lipstick. 

juliet landau as drusilla in buffy the vampire slayer

As for Drusilla, she takes on a more romantic, Victorian-inspired aesthetic. She often wears long, flowing dresses in dark, muted colours, layered fabrics, and intricate lace detailing. Her style is complemented by her signature accessories, such as chokers and ornate jewelry. 

Shown to have an unstable mind and having been driven to madness by traumatic experiences, Drusilla incorporates elements of whimsy in her choice of patterns and the way she layers her clothing, enhancing her hauntingly beautiful yet unsettling presence.

chappell roan, red wine supernova bts

Lucy of Loose: Chappell Roan, Red Wine Supernova

The ancient prophecy states that Chappell Roan had three possible ideas for her Red Wine Supernova music video, one of which being Vampire Chappell. Her signature pale foundation, drag-inspired make-up sinks its canine teeth into a black lingerie bodysuit, paired with chunky necklaces layered on top of each other. This look feels hauntingly reminiscent of the classic vampire-in-the-boudoir trope, embracing their sexuality while luring in their next meal.

Vampires are indisputably the sexiest and most stylish creatures. Embodied on screen by the hottest people from Bowie to Jones and inspiring the most iconic runway, alongside their need to allure youthful victims, they are timelessly chic. All that paired with a hidden secret causes a mysterious allure that makes vampires the ultimate style icon all year round – as well as the perfect spooky season muses. 

Happy Halloween, witches!