Wicked wonderland of tricks, treats and more!

Mine arrived in a wooden crate, that if you didn’t know what it was, you’d think it was a coffin. Nope it surely wasn’t. The wooden box was tagged “Cary Santiago,” yes the Cebu-based global design name known for exquisite pieces of wearable art. I was gonna wear a creation by him for my grand Halloween night.

My staff opened the box slowly using a hammer and their brute force — to reveal a wonderful red orange ensemble of carved soft rubbery material, it was intricate, looked heavy but it wasn’t and gigantic — just the way I wanted it. What did I come as last Halloween? I don’t know. A gate, a giant altar, the facade of a prehistoric castle? Beats me. This time around, I chose the surreal path and came as myself, the story teller, the narrator of what happens next, since the club Republiq decided to be a giant story book that All Hallow’s Eve. The club as storybook and me as narrator, makes perfect sense, right?

So once upon a time in a not-so-far away kingdom, there lived a people — party people to be exact, who wanted to indulge in an all-night costumed revelry and dance to their hearts’ delight. They wanted to come as superheroes, Disney characters, Victoria’s Secret angels, cross dressers and immortal icons of past and present. Halloween is that one night where you get a license to be whoever and  whatever, to be open to the possibilities of “if ever.”

I personally think that Manila outdid itself this year, and every year for that matter becomes a much bigger spectacle in terms of production and people value. People take more time to think of their Halloween costumes, and go totally all out. And those who don’t, practice their imagination and just dab on some freaky makeup, tear their clothes and then camp out. Did you know that next to Christmas, the biggest seller in malls is Halloween costumes? That’s how much we actually love this oft-underrated holiday. In fact, I have committed myself to two yearly shebangs to go all out, in terms of hosting parties and what not — Halloween is one, New Year’s Eve, the other.

Here on this page, Supreme gives you a glimpse of what happened that All Hallow’s night. As early as now, I know some people are already preparing for next year’s big event. And I’m not talking about myself.

Or am I?

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(Not just myself, but others, too at twitter.com/officialTIMYAP )