Are you afraid of the dark?
MANILA, Philippines - There are several non-negotiable rules when it comes to surviving the night in any classic ‘70s or ‘80s slasher film. Don’t split from the group, don’t say you’ll be right back, avoid camp counseling and babysitting gigs like the plague, and most important of all, under no circumstances should you ever: a) drink, b) do drugs, c) have sex, or d) participate in any lurid combination of the three.
While recent years gave way to hyper-aware, self-referential meta-horror flicks that either paid homage to these tropes (Ti West’s House of The Devil) or went out of their way to subvert them (Wes Craven’s entire Scream franchise or Joss Whedon’s Cabin In The Woods), there’s still something to be said for those unapologetically campy VHS classics.
Whether you relate more to the bookish Final Girl archetype who goes from victim to heroine (Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween) or the dumbfounded jock who just isn’t as lucky (Johnny Depp in A Nightmare on Elm Street), conjure their ill-fated swag in modern-day crushed velvet, Richie Tenenbaum athletica, and anything, really, that comes in the highest-waisted, most acid-washed style you can find.
After all, just like Michael, Freddy, and Jason, some things — like rad style — never die. —SAM POTENCIANO
Photos by Ralph Mendoza, Styling by Sam Potenciano, Modeled by Kelsey Merritt, and Jeremy Blake Woodward
