Spirit quest

Halloween is getting to be too formulaic. The come-out of costumes each year is mostly dependent on the film offerings, the recent MTV darling, and even the political landscape. So expect Storm Shadows and Baronesses, Hannah Montana and the entire Gossip Girl posse, and maybe even some Obamas — both Barack and Michelle. The usual Halloween cast of monsters, ghouls, and horned folk shouldn’t be discounted either, especially with department stores now stocking up on latex masks, and even street hawkers peddling battery-operated, light-up devil horns.

For something truly original, however, it should be so easy to just look at this season’s trends for costume inspiration. Now that sheer black and shredded fashion are in abundance, it shouldn’t be too hard to just be extra artistic with your makeup to accomplish something fashionably horrific.

In ILove You Store, the artist’s lair in Cubao Expo where dark, deconstructed fashion seems to be a year-round event, many Hallow’s Eve fantasies come to life. Here, a coven of young, precocious talent display pieces that go from fashionable to freaky — especially with scraggly hair and a demented stare. Skip the G.I. Joe fixation and dress up in the real spirit of Halloween.