At the Brown Design Workshop’s annual costume open hours Thursday evening, workshop monitors joined undergraduates in assembling costumes for a weekend of Halloween festivities on campus.
The Herald spoke to three students attending the event, all of whom rushed to complete their costumes the evening before they were due.
Jules Silva ’26 stitched a striped crop top for their Freddy Krueger-inspired Halloween look at the front of the workshop.
“I’m making a costume for Halloweekend last minute,” Silva said. “It’s something a bit more informal … I just want to be a bit more scrappy.”
Though they are a first-year, Silva is already a workshop veteran.
“I’m an engineering student here, so I come (to the BDW) for all of my projects,” they said. “I have all of my certifications.”
Zoe Le ’25 worked alongside Silva to create her rendition of Suki from the “Fast & Furious” franchise and was joined by friends to create the “intricate” cutouts needed in the costume. Instead of buying a costume, Le thrifted a pair of Zumba pants as her starting material.
Further back in the workshop, Laurel Meshnick ’23 created a striped blue-and-black dress inspired by the 2015 viral online debate.
“I’m doing this very rushed,” Meshnick said. “I just got this dress from Savers. I always had a plan for (the costume), but I’m a procrastinator.”
This weekend marked Meshnick’s last Halloween celebration as an undergraduate, though they said the event “is not something I’m going to miss from college.” Between the extensive preparation for the celebration and the high expectations for costumes, “Halloweekend is stressful,” Meshnick said.
This year’s BDW event was organized in part by Lucid Clairvoyant ’23, a monitor at the workshop and illustrator for The Herald.
Most monitors were not able to prepare their costumes in advance because of upcoming exams. As a result, the Halloween event was “put together at the last minute,” Clairvoyant said. Still, they volunteered to organize the workshop because of their excitement for the holiday. “I’m a die-hard Halloween fan,” they said.
According to Clairvoyant, part of the event’s importance is its role in advertising the availability of the workshop to students. Both Le and Silva praised the BDW for the resources it provides to students.
Le, who previously attended the BDW as a student in ENGN 0030: “Introduction to Engineering,” said she hopes to continue engaging with the workshop following the Halloween event. “I want to get my sewing certification and come here more,” Le said.
Silva first attended the BDW as part of ENGN 0032: “Introduction to Engineering: Design.” They appreciate the “creative environment” of the space, adding that they “love being hands-on and constructing something.”
Silva noted the importance of the monitors in creating a positive environment at the workshop. “The monitors are really nice,” Silva said, adding that they are “amazing artists and engineers.”
Neil Mehta is the editor-in-chief and president of the Brown Daily Herald's 134th editorial board. They study public health and statistics at Brown. Outside the office, you can find Neil baking and playing Tetris.
