For executing a complex suit, “Stranger Things” prosthetics crew and Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Vecna, the new villain for season 4, the mysterious being is creepy with a humanoid shape, a skull face, and tentacles that resemble an illustration from a biology textbook. Cosplay Liechee fashions a stunning gown from the popular Netflix series Stranger Things that enables her to stroll into the Upside Down. Some viewers already get their ideas for Halloween costumes from Vecna.
How to dress like Vecna for Halloween 2023
German cosplayer and costume designer Liechee made the decision to design an Upside Down-inspired garment suitable for a cutting-edge runway. After viewing the first half of season four and seeing a video of Bower dressing up in costume on Twitter, Liechee, who has been sewing since she was 14, immediately set to work creating an equally eerie outfit out of bubble wrap and discarded plastic.
Liechee explained that she was inspired by hearing about the Stranger Things production team’s use of plastics, pool noodles, and other odd materials to create the Upside Down. The artist was able to get several pieces of leftover plastic from a friend and eventually fashioned them into what she refers to as the “UpsideGown.”
Starting with Worbla, a thermoplastic modelling material, Liechee constructed the bodice. The “vines” that run along the skirt of the gown were then made by the maker using a variety of plastic sheets, bubble wrap, wire, and a ton of hot glue.
She says that she painted the Vecna costume with acrylic paint and wood glue to give it its hues of rusty red, plum, and magenta, saying, “Painting the dress was undoubtedly the most difficult and most annoying part, just because the dress is so large.” Since I was prohibited from using spray paint, I had to paint everything by hand using only brushes.
Liechee says that although the pattern is rather comfortable, the Vecna costume bodice is extremely stiff, making it impossible to sit down while wearing the outfit. She says she’s content for the time being to keep the outfit in her closet and that bringing it to a Vecna cosplay event would be challenging. She says, “I can’t fold it or put it in a bag, so I haven’t found out a decent way to properly carry it yet. It’s more like a large, wearable artwork.”
Vecna costume’s presence on the set was so intimidating that Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown cried because she was so terrified when she first saw Bower transform into the sinister villain. She refused to look at me and was utterly appalled by the situation, according to Bower. Because I smoke, one of the things she said after she cried and I made it clear that she recognized me as the perpetrator was, “I knew it was you when I could smell cigarettes.”
Conclusion
Liechee finished the dress and a pair of matching shoes ahead of the second episode of season four after only two weeks of work, earning praise from other “Stranger Things” fans. Some of these fans have even requested to place their own orders. Vecna costume wearing this at the Met Gala has been mentioned in a number of comments, and Liechee says she should definitely wear it.
While thousands of admirers ogle the dress’ intricate details, Liechee is already working on her next “Lord of the Rings”-inspired project: a haute couture gown with a flaming chiffon train.
