Winnie Harlow’s Epic Halloween Take on Cruella de Vil Has a Special Meaning Behind It
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With Halloween at an end, we think we can finally say that this may have been the best year yet for costumes. It seems, somehow, that everyone collectively decided to go all out this year, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.
There was, of course, the highly anticipated reveal from Heidi Klum. There were incredible couples costumes (Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce could not have gotten together at a better time) and adorable mother-daughter moments (see Shay Mitchell and her daughter for proof).
And, while some of the outfits were just playful, there was also a lot of heartfelt meaning behind some of the costumes this year. For Winnie Harlow, this year’s day of dress up was a chance to make a meaningful statement on childhood bullying and the beauty of overcoming it. She dressed up as Cruella de Vil, the childhood villain that we all know and loathe. And, while the costume was incredible, it was more important for the meaning with which the model imbued it.
“Growing up I got teased a lot for my skin. I got called everything you already know.. and Dalmatian,” she wrote in the caption of an Oct. 31 Instagram post. “That really got to me when I was little. So much so that I realized I had a bit of disdain for the film as a child. Years later, out of the affect of childhood bullies and into someone who appreciates film, all things CAMP and of course puppies🥰.. I realized how much I missed out with 101 Dalmatians as a child based on the words of bullies. I pray no child misses out because of the words of others! You’re perfect just the way you are 😘😊 This and so many others are dream roles to me to act and it was a pleasure grasping the iconic @glennclose as CRUELLA DEVILLE 😍👹🐾.”
For Harlow, de Vil is more than just an iconic character. This Halloween gave her the chance to confront a piece of her own past and to encourage other children who might be subject to bullying to persevere as well.
“THIS Halloween is really dedicated to little Winnie,” she continued. “Taking her lemons and turning them into lemonade. The things that used to give her trauma. And the small things that helped push further. Confidence 🤍.”
We applaud Harlow and her message. And, on top of it all, she absolutely nailed the look.
