Nadja’s Nightclub Opening Outfit From What We Do in the Shadows

When Nadja opens a nightclub in season 3 of What We Do in the Shadows, I immediately wanted the red outfit she wears! It’s just so flashy and fun. Also, it’s a little less “typical vampire” than a lot of what she wears, and thus a bit less like my own everyday clothes or things I’ve worn in the past. I hadn’t wanted to cosplay Nadja at first because her usual look isn’t too far from my old goth style, so it wasn’t a challenge. But the bright red outfit is wacky and more OTT.

After making and looking at a bunch of screencaps, I figured I could make the coat from the body of a 16th-century loose gown with 1890s leg-o-mutton sleeves (seeing as I have these patterns already ;). Getting the right fabric was a little tricky because I wanted the drape and rustle of silk but couldn’t find the correct color without spending a ton, so alas, I settled for a polyester faille, which at least had the body the coat needed. I drafted giant lapels and stiffened them with heavy interfacing, though otherwise the coat is unlined.

For the dress underneath, I bought a black knit dress with a lace-up bodice on Amazon — only the lace-up part shows, and I added metal aglets to the lacing ends since that tiny bit is visible.

The mini top hats, two gold sparkly belts, red gloves, and black nails were all from AliExpress. I had a couple ratty old black wigs that I layered on top of each other, and I glued clips on the mini hats to position them on my head. I left slits open in the side seams of the coat for the belts, since the coat flows freely in the back but is cinched in the front. And I glued black nails onto the gloves (putting wadded up tinfoil inside the fingers so the glue wouldn’t stick).

I first wore the finished costume at the PEERS Bal des Vampyres in 2022.

And on Instagram: