Nadja of Antipaxos is the glamorous, scheming vampire at the center of FX's What We Do in the Shadows, and her costume is a gift for Halloween: a Victorian gothic dress, a mass of black curls and a very red mouth. The look is built from pieces you can wear again, so it's one of the easier vampire costumes to put together.
How to Make Nadja of Antipaxos Costume
Black Gothic Victorian Gown with High CollarBlack Victorian Fitted JacketBlack Floral Jacquard Maxi SkirtLong Wavy Black Wig with Red Streaks and BangsWide Black Belt with Gold BuckleGold Long Pendant NecklaceBlack Faux Fur Wrist CuffsSilver Gothic Drop EarringsShort Black Leather GlovesBlack Faux Fur Collar WrapClassic Red LipstickBlood Red Nail PolishVampire FangsScar Wax and Fake Blood KitSaveTap any item in the photo to shop itClick any item in the photo to shop it
| # | Item | Description | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Gothic Victorian Gown with High Collar | A black floor-length gown with a high stand collar, fitted long sleeves, a corset-style bodice and a full flared skirt. This is the closest ready-made match to Nadja's velvet gown. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 2 | Black Victorian Fitted Jacket | For her black coat look, a fitted black Victorian jacket with a high collar and buttoned front. Wear it in place of the gown, with item 3. If you can, pin shoulder pads or foam under the sleeves to get the oversized puffed shoulders. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 3 | Black Floral Jacquard Maxi Skirt | A long, full black skirt with a tone-on-tone floral print, like the lace-pattern skirt under her jacket. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 4 | Long Wavy Black Wig with Red Streaks and Bangs | Nadja's hair is long, black, crimped and wild, with blunt bangs and red streaks through it. Pull the curls out with your fingers instead of brushing them smooth. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 5 | Wide Black Belt with Gold Buckle | A wide elastic waist belt with a gold buckle, worn over the dress at the waist to separate the bodice from the skirt. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 6 | Gold Long Pendant Necklace | A long fine gold chain that hangs down the front with a small pendant, like the one on her chest in the scene. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 7 | Black Faux Fur Wrist Cuffs | Big black fluffy cuffs worn over the ends of the sleeves, standing in for the fur trim on her sleeves. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 8 | Silver Gothic Drop Earrings | Small antique-silver filigree drops with a black crystal, like the ornate earrings she wears. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 9 | Short Black Leather Gloves | Plain black leather gloves with a short cuff. Slip them under the jacket's sleeve ends. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 10 | Black Faux Fur Collar Wrap | A black faux-fur collar worn high at the neck. Cut a strip to sew on the jacket cuffs if you want the fur trim too. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 11 | Classic Red Lipstick | Bold, true red lips are the center of her makeup. Pair it with pale foundation and winged black liner. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 12 | Blood Red Nail Polish | Nadja's nails are always a deep, glossy red. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 13 | Vampire Fangs | Adult-sized fangs that clip or fit over your teeth. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
| 14 | Scar Wax and Fake Blood Kit | For the blood streaks down her cheeks in this look. Press scar wax on and paint the blood over it. | 🛒 Check on Amazon |
This is the black gown Nadja wears in the show: a black velvet dress with a dark lace-and-bead embroidered bodice, high neck, fur-trimmed sleeves and a wide belt, with her black hair crimped long and streaked with red. It reads as her at once, and it's the look people reach for first.
Getting the details right
The hair and the face do most of the work. Nadja's curls are big and slightly messy, so pull the wig out with your fingers instead of brushing it smooth, and keep the bangs blunt and heavy. For makeup, go for very pale skin, dark winged eyeliner and a precise red lip. Add a little fake blood at the corner of the mouth if you want her post-dinner look.
The one part you can't buy exactly is the dress itself. Her gown is a black velvet piece with dark beaded and embroidered panels, and no mass-market dress copies it. A plain black high-neck gown with a corset bodice and a full skirt is the nearest match, and the belt and cuffs bring back its shape. If you can sew, a black velvet skirt and a black embroidered bodice would get closer still.
Nadja's other looks
She has a different gown in almost every episode, so you can match the look to your party:
- Brocade gown: her Season 1 promo look is a black-and-gold brocade dress with black velvet puff sleeves. Swap in a black and gold brocade dress and a black puff-sleeve blouse for the gown, and keep the wig and makeup.
- Crimson and silver: a deep red satin dress with a silver ornate shoulder piece, from the show's promo portraits.
- Jacket and skirt: she also wears a black tailored jacket with huge puffed shoulders and fur-trimmed cuffs over a black jacquard skirt, with black gloves and bloody streaks on her face. Her hair is pinned up in two small buns on top that look like cat ears, so there is no separate ears item. Items 2 and 3 are the jacket and skirt, with the gloves, collar and blood kit at items 9, 10 and 14. Keep the wig and the makeup.
Nadja group and couples costumes
Nadja's husband Laszlo is the obvious pair: a ruffled shirt, a waistcoat and long dark hair. For the full household, add Nandor in his Ottoman-style outfit, the energy vampire Colin Robinson in office wear, and Guillermo as the lanky human familiar in a black suit. The five of them make one of the best TV group costumes around.
About Nadja of Antipaxos
Nadja of Antipaxos is a vampire of Greek and Romani heritage, more than 500 years old, and one of the main characters of What We Do in the Shadows. She is played by Natasia Demetriou. She was turned by Baron Afanas and lives in a house on Staten Island, New York, with her husband Laszlo Cravensworth, their housemate Nandor the Relentless, the energy vampire Colin Robinson and Nandor's human familiar Guillermo.
The series, created by Jemaine Clement for FX and based on the 2014 film of the same name, ran for six seasons. Nadja is vain, jealous, manipulative and very funny, and her dramatic gowns have become one of the most copied parts of the show.
