Guest Curator: CoolHunting

ahmekay

Story by ahmekay

Published on Oct 28, 2009 in Shop

Photo by Yokoo

Born on a raspberry farm in Northern California, Ami Kealoha worked at ReadyMade Magazine before moving to New York and taking up as CoolHunting.com‘s managing editor and video producer. (Check out their videos — amazing!) From helping her mother milk goats when she was young to silkscreening annual Valentines and building her own bed frame, making things only ups her appreciation for design and culture.


Avoiding Halloween clichés relieves holiday anxiety and lends year-round purpose to buying costumes and tchotchkes. Like when looking for Cool Hunting, I chose items that you don’t see everywhere else and that make you say, “hmmm.”

 

Vintage skeleton head

Halloween reminds us all of life’s temporality, but any badass will tell you that looking death in the eye is a full-time job. With this vintage skull, you can do it in a way that pairs folk art with rock ‘n’ roll. From bluebellbazaar, $39.

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Two blackbirds Perch Headband Sparrow

Granted, only the fashion forward can pull off Hitchcockian headgear for an everyday look, but it can double as decor too. By charmschooldesign, $44.

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gift set – mini rose stem swizzle sticks – porcelain

Like skulls, these thorned stems point out that everything comes with its share of pain. Fortunately, these porcelain sticks are also beautiful mini sculptures of the organic form. By laurawallstaylor, $25.

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Baby Doll Soap-green

Disembodied doll heads rank high on my “most creepy” list. This green soap version minimizes the gross factor by coming unscented, but it doesn’t help much. By stinkybomb, $5.

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Tiny Real SNAKE BONES Ribs Vertebrae Glass Vial Jar Silver Gothic Unisex Necklace Pendant Small

When I was in high school, I learned that a friend’s mom would bleach the bones of dead birds that she found. I did the same when I discovered my childhood cat, Bunny, in the forest. I know, it’s weird, but they’re so delicately beautiful and morbid. By CatacombsOfLondon, $29.

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Blossom Slug

For years Cool Hunting has been trying to come up with a word that means both creepy and cute, which is the perfect way to describe this knit slug. By lullabylily, $10.

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Vintage Black Lace Collar Bodice Piece for Costumes, Clothing Design, Altered Art or Clothing, Victorian Steampunk Wear

This Victorian lace collar instantly transforms basics into a period costume and works as an accessory for normal wear. By MaryNotMartha, $6.50.

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Blood Orange Jam

My grandma used to buy bread that the local bakery dyed orange and black to celebrate Halloween. Blood orange jam keeps food thematic without the red #5. By lemonbird, $7.

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plain bone hair clip

Another accessory that makes for both an unfussy costume and a weird accent any other time of the year, this felt bone clips easily into hair or anywhere else. By mrsevils, $6.

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black Kanzashi pirate of love

Created out of folded paper, this “pirate of love” eye-patch works as a mask or as an object for the home. By ccaspia, $12.50.

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It’s the Great Pumpkin Hat, Charlie Brown

Okay, this pumpkin head hat pretty much screams “Halloween,” but I love the goofiness and its testament to how well-deserved Yokoo‘s Etsy-lebrity is. $60.

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Looking for past Guest Curators? Check out our archive!

Halloween Trends Guide | Halloween Blog Posts | Steampunk and Noir Guide

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