At Julio Torres’ Halloween Party, Everyone Will Get Their Red-Carpet Moment

Earlier this month, NYLON invited one and all to The Cursed Amulet, aka Julio Torres’ Halloween “rager-cum-costume-party,” as the event’s exclusive media partner. And while there were plenty of surprises and opportunities for masked mischief to tease then — as well as some big-name co-hosts like Bowen Yang, Natasha Lyonne, and Ziwe — the details we’ve heard since have only gotten juicier.

We’re not ones to keep party intel to ourselves, so we went straight to the source for the most up-to-date info on the function, which will be produced by Lauren Mandel of Disco Nap — who’s also been behind the Yang- and Matt Rogers-led Las Culturistas Culture Awards for the last three years — and Fran Tirado. Ahead, Torres talks about how the evening at Elsewhere will very much not be about getting “sweaty on a dance floor dry-humping each other,” why costumes (and the special-guest-judged contest) are the raison d’être of the night, and his own ensembles of Halloweens past and future.

Let’s talk about G.L.I.T.S first — what went into the decision to have part of the proceeds from the event support the organization?

It's just part of the ethos of what I strive to do, which is to keep community in mind. And my friend [Tirado], who's also producing this party, has worked with G.L.I.T.S. And the election’s coming up. In this case, partnering with a trans org, and a New York one at that, feels like a reinvestment in the community. Nightlife is not my job — this is not where my money comes from, throwing parties. So it felt like, if I'm asking New York to come party with me, I would love some of it to go back to [the city]. It felt like the emotionally honest and exciting thing to do.

With that said, I would love for the vibe of the party to celebrate creativity, which is what I like about Halloween. There are claustrophobic holidays and liberating holidays, like Thanksgiving is a claustrophobic holiday. And Halloween is like, “Do whatever you want to do — or don't.” I love making things, and I love costumes. So I love the idea of people spending hours with a glue gun and some beads, and then coming and showing off what they made. Halloween is very much a celebration of creativity, which is why it's such a queer holiday.

You mentioned that you want to see costumes that are “too bulky, too kinky, or too ‘if I sit down it falls apart because it's mostly trash glued to my body.’”

I think that, “OK, here is the reason the party exists”: It's because too many Halloweens I have spent a lot of time and effort in costumes that end up being more like floats than portable. And when you go to one of these parties, it's like, "So we're all just sweaty on a dance floor dry-humping each other." And the costume is sort of neither here nor there. And if I wanted to do that, I could do that any weekend. [At Cursed Amulet], everyone will have a red-carpet moment, and everyone will get to show off what they're coming in with. The costumes aren't secondary to the event — the costumes are the reason for the event.

Going back to those float-like previous costumes, do you have a particular one that comes to mind?

I was a spell a couple of years ago, where half my body was this foam marble pedestal, and then a book opened up my waist, and I had swirls of light around me. It was more of a photo-shoot moment than a dance moment, for sure.

If someone is still coming up with a costume, do you have any thought-starters? Should they try to go with something as metaphorical as a spell?

I think what kind of thing you want to be in your day-to-day life that you can't be. What tickles you. What you think is too weird or too absurd, but only you get. And to make the costume’s audience yourself, not other people. When people are like, "Oh, I don't know if people are going to get my costume," it's like, "Well, who cares?" It's not about how many people get it — it's like, "Is your costume you, and are you happy in it?"

And for your own costume, what hints can you give us? Or are you wearing multiple?

I'm wearing, as of now, one. I would say... tragedy is the route I'm going.

Tragedy only, no comedy?

We can laugh, but it's ultimately a tragedy.

The costumes are the main event, but I heard there will be some surprises.

There's going to be dancing to the best of your ability in your costume. You can also just stand, you can sway. Or if what inspires you is to come half-dressed in bunny ears, if that's what makes you happy, then go off and dance your heart out. But there are shows. We're talking about maybe a peep show, an optional peep show.

When people are like, "Oh, I don't know if people are going to get my costume," it's like, "Well, who cares?"

Do you have a favorite Halloween memory?

My school did Halloween in elementary school, and not every parent sent their kid with a costume. And the kids that showed up with no costume often felt bummed. So my mom would bring extra sheets and scissors to just very quickly make them ghosts. So maybe we'll have that, actually, extra sheets and scissors.

And any specifically New York Halloween memories?

One time I went as a shattered mirror with Cate Blanchett's reflection in it. Just leaving little shards everywhere was really fun. Also, very dangerous. There's just something about the constant commuting in New York with your costume that's always fun. Seeing all the couples’ fights in costume is always fun.

Because this will be a proper party, are there any “proper New York party” moments on your bingo card?

Maybe characters from different universes making out, like Santa Claus and a Ninja Turtle or something. What else do I hope to see? Someone completely unrecognizable that I later learned was my friend the whole time, but they couldn't talk or move.

Is there anything else about the party you'd want to let readers know, potential guests, people who are waffling about buying a ticket?

It's going to be a great time. And don't be overwhelmed... If you just come with regular clothes and you're like, "I'm my reflection," that's completely acceptable. And maybe to Google “Kevin Carpet.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.