One of the contests we held this month was for our Nena & Co. Society members to dress up in their favorite Halloween costume, pair it with an Artisan bag to match, and share the outfit on their social media. Five winners each scored a free Artisan bag of their choice.
We absolutely loved seeing everyone’s costumes and the Nena & Co. bags that were paired with them. In fact, we loved the creativity and effort so much that our team decided to do it too! Here are nine different Halloween costume ideas paired with a Nena & Co handbag.
1. Miss Chiquita and Her Bananas
Our lovely CEO, Ali Hynek, dressed up as Miss Chiquita with her husband and triplets dressed up as bananas and her youngest child, Santiago, dressed as an avocado. How cute is this family costume set? We’re obsessed!
Here’s a little history about Miss Chiquita. This animated banana was founded in 1944 by Chiquita, a banana company. Their advertising campaign was centered around Miss Chiquita who sang a jingle to share the nutritional benefits of this yellow fruit. In fact, what started out as a simple tune quickly became a “hit”. Miss Chiquita along with her jingle helped the brand get international awareness.
In 1987, Miss Chiquita was humanized meaning she was no longer an animated banana but was rebranded as a woman with a traditional latin american dress and different kinds of fruit placed on top of her flat brimmed hat. In 2019, Miss Chiquita won the first Pop Icon International Achievement Award during Advertising Week Latin America. This version of Miss Chiquita is the one that inspired Ali for her 2020 family halloween costume.
As her final touch as Miss Chiquita, Ali paired her halloween look with the Full Moon bag from our Ghana Collection! This addition definitely gives some Caribbean vibes. Anyone else ready to go to the beach?
2. Deer
Because we’re based out of Utah, it seems fitting to dress up as a deer for Halloween! Mule deer (to be exact) are commonly found in Utah and can be a popular animal to see on a drive through the canyon. If you ever find yourself in Utah, definitely keep your eyes open to see these beautiful creatures eating in a meadow or crossing a road.
Our social media specialist, Taylor, paired her deer look with a Morocco Perfect Bag in the Medium Size. These subtle, earthy colors are a great addition to any outdoor animal costume. Whether you’re dressing up as an animal or itching to go on an adventure in nature, don’t forget to take your Morocco Perfect Bag with you!
3. Football Player
Anyone else choosing their favorite sports team/player for their Halloween costume? Mario chose to represent Mexico with his football player outfit, and we love it! If you didn’t know, Mexico has been a really great team over the years. They actually are the most successful national team in the CONCACAF region which includes countries of North and Central America, and the Caribbean. Pretty cool!
For his Nena & Co addition, Mario chose to pair his Mexico football player costume with one of our Fancy Packs.This way he can store his phone and wallet safely and enjoy all the Halloween festivities! Whether you're going as Messi or Ronaldo, our fancy packs would be amazing final touches to your sports costume.
4. Frida Kahlo
Can anyone guess who Irene, our Creative Director, chose to be for Halloween? If you guessed Frida Kahlo, you’re right! Irene chose to be one of Mexico’s most famous painters known for her colorful self-portraits. Frida Kahlo de Rivera’s talent and her project of painting several portraits of Mexican women led to her being known today as an icon of female creativity.
When it comes to capturing Frida Kahlo for Halloween, Irene did it so effortlessly. She made sure to stay true to Frida’s signature look with her rosy cheeks, accessories, and braids. When it comes to her own fashion choices, Frida Kahlo was definitely influenced by her life and disabilities. In fact, she chose to wear long, flowy skirts not just because she wanted to capture her Mexican culture but also to hide her physical ailments.
In addition to her long skirts, Frida Kahlo chose to pair them with a traditional “huipil” blouse. Sound familiar? All you Nena & Co. lovers might recognize this word, because our OOAK bags’ handwoven panels are created from upcycled huipil blouses! These garments are worn by Mayan women in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Nena & Co.’s initial inspiration came from Guatemala while Frida’s came from Mexico. However, because of the similarity, it was only fitting that Irene pair her Frida Kahlo look with Nena & Co. She decided on the Mini Mexico Perfect Bag as her final touch!
5. Three Hole Punch Jim
Anyone who watches The Office will appreciate this Halloween costume! In Season 2, Jim Halpert decided to be a three hole punch for Halloween. Weston, from our shipping department, decided to channel his inner Jim and recreate the three hole punch costume. We think he made a great Jim especially with the office attire and black circles on his button down shirt. Classic.
To finish his outfit, Weston paired a leather Mexico Perfect Bag in the full size. Jim has been known to carry a shoulder bag and even convinced Dwight to purchase a purse in one of the episodes. We think the Mexico all leather bag would be a great addition to Jim’s outfit!
6. Lara Croft From Tomb Raider
Erica, our Director of Marketing, channeled the strong and independent woman that she is by choosing Laura Croft as her Halloween costume. Laura Croft is a fictional character from the video game franchise, Tomb Raider. In the video game and movies, she’s depicted as an athletic and highly intelligent archaeologist who explores ancient ruins and tombs. What’s the perfect accessory for exploring and traveling the world? Erica’s choice is the leather Mexico Perfect Bag in the full size! This versatile bag can be a backpack or a cross-body perfect for on-the-go adventures.
7. Moira and David From Schitt’s Creek
If you watched the 2020 Emmy Awards, you might know that Schitt’s Creek won 9 awards that night. This Canada-based comedy series is about an ultra wealthy family who ended up losing their wealth and relocating to a town they owned called Schitt’s Creek. The show premiered in 2015 but didn’t gain popularity in the US until 2017 when it was put on Netflix. Now, it’s a TV series that everyone can’t stop watching!
For their Halloween costumes, Michelle and Bentley teamed up and created looks as Moira and David. Michelle paired her Moira-inspired outfit with a Fancy Pack and Bentley paired his David-inspired outfit with a One of A Kind Guatemala Perfect Bag. They absolutely killed it! Don’t you think Moira and David would look great with some Nena & Co. handbags?
8. Safari Guide
How cute is this safari guide outfit? The best part is that Sydney didn’t even have to go anywhere to create this outfit. She simply had the idea, looked in her closet, and found the pieces to put the look together. Her outfit included a denim shirt, some shorts, a handkerchief, socks, shoes, and a suede hat. When put all together, she became the newest safari guide.
To complete her look with a Nena & Co. addition, Sydney added a pop of color with the Perfect Fringe Tote. Using her cross body strap, she looks ready to go on her next adventure! Are you?
9. Sun and Stars
Lindsey, from our customer service team, and Sarah, from our design team, definitely tapped into their creative sides with their “sun and stars” look! Aren’t their headpieces so beautiful?
Sarah and Lindsey’s costumes definitely hit home with Nena & Co especially since the sun and stars have a huge significance to Mayan culture. The sun, who was considered a god, was the most important piece of astrology to them. The stars weren’t as important but they did help the Mayans predict seasons for agriculture purposes!
When it comes to choosing a Nena bag for each, these two sisters decided on our Artisan handbags from Guatemala. Lindsey chose the warmer color while Sarah chose the cooler color to match their looks and pull it all together!
Happy Halloween From All of Us at Nena & Co.
We hope you all loved our outfits and got some inspiration for pairing your Nena bag with your Halloween costume! Have a fun and safe Halloween filled with all the pumpkin spice and chocolate your tummies can handle. If you take your Nena bag Trick-or-Treating, don’t forget to share a picture and tag us so we can see your outfit!