Cover image via Jay Ismail (Provided to SAYS)
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Every Halloween, while most of us are still deciding between being a vampire or a last-minute ghost in a bedsheet, Sasha Bashir is already building worlds and intricate characters
Since 2020, her Halloween tradition has turned into something much bigger than cosplay. It's theatre. Fashion. Art. A little madness. And a lot of heart.
"Each year, I delve into visual character creation — fusing fashion styling, character narrative, theatrical storytelling and transformation," she shared with SAYS.
To date, the former TV host and actress has embodied 23 personalities (and counting), from Frida Kahlo and Cruella de Vil to Yayoi Kusama, Weird Barbie, and even Dato Seri Vida.
Basically, if you name it, she's been it, but always through her own imaginative lens.
This year, Sasha decided to go big. Like… actual-horse big.
"Lady Godiva had been on my list for years, but I knew that to do her justice, I had to actually ride a horse. There was no way around it," she shared.
So, she enrolled for lessons at the Gombak Horse Riding Club in August — wig, flowing fabric, and all.
"Mounting a horse draped in very long hair from the wig of Lady Godiva and layers of flowing fabric was an experience of its own," she shared with a laugh.
And because one equestrian queen wasn't enough, Sasha paired Lady Godiva with Merida from Brave.
Both fierce, independent women. Both totally unbothered by the idea of danger… or tangled hair.
After bringing Hantu Kak Limah to life last year, Sasha also wanted to revisit Malaysian folklore for a second look this year, opting to portray the quiet, haunting elegance of a pontianak
But forget the screaming ghost you've seen in movies. Sasha's version was hauntingly serene.
"The concept was that of a black-and-white portrait, like an old photograph discovered in a dusty attic — fragile, forgotten, yet timeless," she explained.
Dressed in a restyled vintage Oscar de la Renta gown and the same wig from her Hantu Kak Limah look, Sasha reimagined the pontianak as a woman caught between worlds, "longing for her haunted soul to be seen and understood".
Not terrifying. Just achingly human.
Click to watch the video:
The third look of 2025 came out of pure spontaneity, inspired by a trip to the toy store with her kids
"I spotted a shelf of Monster High dolls… their gothic, playful style always fascinated me," she said.
That's when Draculaura was born, styled using a mix of recycled costume pieces, including a black Galliano-inspired dress by designer Faizal Hamid and pink tights from her Weird Barbie look.
The result was a fusion of gothic glam and girlish rebellion. A reminder that Halloween can be both spooky and stylish.
Looking back at her 2025 lineup, Sasha noticed a theme running through every costume: each woman she embodied was strong, fearless, and self-defined
"They all refuse to be defined by fate. Each commands her own story, her own image, her own destiny," she added.
And yes, as always, she's already thinking about next year.
So, maybe this is your sign to go all out too. Get creative. Get weird. And become whoever you dare to be.
