Twitching corpses, shaking ghouls and blow-up Star Wars characters appear on Westwood Boulevard every fall. They are housed within the doors of the Halloween Club, the seasonal pop-up shop and extension of the Aahs! gift store across the street.
When costumes hit the shelves and the decorative banner is hung in August, students have three months to bustle into the Halloween superstore where they explore aisles of costumes, masks, accessories and home decorations to gear up for the big night.
Fourteen Halloweens before the pop-up costume shop took root, Indian entrepreneur Jack Bhasin arrived in California with a love for the holiday. He had a desire to spread that interest to consumers, said his wife Jasleen Bhasin, co-owner of Westwood’s Halloween Club and Aahs! store.
In 1986, Jack Bhasin bought out the previously owned Aahs! store in Westwood, and anchored the operation as a family business run by himself, his wife, his cousin and his uncle. Nine years later, the new owners brought a Halloween Club to Westwood in 1995.
“My husband has always loved this holiday,”Jasleen Bhasin said. “Like Christmas, it’s a long celebration. Going out to parties, decorating the house – it’s such a fun holiday.”
The Bhasins decided to expand their enterprise in 1994 by opening warehouses dedicated solely to Halloween all over Southern California from the first Halloween Club in Santa Fe Springs, California, extending to Los Angeles and Orange County.
In 1995, the Bhasin family found it fitting to place a Halloween Club right across the street from its current location on Westwood Boulevard.
Steve Sann, chairman of the Westwood Community Council, said a shift became more evident in the past 30 or 40 years that Halloween was no longer simply a holiday for children to collect candy, but also for adults as the desire to participate in costume parties, masquerade balls and Halloween festivals started becoming more prevalent.
“Kids would dress as Batman or Superman and go trick-or-treating, (but now) the lion’s share of expenditures for Halloween is adult-related,” Sann said.
As the age range of Halloween fanatics broadened, the Halloween merchandise at the Aahs! store became a noticeably more profitable section of the store, Sann said.
Today, Bruins utilize this Halloween Club location as an outlet to stop by and pick up goods for Halloween. With the themed events and parties occurring on campus, Westwood Halloween Club manager Suris Medel said students rely on the Halloween Club for putting together their looks to fit the theme.
“Every year, there is some kind of ’80s party held at UCLA,” Medel said. “All of our ’80s items are gone instantly when those parties come around.”
Throughout the years, Jasleen Bhasin said masks and onesies have been a versatile way for people to make their own costumes.
This year, “Despicable Me” Minion costumes and accessories are a best-seller, Medel said. Scattered all over the store, customers find fully equipped Minion costumes for adults, children and babies.
For students, accessorizing for Halloween often trumps the desire for full costumes, owner Jasleen Bhasin said.
“These kids are so creative,” Jasleen Bhasin said. “I see them take different accessories, put them together and make their own costumes. It’s wonderful.”
Kenzie Harris, a fourth-year biology student, found a pair of thigh-high tights for her nurse costume and a stethoscope to complete her boyfriend’s costume at the Halloween Club.
“It’s cool to look around here for different ideas,” Harris said. “It’s convenient that the store is here for students; they don’t need to drive anywhere to get here.”
Fourth-year psychobiology student Neethu James said she gets her costume concepts by walking around the Halloween Club. She said students on a tight budget can use the inspiration to craft their own costumes using pieces from thrift stores, something that she has done over her past years as a UCLA student.
Before the week of Halloween, customers flow in and out of the store, scavenging the shelves and hangers for a last-minute costume or decorative item for their party.
Medel said while the store sees a steady influx of people beginning from its opening in late summer, the week before Halloween is by far the busiest. For Medel, that flow of energy and Halloween spirit motivated her to be a part of the Halloween Club’s team in the first place.
“I love Halloween – dressing up, acting like a fool,” Medel said. “It’s the one day you can be whatever you want, and I guess (with) no judgement.”
After owning Aahs! in Westwood for almost 30 years, Jasleen Bhasin said the liveliness within the store and the enthusiasm people have for Halloween is what makes the Halloween Club worth maintaining.
“No matter what goes on in here, it’s always an enjoyable experience,” Jasleen Bhasin said. “It’s a pleasure seeing people who love the holiday, and seeing them looking cute dressing up in their costumes.”